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The junior barrel race is always a hotly contested event and this season proving to be no different. Layney Deguara of Nebo and Emi Carlson of Childers have been fighting it out for the battle of the Pro Tour Junior Barrel racing buckle all season long and as the race to the finish line inches closer rodeo by rodeo, the gap between them narrows. Both Degaura and Carlson qualified for their first National Finals Rodeo in the 2022 senior season for the Ladies Barrel Racing so it is no wonder they are the two front runners for the junior barrel racing contest. Layney has been chasing down Emi for the past few months although she is not going down without a fight as this is Layney’s final year competing in junior competition. At the present second, the margin between them is only a $23.28, the season is set to finish at the end of April.

Layney aboard her trusty mount, Speedy are always striving to be at the top of the leader board which they made noticeably clear by winning Australia’s richest rodeo at Mount Isa earlier in the season. Layney accredited much of her success this season to her team and the horsepower behind her. Most recently the duo pulled of the win in the Junior barrel racing at Yarra Valley, as they head back down south for the next few weeks she hopes to keep to ball rolling and chipping away at the small lead that Emi has on her.

Emi has shown resilience in the face of adversity when her main horse, MC sustained an injury forcing her to push outside her comfort zone and compete on various different mounts. Emi has been no stranger to the pay window this season, collecting cheques 16 separate times so far in the junior barrel racing this season with more cheques to come her way before the end of April. She started off with a bang winning Nebo straight off the bat at the beginning of the junior season and has proven unrelenting since.

This battle will come right down to the wire, will they come into the Junior National Finals neck and neck or will Emi increase her lead? Can Layney do what it takes to clench the Pro Tour Junior Barrel Racing title as her last chance at it? We can’t wait to see how they will finish up and even more excited to watch three action packed rounds of the Junior National Finals held in Emerald this coming June.

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