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December 13, 2006

Poppino hits pay dirt at WNFR

Kathy Parker

It’s the equivalent of the World Series or Superbowl in rodeo. It’s the Wrangler National Finals in Las Vegas, Nev.

Mayes County resident Tana Poppino is on her way home $39,924.87 richer after her trip to the “big show.” She finsihes the year eighth in the world as a professional barrel racer with a total of $114,096.75 won this year.

Making ten runs in as many days in the small Thomas and Mack arena is not easy. Only two barrel racers, Codi Baucom and Brittany Pozzi, managed to leave the barrels standing for all ten runs.

After solid runs which were out of the money in rounds one and two, Poppino hit a barrel in round three. The sun came out in the fourth round. She won second place and picked up a $12,662.26 check.

After knocking over barrels in rounds five and six, Poppino hit pay dirt again in round seven. She split third place with Sherry Cervi and added $8,140.22 to her bank account. With momentum going, Poppino and her horse Amigo picked up another second place check in round eight. They won sixth in the ninth round and $2,584.13. That was the last it turned out, as a second barrel turned over in the tenth round. But Poppino had a pretty good showing her first time at the WNFR, winning just shy of $40,000 in 10 days.

An Okie is now the World Champion barrel racer. Mary Burger of Pauls Valley came into the finals in second place behind Texan Brittany Pozzi, but she picked up a check in every round and that coupled with her average check made her the champion by $2,566.

Pozzi won the average as the WNFR. She was one of only two barrel racers, along with Codi Baucom, to have ten clean runs.

The total payout for this year’s WNFR was $5.2 million.

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Poppino hits pay dirt at WNFR
by Kathy Parker , , Wed Dec 13, 2006, 08:57 AM CST
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