Madison Bean was the third to last cowgirl to run at the 2026 Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo and posted the fastest time, a 15-58-second run to win the title.
(PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN)

 

BIG SPRING, Texas – When Madison Bean says she was born to be a barrel racer, she means it.

“I grew up doing it,” said Bean, 23, of Lubbock, Texas. “I got to my first rodeo when I was 3 years old, and I’ve held my (WPRA) card since I was 18, so five years now.”

She blazed through the competition as one of the last cowgirls competing at the rodeo with a 15.58-second run on the final night of the 2026 Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo to win the barrel racing title. She beat runners-up Jackie Ganter and Ryann Pedone by four-hundredths of a second and pocketed $3,282 for her work.

I’ve always loved this rodeo,” Bean said. “It’s a little bit of a hometown rodeo. I go to school in Lubbock, and I’m from El Paso, so I grew up around this rodeo.

“I have to send my appreciation to Zach Herrin and Dane Driver for getting the ground so good for us with the storm (Friday) night and throughout the week. I was thankful for that.”

Good ground is important in all events. Animals need good footing in order to perform at a high level, and volunteers did everything they could to make it such through every layer of the competition. Pedone ran Friday when storms ripped across the arena before the rodeo and rain was intermittent throughout.

Bean realized she could trust the ground, so that made her approach on her horse more critical.

“His name is George, and he’s family-owned,” she said. “My aunt, Jana Bean, trained him, and he’s owned by my grandfather, Jim Bean, so he’s part of our family.”

Jana Bean is from Fort Hancock, Texas, who attended Howard College and is a three-time qualifier to the National Finals Rodeo. She has been inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. On Friday night, she made a 15.82-second run and placed 11th in Big Spring. Jana Bean also gave George all the lessons the red racer could handle, and it’s paying off for her niece.

“He just loves to win,” Madison Bean said. “He loves to win more than I do. He craves it, which is very fun to me. At the end of the day, he’s part of our family and more than just a barrel horse.”

Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo
June 4-6
All-around cowboy: Jake Shelton, $1,332, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.

Bareback riding: 1. Lane McGehee, 83 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Rodeo Colors, $2,535; 2. Matthew McLanahan, 81, $1,944; 3. Payton Lackey, 80.5, $1,437; 4. (tie) Kash Loyd and Chad Rutherford, 79, $761 each; 6. Cole Hollen, 74.5, $423; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling: 1. Marc Joiner, 3.7 seconds, $2,157; 2. Tyler Scheevel, 4.0, $1,904; 3. Tyler Waguespack, 4.4, $1,650; 4. (tie) Jake Shelton and Cimarron Thompson, 4.6, $1,332 each; 6. Cameron Haumea, 4.9, $1,142; 7. Emmett Edler, 5.1, $1,015; 8. Bray Armes, 5.3, $888; 9. Logan Mullin, 5.9, $761; 10. Cole Walker, 6.4, $508.

Tie-down roping: 1. Lane Livingston, 8.0 seconds, $3,324; 2. Tyler Calhoun, 8.1, $2,933; 3. Travis Staley, 8.5, $2,542; 4. Dean Holyan, 8.6, $2,151; 5. Kincade Henry, 8.9, $1,955; 6. (tie) Cross Fulford and Reese Riemer, 9.1, $1,662 each; 8. Word Hudson, 9.5, $1,369; 9. (tie) Luke Coleman and Blane Cox, 9.7, $978 each.

Breakaway roping: 1. Madison Outhier, 2.0 seconds, $3,704; 2. (tie) Makayla Boisjoli and Cheyanne McCartney, 2.1, $2,685 each; 4. Shay Clements, 2.2, $1,852; 5. (tie) Brighton Bauman, Jackie Crawford and Jade Mitchell, 2.3, $1,173 each; 8. (tie) TiAda Gray, Kendra Lewis and Shalee Oftedahl, 2.4, $741 each; 11. (tie) Amber Crawford, Kayelen Helton and Shelby Osceola-Moody, 2.5, $463 each; 14. (tie) Rheagan Cotton and Macy Hancock, 2.6, $231 each.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cort Scheer, 84 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Honor Guard, $3,119; 2. Colt Gordon, 83.5, $2,391; 3. (tie) Blaise Freeman and Tom Webster, 83, $1,455 each; 5. Traven Sharon, 82, $728; 6. Cooper Lane, 79.5, $520; 7. Gus Gaillard, 78.5, $416; 8. (tie) Carson Bingham and Carson Neal, 78, $156 each.

Team roping: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/JC Flake, 4.0 seconds, $3,416 each; 2. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 4.4, $3,014; 3. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 4.6, $2,612; 4. (tie) Bridger Ketcham/Corey Hendrick and Jayse Tettenhorst/Belden Cox, 4.7, $2,110 each; 6. Kelvin Medeiros/Cashton Weid Weidenbener, 5.0, $1,808; 7. Jacob Stansbury/Hayden Sanders, 5.1, $1,607; 8. Wyatt Bray/Blake Walker II, 5.3, $1,406; 9. Conley Kleinhans/Kyler Kanady, 5.4, $1,206; 10. (tie) Shay Dixon Carroll/Jace Helton and Clay Ullery/B.J. Dugger, 5.5, $402 each.

Barrel racing: 1. Madison Bean, 15.58 seconds, $3,282; 2. (tie) Jackie Ganter and Ryann Pedone, 15.62, $2,380 each; 4. Liz Herrin, 15.64, $1,641; 5. Megan Albrecht, 15.66, $1,313; 6. Sissy Winn, 15.70, $985; 7. Shayna Wimberly, 15.74, $821; 8. Billie Harmon, 15.75, $739; 9. Morgan Addison, 15.76, $656; 10. Kara Kreder, 15.79, $574; 11. Jana Bean, 15.82, $492; 12. Ginger Billingsley, 15.83, $410; 13. Maylee McCrary, 15.85, $328; 14. Faith Nolte, 15.88, $246; 15. Taylor Baize, 15.91, $164.

Bull riding: 1. Noah Lee, 85.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Packin Heat, $5,435; 2. Brad Moreno, 83.5, $4,184; 3. (tie) Dakota Hill and Jax Mills, 83, $2,577 each; 5. Riggen Hughes, 80.5, $1,327; 6. Hayden Welsh, 79, $970; 7. Hudson Bolton, 62, $791; no other qualified rides.