Sonora Hayes will ride her 10-year-old horse ‘My Pretty Boy Floyd’ and says she’s learned to “just hang on and make the ride” over the past year.
SALADO, Texas — A pint-sized cowgirl from Salado is saddling up for her second shot at one of the biggest barrel racing competitions in the country.
Seven-year-old Sonora Hayes will return to the Mike & Sherrylynn Johnson’s Vegas Tuffest Championship in Las Vegas next month, a year after making her debut at the major event.
“This year, I hope to be in the top five,” Hayes said.
Last December, Hayes competed in the 7-and-under category at the Las Vegas competition when she was just 6 years old. She finished 10th in the short go and 7th in the average, according to her mother, Kassidee Bowen.
Hayes rode her horse My Pretty Boy Floyd, or just Floyd for short. Bowen said Hayes had only been running Floyd competitively for about 10 weeks at the time.
A third-generation cowgirl
For Hayes, barrel racing isn’t just a hobby, it’s in her blood.
“I’ve been doing this since I was just a baby,” Hayes said.
According to Bowen, Hayes is a third-generation cowgirl who has been riding since she was 9 months old.
“I was 5 months pregnant with Sonora the first time she ran down the alley,” Bowen told 6 News last year. “I’d say it’s in her blood!”
Now 7, Hayes shows no signs of slowing down. She says she’s never scared when she’s racing.
“Because I’ve been doing it for such a long time,” Hayes explained. “I’ve got that feeling. Nothing’s scared on me.”
Hayes knows that success in barrel racing takes more than just getting on a horse and going fast — though her 10-year-old horse Floyd does love speed.
“He just likes to go fast,” Hayes said with a smile.
But Hayes puts in the work behind the scenes, too. She feeds and waters Floyd, gives him special treatments and sprays, and makes sure he’s in top condition for competition.
“I put a lot of work into it. I feed, I water, I do everything, all the steps,” Hayes said.
And Floyd isn’t just an animal to Hayes — he’s a friend.
When things get intense during a run, Hayes has a special way of keeping her partner calm.
“I just say, ‘Whoa, easy buddy, it’s okay. We got this,'” Hayes said.
Over the past year since her first Vegas trip, Hayes has learned valuable lessons about the sport.
“I’ve learned to just hang on and make the ride,” she said.
Her horsemanship has improved, and she’s gotten better at taking direction and helping care for Floyd, according to her mother.
Hayes has advice for other kids who want to get into barrel racing: build a strong bond with your horse and be prepared to work hard.
“They need to have a bond with their horse. They need to work hard,” Hayes said. “It looks fun, but it’s a lot of work.”
When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Hayes doesn’t hesitate.
“I wanna be a horse trainer more than anything else,” she said.
But first, she’s focused on the competition ahead in Vegas.
“I’m most excited that I’ll be hanging out with my friends, I’ll be riding my best horse, and I’ll just have the funnest time,” Hayes said.
Hayes earned her spot at Vegas Tuffest at a qualifying event in Sweetwater, Texas last June. She also won the 2024 Reserve Barrel Racing Champion for the end of the year and was named All-Around Year End Champion Cowgirl and Finals Reserve Champion All-Around Cowgirl for the Central Texas Youth Rodeo Association.
The young cowgirl is sponsored by several local businesses, including Smile Doctors, Shelly Lily, 10:42 Realty, the PMF Cowgirl, Century 21, JMG Services, Diamond K Ranch, Troy’s Auto Care, Iz Lawn Care, Flagstone Roofing and Exteriors, and Betty Brand.
Hayes will compete at the Vegas Tuffest Championship in December.
