Marsing rider earns spot in Las Vegas rodeo finals

Megan McLeod-Sprague will compete in the 2026 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The event runs from December 3 to December 12 and features the top 15 qualifiers in each discipline for 10 rounds of competition.

McLeod-Sprague, a resident of Marsing, has been a member of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association since 1997. She joined at age 14 and has competed in barrel racing at the Caldwell Night Rodeo for years. After taking a break of about 10 to 12 years to focus on family and school, she returned to the sport with renewed intensity.

Her return to the top level of the sport came after her husband encouraged her to aim for the National Finals Rodeo. She credits her horse Jagger for helping her regain her competitive edge. Jagger is a 15-year-old gelding that McLeod-Sprague values at $300,000 due to his training and fitness.

The daily routine for McLeod-Sprague involves riding four to eight horses a day. She spends four to six hours in the saddle, working on training and specialized therapy for her animals. She describes her horses as professional athletes that require strict care to maintain their performance.

Barrel racing is a family tradition for McLeod-Sprague. Her mother competed in the same event, while her father was a team roper. Although she tried other rodeo events when she was younger, she said the speed of barrel racing always drew her back.

She noted that she liked the speed and that it remained her passion despite trying other disciplines. Nearly three decades after she first joined the professional association, her dedication to the sport has secured her place in the upcoming finals in Las Vegas.