Long-time training and dedication have paid off for competitive barrel racer Jayden Wilson and her horse, Whisky.
Wilson, from a farm near Gleichen, and her eight-year-old gelding had a standout 2025 rodeo season, earning top honours and major recognition on the circuit.
"It's probably the best year, the best season I've had," Wilson said. "Just all of it has been surreal."
Raised in rodeo culture, Wilson started riding at a young age and bought her first competitive rodeo card when she was just eight.
"We're kind of right in the middle of rodeo horse country," she said. "My dad was a saddle bronc rider, and my mom was a barrel racer. It's been our lives for as long as I can remember."
This year, Wilson was named Season Leader, finishing the season with $51,952 in earnings.
She placed first at several key events along with multiple top-three finishes.
"To finish first was not something I really planned to do, but it was a pretty cool thing to achieve," she said.
Whisky, her longtime equine partner, also took home honours, winning The Horse with the Most Heart award.
"He's pretty special. He just tries so hard. He's so consistent, and he has that attitude of wanting to win," Wilson said. "He thinks he's the best, so I just try to keep up and do him justice."
Their bond runs deep. Wilson has known Whisky since birth and has helped train him from the beginning.
"My family raised him," Wilson said. "I've been with him since the day he was born, and then getting to be involved with every step of his training for so many years - I've been riding him since he was three years old - makes a big difference."
Despite the success, Wilson said that rodeo life isn't always easy.
"The hardest part about rodeoing is the miles," she said. She added that pressure is also a hard part of competition. "Take the wins when you can get them and when you're not [winning], you just keep working at it and wait for your turn to come."
Next up, Wilson will travel to Edmonton to compete in her second Canadian Finals Rodeo from Oct. 1 to 4 at Rogers Place. Her long-term goal is to qualify for the Calgary Stampede, one of the sport's biggest stages.