Lawrie Neal CFR 2026
Quick Info
Horse:
Gemma - Cindy Playmate - Sorrell
Robbie - Bobbys Last Date - Palamino
Lil - Illini Command B4 - Grey
Number of Rodeos entered: 47
Rodeos won: Grande Prairie, Innisfail, and Okotoks
Total earnings: $17,034.00
CFR qualification #: 3
Saddle, Pad, Bit:
I ride in a few different saddles but my favorite is Sanchez calf saddle
Bit - most of my horses I ride with broken port bit
Rope - King polly 10.0 or 10.25
2026 CFR Interviews Presented by Alliance Equine
What was your most memorable run of the season, and what made it stand out?
Of course any rodeo win is memorable, but I have to say Okotoks as I had been on a dry spell and that run felt like we got back on the right track.
Looking back at your season as a whole, what are you most proud of?
The start of my season could not have gone much better, after a rough season last year fighting with an injury, it felt good to come back strong.
How have you changed as a competitor since your last CFR?
Of course everyone wants to win, but I feel like the longer you pro rodeo you learn to get over the misses, the bad draws etc faster, and move on to the next one.
Has your definition of a good season changed over the years?
I feel like every season has its good, bad and ugly, and every qualification to the CFR has had a different path, as I have seen it from being a season leader to being on the bubble. Last season I didn't make the CFR or circuit finals for the first time in 4 years, so I gave my rodeo horses time off, got myself healed up, and got to play with some young horses and do some stuff I had not had time with which was almost a blessing in disguise. Of course making the CFR is the goal, but life goes on if the season didn't go as planned one year.
What was the hardest challenge you faced rodeoing this year, and how did you overcome it?
I had a dry spell that felt like it would not end from the end of June to dang near the middle of August. There was no easy way to get through it except to keep entering, and hit the practice pen.
What's one quality your horse has that you wish you could bottle and put into every horse?
At 23 years old, Gemma is sound as can be and has so much grit and try at her age, which is not easy to have a horse at that age compete at this level.
Do you prefer the training or competing side of the process more, and why?
I enjoy both, love seeing the progress of a young horse in the practice pen, but also love the competitive side rodeo brings as well.
How do you handle the financial side of rodeo? Do you set a budget for the season? How do unexpected expenses such as vet bills, factor into your rodeo plans?
Haha, of course being an accountant I keep track, however my husband and parents remind me regularly that this is my hobby and might as well enjoy it while I am doing it, and not to worry about the profit factor.
What goes through your mind in the box before you nod?
I try to keep things really simple, usually before I ride in the box I usually tell myself to see the start because if you miss the start your chances of winning are so slim.
Who has been in your corner the most this season, and what have they done to help you get here?
There is so many people in my corner. Working full time and going to the number of rodeos I go to in a year takes a team. My husband comes and drives to some rodeos as well as helping run the practice chute, my parents are always helping out whether it's in the practice pen or helping me get horses to different places. Bobbi Henderson and her family have let me come rope all winter, and my first call when I need help getting back on track is Wally Pugh and the rest of the Pugh family.
What would you say to the version of yourself who was just starting out?
Practice with a purpose and find someone that helps you get better every practice. Also, just enjoy it while you do it, as life's too short to sweat the small stuff!
What's the hardest part about chasing the CFR dream that most people don't see?
For me its working full time as well as pro rodeoing. Lucky for me, I do have some flexibility as well as a laptop that can come with me.
Was there something that happened this year that felt like the end of the world, but turned out to be a blessing in disguise?
Not sure I have anything good for this question, I try to be pretty calm cool and collected.
Of course, thank you to my family as I am gone most of the summer and they are at home taking care of things, helping me practice and always a call away.
Thank you to my sponsors, Tri Service Manufacturing, Voltage Wireline, Central Cable, and HiQual.
You can read Lawrie’s previous interviews here:
