Chayni Chamberlain, 10, is making a name for herself in the rodeo world.
"I think I'm okay. I'm good, I guess," she said with a giggle.
She's only in the fourth grade, but her barrel racing skills have caught the attention of big sponsors, who help offset the costs of feed and equipment. She rides a 14-year-old quarter horse named Flo Joe.
"I can do almost anything I want on him," Chayni added. "I really feel confident on him."
Together, Chayni and Flo make an incredible team.
Late last year, Chayni cashed in.
She proudly displays her award check in the family barn.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"That is $40,067.00, " she said with a smile. "I won it because I won the semi finals barrel race in Fort Worth."
She earned $40,000 in less than 14 seconds, but guess how much she could have won?
"I was beat by two people out of getting to the $1.1 million," she said.
Chayni was two-tenths of a second from the million-dollar prize.
"It makes for one nervous mama," said Callie Chamberlain, Chayni's mom. "I don't even know how to explain what builds up inside of you when you know your 9-year-old is running at that price tag, it's a lot on the table."
Callie Chamberlain used to run barrels, too. In fact, Flo Joe was her horse first.
"I think really and truthfully, she was building her own drive as she watched Flo and I run," Callie Chamberlain said of her daughter. "The more she sat in the truck, she didn't want to sit in that truck any longer, she wanted to be on board."
In three years Chayni and Flo Joe have collected nearly $100,000 in prize money.
It's a lucrative but special bond.
"He's just very protective of me," Chayni said. "It's like he reads my mind."
"The way he takes care of her and respects her, it touches my heart," Callie Chamberlain added.
