Arkansas Teen wants to be the first in the National Finals Rodeo

Austin, Arkansas – In the world of rodeo, 15-year-old Paris Wilburd has gone from the stall to the all-time great.

Paris claims that she has “never wanted to go without a horse” since the Austin girl started riding at the age of six.

The proprietor of Wofford Ranch, Lily Wofford, has coached hundreds of children. It did not take her long to realize that Paris was a naturally gifted child who could learn.

“Realistically, I felt that we should wait until we were about a year into this before looking at contests when we first had the conversation about competing. We started in June or July, and Paris participated in her first rodeo in October—that year, she also won all-around cowgirl,” Wofford recalled.

Since then, barrel racing has become Paris’s favorite sport, and she has won by a long shot.

From California to Colorado, from Texas to Georgia, and throughout. She took home the junior and women’s all-around champion titles in 2023 at the Bill Pickett Rodeo National Finals in Washington, D.C.

Wofford remarked, “That’s really cool for someone her age to win—not against ladies her own age, but against ladies of any age.”

“I never really knew that it would ever happen, but I had dreams of being like winning everything and making a name for myself,” Paris remarked.

According to Paris’ coach, she and her horse, F. L. Baby Blue Bugs, often known as Fugley outside of competition, have finished in the top 10-15 out of 700–800 horses.

In addition to being the winners of nearly six national titles, Paris claims that the two are great friends.

Her other buddies assume she’s training or at the rodeo when they inquire about her whereabouts. It is not only a pastime. She received prize money totaling $60,000 only in 2023.

Despite all that she has done, she has no plans to slow down.

Paris declared, “I want to do this forever and be the first black African American to win at the National Finals Rodeo.” “We still have a few years until we get there, but I’m really excited to get up to that level.”

Las Vegas, not Paris, France, should be wary about Paris Wilburd as a competitor.