Over a barrel: Three Forks' Tayla Moeykens recalls bumpy ride on way to WNFR dream

Twenty-three years. That’s how long Three Forks native Tayla Moeykens has been dreaming of performing on rodeo’s biggest stage.

That dream became a reality in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at one of the last rodeos of the 2025 season. Moeykens was sitting 10th in the world standings and realized it was unlikely she would be bumped out of the top 15.

The small-town girl had earned her spot at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

“Honestly, I just felt relieved when we found out it was official. The NFR is so hard to get to, and it brought a lot of peace of mind that we finally made it,” Moeykens said in a recent phone interview for the Chronicle.

What was expected to be one of the happiest times of her life turned into an emotional rollercoaster for Tayla and her mom, Deena.

In November, Moeykens’ two veteran horses, Yeti and Lizard, were exposed to the EHV-1 herpesvirus while at a rodeo in Arizona. The potentially deadly equine respiratory and neurological virus’ pattern was to lie dormant for 21-30 days, after which the horse would either shed the virus or develop symptoms.

But with the NFR approaching in early December, time was not on their side.

The EHV-1 virus was known to become active once a horse encountered a stressful situation. The NFR is a grueling 10 rounds over 10 days, and is the epitome of stress for a barrel horse.

One week.

That’s how long Moeykens had to make one of the hardest decisions of her life — to leave her horses at home.

“We made the decision to leave the horses, and I am 100% happy with that decision. There were a lot of tears, but in the end it was the right thing to do,” Moeykens said.

A friend heard of Moeykens’ situation and offered her horse, Penny, a 10-year-old seasoned barrel horse.

Two days.

That’s how many days Moeykens had to get familiar with the horse before round one began.

Moeykens ran Penny for the first three rounds, but felt the horse needed a break from the high-demand, high-stakes environment. Two other friends offered horses Kian and Winnie, and she finished the last seven rounds alternating between the two.

And while the performances didn’t end up the way she envisioned, Moeykens — who finished 15th among the 15 qualifying barrel racers — was grateful to be there while her own horses were healthy back in Texas with her father.

“Honestly, I was just making the best of the situation and helping those younger horses to get some good experience,” Moeykens said.

Moeykens, a class valedictorian at Three Forks and owner of 4M Performance Horses and Cool Nerd Marketing, is no stranger to big moments. Her ability to persevere has landed her on the big stage previously.

In 2021, as a sophomore on the Montana State University rodeo team, Moeykens rode her mare Blue all the way to a College National Finals Rodeo championship. She’s the first barrel racer in MSU’s history to do so, and she led MSU to a national team championship that year as well.

Moeykens was the College Reserve national champion in barrel racing in both 2023 and 2024 while also making it to the national finals in breakaway roping her senior year.

One of the most exciting moments in the young cowgirl’s career came when she and her horse, Lizard, led the MSU football team onto the field during ESPN’s GameDay pregame show. Moeykens’ family raised and trained Lizard.

“There’s nothing quite like the noise, the lights, the fire, and the fans. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done — it’s such an adrenaline rush,” Moeykens said.

Moeykens’ trusty horse Dash of Blue Sky, or barn name “Blue,” is still helping Moeykens on the Montana circuit, despite being 20 years old.

Two months.

That’s how long Moeykens and Deena were home in Three Forks in 2025. She sometimes forgets where home is, as she sleeps in her trailer 10 months of the year with her steady canine companions, Zeke and Nyx.

She hasn’t forgotten where she comes from, though. The support from friends and family in Three Forks and beyond is one of the reasons she got through all the challenges she faced in the last few months.

“I have the best support in the world, and my sponsors have been amazing, too. I can’t thank everyone enough. It’s really what keeps us going on this journey,” Moeykens said.

Moeykens is making her home in Texas as she focuses on tournament rodeos in Houston, Austin, Fort Worth and the surrounding areas. Despite being a bit beat up after riding unfamiliar horses for 10 rounds at the NFR, not to mention using tack that wasn’t hers, the rodeos don’t stop.

Moeykens will make her way back to Three Forks in early May to gear up for the Montana circuit. She has her sights set on the 2026 NFR in December.

365 days.

That’s the number of days Moeykens eats, sleeps, and breathes rodeo. Whether she’s exercising her horses, taking phone calls, training, driving across the country, or putting together the puzzle pieces of scheduling rodeos, there’s always something to do when you’re chasing a dream.

“It’s a long road filled with a lot of ups and downs, but it’s all worth it,” Moeykens said.