Meet Rylee Jo Maryman, the 17-year-old barrel racer from Louisiana who made waves at the 2024 Teton Ridge American Rodeo. Discover her journey to success with her mare Ruby, her impressive win record, and future rodeo aspirations.
Rylee Jo Maryman, from St. Francisville, Louisiana, is a seventeen-year-old cowgirl that caught the attention of the barrel racing industry when she raced for the chance to win a million dollars at the 2024 Teton Ridge American Rodeo. While Rylee Jo was no stranger to the winners’ circle long before her run beneath the lights of Globe Life Field, many fans of rodeo were introduced to her and her fiery roan mare Ruby for the first time due to their meteoric tear through The American’s tournament brackets nearly a year ago. At just sixteen, Rylee Jo found herself competing against some of the biggest names in the barrel racing world. So how did this cowgirl and her one-of-a-kind mare end up on such a big stage in an iconic moment?
According to Rylee Jo, she has been riding horses since she could sit up, and by the time she was two and a half, she was riding by herself. She cites two horses, one named Jane and one named Clarks Billy Boy, as her foundational equine partners; she says Jane was an old rope horse who “gave her the love for barrel racing,” and Clark was the horse who taught her correct riding technique. She won her first saddle by age five and was a three-time NLBRA world champion by age nine.
Rylee Jo’s best mare, One Cupa Tees Sis, or Ruby, came into her life seven years ago as a two-year-old. After having someone start Ruby’s training, Rylee Jo finished her out, and the cowgirl says, “She has never been easy, as her favorite thing to do is play and buck.” Ruby is a cow-bred horse that goes back to One Time Pepto and High Brow Cat, and while she now runs the barrel pattern to the left, she originally completed the pattern to the right. Rylee Jo says the change came after Ruby’s kissing spine surgery in October of 2022. Ruby is a finicky, spirited mare who keeps Rylee Jo on her toes; for example, the horse quit running just before the pair’s trip to The American Rodeo East Regional Finals because she did not like running in splint boots. Once the boots were removed, Ruby was appeased and began to decimate her competition.
Speaking of The American, Rylee Jo’s path to Globe Life Field started in December 2023 at the Lucky Dog barrel race held in Memphis, Tennessee. Rylee Jo and Ruby advanced from the Memphis American qualifier race to the East Regional Finals in Lexington, Kentucky. After winning the regional finals race, the duo moved on to the Contender Tournament Finals in Arlington, Texas, and continued to battle against some of barrel racing’s top names until they reached the final four round where the million dollar pot was up for grabs. Teenager Rylee Jo raced against the winningest WPRA cowgirl of all time, Lisa Lockhart; NFR regular Emily Beisel; and fellow contender Brandon Cullins for the top spot, and despite knocking a barrel in the final round, Rylee Jo and Ruby still left Globe Life Field $10,000 richer. When asked what it was like to run for the million, Rylee Jo says, “It was amazing. That run was just another run like anywhere else, just for a whole lot more money. Ruby didn’t owe me anything, so it was just a blessing to get there, and I accomplished one of my biggest goals—to run at The American!”
Rylee Jo’s win record extends far beyond her 2024 trip to The American Rodeo, and so do her dreams. She is both the 2023 and 2024 All-American Youth Barrel Race 1D Champion, the 2024 Josey Junior World Champion (she is the first person to ever win both go-rounds and the short round), the 2024 Labor Day Barrel Blast Teen Champion, the 2024 NHSRA short round champion, and the 2024 Fiddler’s Turkey Run derby first round champion, first day champion, slot race champion, second day champion, and derby average champion. She accomplished all these feats mainly on her horses Ruby and Starlight, although her derby average championship was won on Lindsey Netterville’s great horse Heaven Help Me Fly. Rylee Jo’s future goals include qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo, winning a futurity average title on one of her up-and-coming horses, and qualifying again for The American Rodeo.
When asked what advice she would give to those who want to follow in her footsteps (or Ruby’s hoofprints), the young talent says, “Always work hard to achieve your goals. There are ups and downs, but push through to see your success.”
This pair certainly left a lasting impression on the barrel racing community last spring, and as the 2025 American Rodeo approaches, there is no telling what other rider-horse duos will blaze into the spotlight. One thing is certain, though: Rylee Jo and Ruby have a dazzling future ahead.
