As I watched the semifinals of RFD-TV’s The American over the weekend, I couldn’t believe my ears when the announcers introduced barrel racer June Holeman as she and her sorrel gelding, Hopes Money Boy, ran into the Mequite, Texas, arena to complete their pattern. 

They said she was 70 years old. SEVENTY. And the Nebraska cowgirl made the semifinals the old-fashioned way: by qualifying with solid times at preliminary events leading up to the round that’d eventually name the finalists. 

Not only did June qualify for the finals, she found herself in the fourth hole, earning more than $7,000 for that one run. Not to mention a chance to win a million dollars when she runs in The American’s finals on Sunday, March 2. She’ll compete against girls young enough to be her granddaughters. 

This isn’t June’s first time on the big stage. She made it to the 2005 National Finals Rodeo at 61 years old (the the oldest qualifier for the event). I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see her run against the younger barrel racers and show them that age is just a number and experience wins titles.