Kris Doornink, of Sundance, Wyoming, and Chet Barrett, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, turned in 64.80 seconds on nine head across four rounds to win the Lucky Duck Championship at the 2026 Cinch RSNC World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, earning $2,160.
The Lucky Duck class is reserved for the week’s hard-luck cases, riders that survived rough draws, unplanned dismounts and other mishaps to ride on the last night of the World Finals in a drag-race style format with two pens running at once.
Lucky Blind Draw
Doornink and Barrett had never sorted together before stepping into the pen.
“I’ve never met this guy before,” Doornink said of his newfound partner. “I didn’t see him until I rode in the gate. But I am sure glad it worked out.”
Getting to the championship round wasn’t easy. In their head-to-head first round, the team managed just one cow before their opponents blew out. In the second round, both teams blew out, but Doornink and Barrett lasted two seconds longer. Their third round saw their opponents blow out again on the tricky cattle, sending the team to the final round.
“If the cows are soft, you really got to go for it and make sure you stay ahead,” Doornink said. “But when they’re tough like this, you’ve just got to stay alive.”
Doornink chases the drag-race format whenever he can.
“I ride in a class like this every chance I get,” Doornink said. “I wish there was more [of them]. There’s only a couple a year and I love it. I think it’s so much fun. You cut loose and run.”
For Barrett, the win called back to his 2025 success in the same class.
“I knew exactly what to do,” Barrett said. “When you get to this point, there’s nothing to lose. Just go for it.”
The Horses
Barrett rode Royalicious (One Time Royalty x Stylin Caddilac, by Docs Stylish Sam), a 2018 sorrel gelding. Doornink, a Platinum member of the Cinch RSNC Hall of Fame who joined the association in 2021, is also the 2025 Open Gold Shootout World Champion. Throughout the Finals, he pulled another check with Waynard Schmidt when they took third place in the All Levels for $4,612, while Barrett headed home knowing he’d successfully defended his Lucky Duck title.
Lucky Duck — 2026 World Finals Champions
| Champions | Kris Doornink (Sundance, Wyoming) & Chet Barrett (Mt. Airy, Georgia) |
| Winning run | 64.80 on 9 head |
| First-place payout | $2,160 |
| Total class payout | $3,600 |
Payouts
| Place | Team | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kris Doornink / Chet Barrett | $2,160 |
| 2 | Waynard Schmidt / Riley Lawless | $1,440 |
