​For most competitors, running at rodeos like the Cody Stampede and Cheyenne Frontier Days is an accomplishment in itself. At 76 years old, professional barrel racer Lanita Pierce continues doing just that, proving her love for rodeo has never faded after more than five decades in the sport.Pierce, who calls Wynnewood, Oklahoma, home, traces her rodeo journey back to her childhood on the farm. Although horses were scarce growing up, one gift from her uncle changed the course of her life forever.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”I always wanted a horse,” Pierce said. “My uncle felt sorry for me and got me a little barrel horse. That was really the beginning of my love for barrel racing.”That passion eventually developed into a remarkable career, thanks in large part to the horses she rode. Pierce credits nearly 40 years with the Sylvester family and their exceptional breeding program for helping shape her success.”The horses absolutely made my career,” she said. “You and I both know it’s more about the horse. If you don’t have that horse, it doesn’t matter how good a trainer you are.”One horse, Hewani Bug, became the foundation of Pierce’s competitive career. After receiving the horse as a 4-year-old following his time on the racetrack, Pierce transformed him into a futurity champion in only a matter of months.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHewani Bug was placed at the Lazy E before dominating the Hereford Futurity, winning all three rounds. The duo then captured all three rounds at the Champion of Champions Futurity, where Hawani Bug also earned a lucrative stallion bonus worth approximately $20,000—an enormous payday during the mid-1980s.Just as their careers were reaching new heights, injury struck. Hewani Bug suffered multiple setbacks, including an infection that sidelined him for years. Although Pierce eventually brought him back to competition, the horse permanently battled lameness.”He had to learn to run differently,” Pierce recalled. “He was lame in that front leg the rest of his life.”Pierce later qualified for her first National Finals Rodeo in 1993 on another standout mare, continuing a career that also included producing and selling successful horses that would go on to excel across the United States and Brazil.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHer current partner has added another memorable chapter.Earlier this summer, Pierce claimed a victory at the Cody Stampede, one of the most prestigious rodeos of the Fourth of July run. The win came after a disappointing performance at Reno prompted Pierce to have her mare evaluated and treated before continuing her rodeo schedule.”I really thought my mare needed injections,” Pierce said. “I hadn’t done that for years, but when she turned that first barrel at Cody, I knew she felt like herself again.”The victory was especially meaningful after Pierce had recently won more than $11,000 at the Royal Crown and was searching for another strong performance during the s