09/18/2026
OKLAHOMA BARREL RACES • BARREL RACER OF THE WEEK
SHYLEY TESSIER | COWETA, OKLAHOMA
At just 16 years old, Shyley Tessier has already experienced some of the best and hardest parts of loving horses. Her journey has included frustrating rides, hard-earned progress, an injury that changed her plans, and the devastating loss of her heart horse. Today, it also includes a new partnership and a qualification for the JR NFR in Las Vegas.
This week, we’re proud to introduce you to Shyley and share the story her family sent us.
THE HORSE THAT STARTED IT ALL
Shyley has been barrel racing for a little over five years, but her story began with a girl who simply wanted a horse.
That first horse was Dash, registered as Dot Dot Denim. Dash wasn’t a barrel horse when she came into Shyley’s life. When Shyley decided she wanted to try barrel racing, her family found Bubba, who became a wonderful part of her start in the sport.
Meanwhile, Dash had some learning to do.
Her family laughs about the “boot camps” Dash went through and lovingly describes her as a hot mess. It wasn’t an easy, ready-made partnership, but Shyley kept believing in her. Through the work and the challenges, the two developed a bond that meant so much more than a time on the clock.
Dash wasn’t the fastest, but she was consistent. Shyley loved her deeply, and somewhere along the way, that first horse became her heart horse.
A CHANGE OF PLANS
As Shyley progressed, she wanted a horse with more speed. That search brought Kyx into her life.
Their partnership took time. There was frustration, work, and a year spent figuring each other out. Just as things were finally beginning to click, Kyx tore a tendon on March 4. With at least nine months out of competition ahead, Shyley’s plans changed again.
Her focus returned to Dash.
That April, Shyley got to go to the BBR with the horse who had been there from the beginning. She was so excited to finally have that opportunity.
Her family describes her as quiet, someone who stays to herself and gets focused when it’s time to compete. For that girl and her heart horse, getting to make that trip together was special.
SAYING GOODBYE TO DASH
Two weeks later, Dash became suddenly ill with EHV.
According to her family, Dash spent 12 days at Texas A&M receiving care. There was hope she would get to come home, but then she spiked a fever. Surgery followed, and ultimately, her family faced the heartbreaking decision to let her go.
Shyley was devastated.
Anyone who has loved a heart horse understands how much is wrapped up in that goodbye. The everyday routines. The familiar face. The trust built over years. The horse you kept believing in, who became such a big part of your life.
Her family didn’t know whether Shyley would want to barrel race again. Her heart was that broken.
THEN CAME MALIBU
About a month later, a few phone calls connected the family with a woman willing to let her much-loved horse begin a new chapter with Shyley.
That horse was Malibu.
From the beginning, something fit. Shyley and Malibu clicked almost immediately, and in the three months since, their partnership has grown into something her family describes with so much joy. They’ve become the best of friends, and Malibu adores her girl.
Dash will always have her place in Shyley’s story. Now, alongside that love and loss, there is room for another horse to be loved deeply, too.
For her family, Malibu’s arrival has been a reminder of their faith and of the unexpected blessings God can bring during a painful season.
VEGAS IS AHEAD
Shyley and Malibu have already qualified for the JR NFR in Las Vegas.
They also set the arena record at the Broken Arrow arena—and then broke their own record.
Those accomplishments are exciting, especially for such a new partnership. Her family is equally proud of how Shyley has handled everything leading up to them: the disappointment, the grief, and the decision to keep going.
There is a lot to celebrate in a young rider who kept believing in a challenging first horse, worked through the frustrations of another partnership, and found her way back after losing a horse she loved so deeply.
Shyley, thank you and your family for letting Oklahoma Barrel Races share your story. We’re proud to feature you as our Barrel Racer of the Week, and we’ll be cheering you and Malibu on as you head toward Vegas.
Let’s show Shyley some Oklahoma support!
