Age is just a number — for barrel racer Mary Burger it’s 1

There are plenty of great accomplishments that riders, ropers and racers bring into the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo every year. And it’s the goal of all the contestants just to make it to the Super Bowl of Rodeo at the Thomas &Mack Center.

But getting to ride with the No. 1 on your back — signifying that you are the top money winner heading into the Wrangler NFR, regardless of event — is a pretty major deal, too. Doing it when you’re approaching 70 years old? Well, that’s practically unbelievable.

You better believe it, though, because barrel racer Mary Burger has done just that in the 2016 season. The 68-year-old from Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, rode into town with nearly $191,000 in earnings this season, putting her not only No. 1 in the barrel racing standings but also atop all 120 contestants, grabbing that prestigious back number of 1.

“I really didn’t know I was No. 1 until I got to Cheyenne, after Calgary,” Burger said, alluding to the Frontier Days rodeo in late July, which came right after an extremely lucrative Calgary Stampede.

Burger pocketed $122,000, the maximum amount possible, at the renowned Canadian rodeo. Of that, $72,000 counted toward the barrel racing standings in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, more than a third of her season earnings in just one big rodeo.

As the summer bled into September, it got a little interesting in the race for No. 1. Saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley, the defending world champion in that event, was putting the finishing touches on a huge regular season. Ditto for bareback rider Tim O’Connell.

“I saw a couple of rough-stock guys had won a lot of money,” Burger said. “I really didn’t want to lose No. 1. So we entered a few more rodeos in later September.”

Burger and her prized horse Mo ultimately held off O’Connell and Crawley, who finished the regular season with $178,964 and $172,304 respectively. That put Burger in rarefied air previously breathed by Charmayne James in 1987 and Sherry Cervi in 1995, the only other barrel racers to don the No. 1 back number.

“It’s such an honor, especially at this time in my life, to wear that number,” said Burger, who also became the oldest NFR qualifier, with her age of 68 years, four months shattering the previous mark of 62 years, six months set by June Holeman. “You never plan or expect anything like this to happen. It’s been awesome.”

It could get even more awesome over the course of this 10-day rodeo. Burger, the 2006 world champion, came into the WNFR more than $74,000 ahead of second-place Jackie Ganter ($116,387), and she was still up about $40,000 through four go-rounds, with her season total up to $209,438. But her hanging on this week could depend largely on the health of Mo. The horse has been working his way back from a deep flexor tendon injury in his front left foot.

“He’s probably been almost two months without competing,” said Burger, who resumed light workouts aboard Mo just before Thanksgiving. “He’s pretty sound, so we’re hopeful. He’s doing much better, really well, so we’re going to be optimistic. I’m just hoping he comes back sharp.”

Burger has a couple of good backup horses, but with the amount of money on the line nightly at the WNFR — the go-round winner collects $26,231 — even big leads in the world standings can dissipate quickly.

“Hopefully he’s good enough to make some runs,” Burger said, noting she’s been with Mo since he was 2, and he’s now 7. “I knew he was capable of anything. He’s been immature since Day 1. He likes to play and roughhouse. But he doesn’t have a mean bone in him. He just plays rough.”

And he races tough. The breakout this year allowed Burger to break Lindsay Sears’ regular-season barrel racing earnings record of $184,567, set in 2008. Sears went on to win the first of her two world titles that year, and Burger would surely like to follow in those footsteps to grab her second world championship.

“So many people tell me I was inspirational,” Burger said, understanding that just being in another Wrangler NFR is achievement enough. “You never plan or expect anything like that to happen. My horse has had a super year. The main thing I’m looking forward to is just coming through that alley again, at my age. I know a lot of people out there are pulling for me. I hope when we come through the alley, we can perform well.”