Mesquite, Texas-It may be hard to imagine, but new Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) arena record holder Carlee Pierce needed a little reassurance following her first trip to the prestigious rodeo back in December.

"I hit so many barrels out there, I thought something might be wrong," Pierce admits. Although she and her phenomenal horse Rare Dillion won two go rounds, setting the new arena record at 13.46 seconds during the fifth round and collected nearly $51,000 during the 10 days, they also hit barrels during five rounds.

"I had planned to give Dillion a little more time off after the Finals but I decided to run him at Mesquite to make sure everything was still OK," Pierce says, adding that she was discouraged with her performance in Las Vegas. "I felt like I was working harder than Dillion [in Las Vegas] and it's usually so easy."

The Mesquite (Texas) Winter Classic Rodeo kicks off the 2012 winter rodeo season and doesn't give contestants a lot of time to spend in holiday revelry: the rodeo begins right after Christmas on December 28-29. With huge entries, it always pays well and draws many cowgirls hoping to get a jump start on the limits for the rest of the winter rodeos.

Pierce didn't have far to travel to hit the Winter Classic Rodeo; she and her family recently moved from their home in Oklahoma to Stephenville, Texas. In fact, Pierce was thrilled to head back to a rodeo after several weeks spent moving and settling into the new place after returning home from Las Vegas.

"Being home is too much work! I am definitely ready to get back on the road," laughs Pierce.

After running during the opening performance in Mesquite, Pierce found the break she needed as well as the reassurance in her great partner. Dillion clocked in at 15.24 seconds to lead the rodeo.

"He went in there and worked like Dillion," she says. "It felt a little slow but he had really pretty turns. I wasn't sure if it would hold up through all the other barrel racers."

The time was more than good enough. Pierce took her first win of the winter season, besting the field by .14 seconds to collect $1,911. She is already fourth in the 2012 standings with nearly $6,000 won and is packing her rig to hit big rodeos in Odessa, Denver and Fort Worth in the coming weeks.

"I am addicted now," laughs Pierce of her first Wrangler NFR appearance. "I understand why these girls want to keep going back to the Finals."

With two great young horses and two seasoned veterans in her trailer, Pierce is understandably excited about the 2012 season and her chances at making another venture to the Thomas & Mack for the Wrangler NFR. She plans to continue to haul Dillion with BB - Blue Moon Fling - the horse on which she won the short go at Dodge City in 2011, while hauling her seasoned mare Susie with the outstanding young prospect, Kiss this Guy aka Tyson, whom Ryan Pedone ably rode to many futurity wins in 2011.

"I have my plan; if we can just keep it all together, keep everybody healthy and happy. I am really excited about the new year."

As for any doubts about her partnership with the great buckskin gelding that carried her to her first NFR in 2011, they are definitely gone following the win in Mesquite.

"I took Susie and Tyson to a jackpot and Dillion was about tearing the fences down, wanting to go with us; he was jealous and couldn't understand why the trailer was leaving without him! I thought it was a great sign that he is ready to go," Pierce says.

For more information on the Winter Classic Rodeo, visit them on-line at www.mesquiterodeo.com.