Jana Bean is no stranger to winning on the biggest stages in barrel racing, and she is proof that we can all achieve our wildest dreams through faith and perseverance.

Bean, who grew up competing in rodeo, always dreamt of becoming a great barrel racer. In 2026, she is once again making a big splash in professional rodeo — a full decade after her last trip to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR).

An Incredible Journey

Jana Bean in Scottsdale, Ariz., 2026 | Fernando Sam-Sin

Although her heart pulled her towards barrel racing, it was Bean's talent for goat tying and breakaway roping that earned her a college scholarship. She claimed the College National Finals Rodeo Breakaway Roping Championship in 1990, helping her Howard College Women’s Team win the Reserve National Champion Women’s Team Title.

Bean married her husband, Breck, and moved to Fort Hancock, Texas, in 1991.…