Brian Wheeler wins his second MEGA Barrel Race 1D Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, August 14-17, 2024, aboard a 4-year-old futurity horse, Designerleaptoheaven.
The futurity horses came out to play at the 2024 MEGA Barrel Race. With three in the top seven of the average and four in the top 12 of the finals, the 4-and-5-year-old horses showed they could indeed hold their own against some of the best derby and open horses going down the road today.
It seemed as if it was just another day on the job whenever the Summit, Mississippi futurity barrel horse trainer, Brian Wheeler, said hold my beer and watch this as he came back on finals day draw No. 89, turning in a time of 13.834 on a 4-year-old futurity horse, Designerleaptoheaven.
The gritty sorrel mare owned by Mission Ranch, LLC of Wynne, Arkansas, has already amassed EquiStat earnings of more than $140,000 this year as a futurity horse, including the 2023 Barrel Futurities of America Juvenile World Championship.
“I really didn’t even have plans to run Penny at the MEGA. I have given her most of the summer off, and I decided to use it as an opportunity to get some runs in to get her some air and sharpen us up before the upcoming fall futurities,” Wheeler admitted. “I really was going to be happy with her if she ran a 14.3 or under; I feel like that is pretty impressive for a futurity horse at Jackson.”
Wheeler was pleased when Penny turned in a time of 14.198, placing 13th out of 693 entries in the first round.
“After she rode well in the first round, really all I wanted to do was back it up for the second round. I thought if she could run two 14.1s in a row, that would make me feel confident for the futurities we have coming up,” Wheeler explained.
Wheeler and Penny did just that, running a 14.122 and placing sixth in the second round.
“I was really tickled with her after the second round to see her back it up and get a little faster,” Wheeler said.
A crucial part of Wheeler’s program for training futurity barrel horses is preparing them to compete in high-pressure situations and succeed.
“I think a big part of this mare’s success this year is that she has won money at all the right times. She steps up when I need her to and handles the pressure extremely well. She’s out of a great producing mare, and she’s fast,” Wheeler explained. “I think that’s why she’s a winner.”
However, Wheeler explained that the process of training Penny wasn’t always a smooth ride.
“She was always really talented, but it did take some trial and error to figure out what worked best for her. A moment that I will always remember was when she was a three-year-old; I showed Michael Boone some videos of her in both a tie-down and a bonnet because I couldn’t decide which headgear to go with. He told me to stick with the bonnet, and that’s what she has ridden in ever since,” Wheeler reminisced with gratitude.
An undeniable feat in itself, Brian Wheeler won the MEGA once already in 2011 aboard his great mare, SX Dr Peacharita (Dr Nick Bar x SX Frenchmans Peach x Frenchmans Guy), owned by his mother, Stephanie Wheeler. “Peaches,” who has EquiStat earnings of $114,570, has been the backbone of Wheeler’s breeding program, already producing more than $310,706 in progeny earnings.
On any given day, you can drive down to the Boyd Ranch covered arena in Summit, Mississippi, and find Wheeler riding. The proof is in the pudding, as he consistently trains and produces winners year after year for himself and others.
It goes without saying that Wheeler produces not only great futurity horses but also winning derby and open horses. Multiple horses that have graduated from his program have gone on to win with various riders at every level imaginable.
“I think I have trained six horses that have won over $100,000 with myself and another jockey,” Wheeler humbly admitted when asked about his program graduates.
Most notably, SBW Copy Cat (Blazin Jetolena x SX Dr Peacharita x Frenchmans Guy) who has EquiStat earnings of more than $166,238 and SBW Feelinthepressure (No Pressure On Me x Feelin The Firewater x JL Dash Ta Heaven) with Equistat earnings of $147,955 have set the world on fire the last several years with Wheeler’s fiance, Blaise Bercegeay.
“Kim Matthews, who owns Penny, has played such an instrumental role in my career getting started training futurity barrel horses. She has believed in me from the start, and she has been such a great owner to ride for. I am really grateful for all of the nice horses she has put me under all these years. The same can be said for my mom, Stephanie Wheeler, and also my fiance, Blaise Bercegeay, who is never afraid to stay down at the barn when I turn the lights on to ride colts,” Wheeler said with thankfulness.
It Runs In The Family
The talented and fast 4-year-old mare comes from a long line of winners, including being a ¾ sister to Kylie Weast’s 2012 incomparable sorrel mare, Hell On The Red (JL Dash Ta Heaven x Designer Ruby x Designer Red), who has EquiStat earnings of more than $399,862, including a Round 10 win at the 2018 National Finals Rodeo.
Aside from her winning sister, Penny’s sire, 2012 sorrel stallion Heavenly Firewater (JL Dash Ta heaven x Fire Water Fanny x Fire Water Flit), better known as “Bud The Stud,” has EquiStat earnings of more than $265,654 himself with Molli Montgomery and Taycie Matthews, and progeny earnings of more than $550,000 with a limited foal crop to compete.
“Bud” stands to the public at Highpoint Quarter Horses and is a Ruby Buckle Stallion.
MEGA Finals Results:
1D: 1) Brian Wheeler/Designerleaptoheaven/13.834/$8,000; 2) Natalie Stephens/Firewaters Fortune/13.869/$ 2,325; 3) Rylee Jo Maryman/One Cupa Tees Sis/13.904/ $2,015; 4) Rylee Jo Maryman/WYO Starlight Special/13.927; $1,860; 5) Taycie Matthews/Fame Fire Rocks/13.989/$1,705; 6) April Black/Dash Ta Fiesta Dunit/14.012/$1,550; 7) Dustin Angelle/Swingers Kandy/14.023/$1,395; 8) Dustin Angelle CP Hello Fame/14.024/$1,240; 9) Hailey Kilgore/Sophie Goldseeker/14.045/$1,085; 10) Shae Hooks/Go Daddi/14.061/$930; 11) Rylee Jo Maryman/Gotta Be a Hellion/14.063/$775; 12) Blaise Bercegeay/BR The Tonka Taxi/14.070/$620.
MEGA Average Results:
1D: 1) Blaise Bercegeay/BR The Tonka Taxi/14.092/$773; 2) Taylor Carver/Blings Smooth Girl/14.097/ $696; 3) April Black/Dash Ta Fiesta Dunit/14.157/$619; 4) Brian Wheeler/DesignerLeapToHeaven/14.160/$580; 5) Megan Swint/BF Flyswatter/14.211/$464; 6) Rylee Jo Maryman/Heaven Help Me Fly/14.223/$387; 7) Cara Beth Calhoun/Perks Ta BN Famous/14.291/$348.
This article was originally published in the November 2024 issue of Barrel Horse News.
