Futurity horse trainers, National Finals Rodeo qualifiers, and barrel racers from all over the Northwest come together at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake, Washington to compete for nearly half a million dollars in payouts during the Sand Cup and Barrel Daze events held every April.
The Valley Girls Barrel Racing Association’s Barrel Daze, the largest futurity and maturity event in the Northwest, has been held annually in Moses Lake, Washington since 1981.
Known as the first stallion incentive ever created, the VGBRA is dedicated to bringing substantial payouts to the Northwest for futurity, maturity, and open riders.
The Sand Cup, in conjunction with the Breeders Challenge West Coast, takes place the weekend before the VGBRA Barrel Daze and serves as an exciting lead-up to the Barrel Daze event. Together, these two events offer nearly half a million dollars in total payouts, not including incentive payouts. As a result, both barrel races are must-attend events every year for every Northwestern barrel racer, whether professional or hobbyist.
Paige’s Legacy: NFR Qualifier Amberleigh Moore and Tres Dark Tigress Claim Sand Cup Futurity Championship
Four-time NFR qualifier and professional barrel racer Amberleigh Moore of Salem, Oregon, and 2009 brown mare CP Dark Moon (Darkelly x SRQH New Highs x On a High) made more than $1 million together burning up the rodeo road.
Fast forward, and Moore is now winning on “Paige’s” offspring.
“I never thought that she could outproduce herself, but here she is, producing winner after winner sired by different stallions,” Moore exclaimed.
Paige’s first born, 2019 sorrel mare A French Silhouette by Guys Pocket Coin, has already claimed nearly $100,000 in earnings as a futurity and a derby horse, and Paige’s second born is following suit.
2020 bay mare Tres Dark Tigress (Roarrr x CP Dark Moon x Darkelly), clinched the Sand Cup Futurity Championship with a time of 30.931 on two runs. The dynamic duo won the first round with a 15.465 and placed third in the second round with a 15.666.
“Her babies have been just like their mother. They are just as talented as she was, if not more, as they are already out clocking the times she has run in these very arenas,” Moore explained. “Charlee” is so big, and I feel like she’s not even really putting any effort out yet. She’s just high loping through and winning.”
The second weekend at the VGBRA Barrel Daze, Moore and “Charlee” clocked a 15.665 in the first round of the Futurity and a 15.520 in the second round to place third in the VGBRA Barrel Daze Futurity and take home the SIP Futurity Reserve Championship with a 31.185 on two runs, closing in on earnings of more than $17,000 between the two weekends.
Moore’s colt starter, Pam White, broke and started Charlee. Moore also credits Charlee’s success to Cody Hyde, who trained Paige.
“Cody knows the Darkellys, and he knows how they operate. So I send them back to him for help. Between Cody and Pam, they are my team. They are who get me where I’m at,” Moore explained.
Aside from training and competing on Paige’s offspring at the futurities and maturities, Moore continues to rodeo and is busy building her arsenal of Paige babies.
“It just proves to me how special Paige really was. Not only was it a gift for her to win over $1 million for me, but now she is giving me all these babies that are winners, too,” Moore said with gratitude.
Moore thanks her family for their support throughout her barrel racing career. Moore also thanks her sponsors: Burns Saddlery, 5-Star Saddle Pads, Professional’s Choice, Tight Joints Plus, Silver Lining Herbs, Purina, RenoVo, Stressline Equine, Katie’s Coast To Coast, Axion Micro 5, FlexiNeb, Mak’s Magic, and Wire 2 Wire Vet Products.
Always A Bridesmaid, Never A Bride: Krystal Grad and A Famous French Kiss Crowned Reserve Champion at Sand Cup and Champion At Barrel Daze Maturities
Professional futurity barrel horse trainer of Alberta, Canada, and her 2019 bay roan mare A Famous French Kiss (Freakstreaktovegas x Fame Or Money x Lions Share Of Fame) had a standout futurity year in 2024, where together they amassed more than $200,000 in earnings.
However, their year was cut short due to a minor injury, which forced Grad to withdraw from the AQHA World Show, the Barrel Futurities of America Championship, and the Better Barrel Races Oklahoma City Futurity.
After six months of recovery and rehab, Grad and “Stevi” cracked back out for the first time at the Sand Cup and VGBRA Barrel Daze, where the gritty mare proved that she is still as good as she ever was.
Winning third in both rounds of the Maturity at the Sand Cup the weekend before with a 15.393 and 15.295, Grad and Stevi rounded out their first weekend across the border as the Sand Cup Maturity Reserve Champions with a 30.688 on two runs.
Carrying their momentum into the VGBRA Barrel Daze, they finished second in the first round with a 15.227. They won the second round with a 15.221, proving that consistency is key and capturing both the VGBRA Barrel Daze Maturity and SIP Maturity Championships, which rounded out their total earnings between the two weekends to more than $16,000.
“She’s such a special mare, to have won as much as she has and never tipped a barrel in her career. I’m sure there will come a time, but she’s so honest, and I think that makes her really unique,” Grad praised the talented mare.
Grad credits her success to her family and the instrumental role they have played in her success as a barrel horse trainer. She also gives credit to Danny Ray of Victory Farms, who taught her many of the principles she still implements in her program today.
“I never left my grandfather’s side when I was younger; he was my hero. I hate that he is not here to see Stevi and I’s success, but I know he has to be watching from above,” Grad said humbly. “My mother has supported me so much throughout my journey, and now my father breeding, raising, and owning Stevi has just made all of this so special to me.”
Grad turned the attention away from her to her daughter, Klancee, who is nine years old and rides her first good horse, 2011 sorrel mare Judge Spice (Judge Cash x The Last Spice x Jet Spice), on which Grad has won more than $60,000 as a futurity and derby horse.
“My grandfather always told me not to let “Stella” go because she taught me everything I know. She taught me the feeling I want to achieve with a winner, and to this day, every horse that comes through my program gets compared to her,” Grad explained. “And now, she is teaching my daughter like she taught me. After my second child was born, it changed something inside me. I no longer train horses for public approval, but to show my kids if you work hard and never quit, anything can happen. I train and compete for them.”
Along with her family, Grad credits the team of vets that helped Stevi get back to the arena. She also thanks her sponsors: Silver Lining Herbs, Coyote Flats Equine Therapy, Branded By B, Chad Robinson Farrier Services, Elliot Bit N Spur, Drake Equine Products, Frontier Western Shop, Raylee Racer, Cor Veterinary Services, North Battle Ford Fountain Tire, Healthistraw, Alliance Equine, Rhinestone Acres, Triple G Farms, Ororo Squad, Tight Joint Plus, Team MVP, Buckeye Nutrition, and Short Round Apparel.
Epic Opportunities: Tori Johnson and So Frostin Epic Win VGBRA Barrel Daze Stallion Incentive Program Futurity Championship
Tori Johnson proved that you don’t have to barrel race professionally to win among the best in the business, as she earned the title of the VGBRA Barrel Daze SIP Futurity Champion aboard her 2020 gray mare, So Frostin Epic (Epic Leader x PC Mari Madisun x Sun Frost).
Johnson and “Raven” were second in the first round of the Futurity with a 15.519 and third in the second round with a 15.466, making them the VGBRA Barrel Daze Reserve Futurity Champions and the SIP Futurity Champions with a time of 30.985 on two runs. When the curtains closed, they left Moses Lake with more than $16,000 in their pockets and a backseat full of prizes.
“Raven was a Christmas present from my husband a few years back,” Johnson said. “She was broke by Brett Hale. And started on the pattern by Amanda Marriot, and I took over from there. She’s a natural and everything comes really easy to her. She’s smart and tries really hard, I just try and keep her happy.”
The mother and owner of an environmental science laboratory from Olympia, Washington, credits her success to the wildly talented gray mare, the support of her family, and her mentor, Viki Friedrich.
“Viki has helped me from the very beginning of my barrel racing career to get me to this point. She’s so much help with all of my colts and is always reminding me I can’t train them forever. This is a tough game, and I think a positive support system is so important,” Johnson explained.
Although Johnson barrels races solely as a hobby, she is very dedicated, despite owning her own business and raising a family.
“This was by far the the biggest win of my barrel racing career. It still doesn’t feel real, honestly. It was really special for me to be up there in the win picture with people I admire like Amber (Moore) and Kathy (Grimes),” Johnson praised.
Johnson expresses her utmost gratitude to her grandmother, Pam, and her husband, Dustin who both make it possible for her to juggle all of her dreams at once.
In The Money: Kathy Grimes and KG Just Money Earn VGBRA Barrel Daze Futurity Championship
After a $50,000 payday at the Royal Crown in Buckeye, Arizona, from February 5 to 16, professional barrel racer, veterinarian, and NFR qualifier Kathy Grimes of Medical Lake, Washington, and her 2020 buckskin gelding, KG Just Money (PC Frenchmans Hayday x KG Justiceweexpected), have been an unstoppable force to be reckoned with at the 2025 futurities.
“He was a little off the pace at the first couple futurities I took him to, but then he just stepped up at Buckeye in a big way, and he really hasn’t looked back since. He is so solid and consistent for a futurity horse,” Grimes exclaimed.
A tipped barrel in the first round of the Sand Cup Futurity kept them out of the average, but they still placed second in the second round with a 15.302.
The powerful pair came back with a vengenance at the VGBRA Barrel Daze, winning both rounds of the futurity with a 15.270 in the first round and a 15.307 in the second round, crowning Grimes and “Showie” the VGBRA Barrel Daze Futurity Champions with a 30.577 on two runs.
The clean sweep earned them nearly $13,000 in earnings at the VGBRA alone, combined with their earnings from the Sand Cup, bringing their total earnings over the two weekends to more than $15,000.
The buckskin gelding is the fourth $100,000 earner out of the 2007 blue hen mare, KG Justiceewexpected (Judge Cash x Do It For Beau x Beaus Scoop Of Sun), better known as “Issy” who won nearly half a million dollars herself and carried Grimes to the NFR in 2017. The once-in-a-lifetime mare has since produced more than $650,000 in progeny earnings, all by different sires.
“I hauled Showie with me last summer to the rodeos to season him with my stallion, KG Juxebox Hero who is by Blazin Jetolena out of Issy. They are two peas in a pod who love each other, so that makes it fun to haul them together,” Grimes said.
Grimes plans to continue taking Showie to the futurities for the remainder of the 2025 futurity year. Still, she ultimately has her sights set on going to the rodeos with Showie and with her stallion, “Tillman”, to make another run at the NFR.
“These horses have really done everything for me. All those who came before me and helped me become a better rider and trainer are responsible for my success. I can’t be more grateful for that. I look back and realize I did do some of the right things, but I sure didn’t know that at the time,” Grimes humbly admitted.
Grimes thanks her horses, which none of this would be possible without them. She also thanks her sponsors who support Nine Oh Barrel Horses: LMF Feeds, Best Ever Pads, Purple Rein Creations, and Wheatland Bank.
This article was originally published in the June 2025 issue of Barrel Horse News.
