The 2023 Pink Buckle Barrel Race from October 3–8 in Guthrie, Oklahoma, at the Lazy E Arena is set to pay out an incredible $4.105 million in guaranteed money. Stay tuned here with Barrel Horse News for Pink Buckle Barrel Race results and updates.
Find complete Pink Buckle Barrel Race results here.
—> Read more: 2023 Pink Buckle Sale Top 4 Highest Sellers
Brittany Tonozzi Dominates Pink Buckle Futurity, Takes First and Second Place, Wins Open 1D Average
October 8, 2023 — GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA — Brittany Tonozzi didn’t leave much money for the rest of them in Guthrie. She and husband Garrett Tonozzi sold the third-highest seller in the Pink Buckle Sale at $490,000, and Brittany rode to a total $301,887 in Pink Buckle Barrel Race money for winning the Futurity and Open on Tres Chasin Babe PZ and finishing reserve in the Futurity on Chitichiti Bangbang.
Including the couple’s other sale offering Epic Hero bringing $110,000 as well as breeder money for Seis On The Chase ridden by Ashley Schafer, the Tonozzis added a total $909,201 to their stats column from the Pink Buckle Barrel Race.
“It is amazing that you can actually make a living now doing this, and not just get by, but a good living. I have to attribute that to the guys at Pink Buckle,” Brittany said. “Everybody said this wasn’t going to work, but they pushed forward. They had a dream and a goal, and it changed the entire industry. Not just with the Pink Buckle, but with all the other incentives that sparked up because of them. It’s really cool to see our industry go this way.”
Brittany’s futurity domination came aboard two 4-year-old Tres Seis mares both bred, raised and trained in Brittany and Garrett’s EquiStat All-Time Leading Owners program. She won the $65,000 average title on Tres Chasin Babe PZ, owned by Teton Ridge, and finished reserve on her own Chitichiti Bangbang for $45,500.
Brittany skyrocketed to the lead of the Pink Buckle Futurity in Round Two with an astounding 16.551 on a standard pattern on Tres Chasin Babe PZ, nearing Brandon Cullins’ and MJ Segers Fast Lane’s fastest time in Pink Buckle history of 16.521 from a few nights prior.
“‘Rosie’ was my fourth horse of the day, and I bruised my tailbone really bad the week before,” Tonozzi said of her fall on SR Industry Titan at the CINCH Playoffs Governor’s Cup pro rodeo. “I was tired and hurt, so I just told myself to get through this run and be smooth, and it ended up being the fastest. I’d like to tell myself that more often! She is pretty amazing.”
The time is now the second-fastest in Pink Buckle history and banked $32,500 for the round win. After a 17.028 in the first go for seventh, the duo clinched the Pink Buckle Futurity average championship for a total $65,000 — $52,000 to owners Teton Ridge, $6,500 to the Tonozzis as breeders and $6,500 to sire Tres Seis.
2023 Pink Buckle Barrel Race Results: Futurity Round Two Top Five
- Brittany Tonozzi/Tres Chasin Babe PZ/16.551/$26,000
- Cayla Small/Back By Design/16.726/$18,200
- Brittany Tonozzi/Chitichiti Bangbang/16.780/$14,300
- Ceri Ward/Slick Swingin Gypsy/16.849/$12,350
- Mckinlee Kellett/Blue Jeans Lane/16.959/$9,100
2023 Pink Buckle Barrel Race Results: Futurity Average Top Five
- Brittany Tonozzi/Tres Chasin Babe PZ/33.579/$52,000
- Brittany Tonozzi/Chitichiti Bangbang/33.777/$36,400
- Deena Van Tassell/Sassi Little Merri/33.989/$28,600
- Emily Efurd/Hyper By Design/33.996/$24,700
- Cayla Small/Back By Design/34.006/$18,200
The mare is by leading sire Tres Seis and out of Brittany’s NFR mare Babe On The Chase, by Chasin Firewater out of the Tonozzis’ blue-hen producer Streakin Six Babe. She’s also a graduate of the Pink Buckle Sale, having sold for $240,000 in 2021 to Teton Ridge from former owners Mario Zerlotti and Guy Peixoto.
Rosie has been one of the most dominant futurity horses of the year. She’s earned over $216,000 in EquiStat reported earnings in 2023 prior to the Pink Buckle, including a Ruby Buckle Central futurity title and reserve championships at the Royal Crown Futurity in OKC and Colorado Classic Futurity. She started her career as a winner from her very first competitive run to win the first round of the 2022 BFA Juvenile last November.
“She’s been great from the start, from her very first run at the BFA when she won the first go-round of the Juvenile,” Brittany said. “She’s just been incredible.”
She’s also the twin sister to Kelly Tovar’s 4-year-old stallion Seis On The Chase, the third-highest seller at last year’s Pink Buckle Sale for $160,000, ridden by Ashley Schafer to more than $80,000 in EquiStat earnings this year as another of the year’s top futurity colts.
And, to make the historic year for Brittany even cooler, she’s got both Rosie and her mother Babe On The Chase together on the trailer. “Birdie” has been a part of Brittany’s rodeo string that helped her reach a 17th National Finals Rodeo qualification and a WPRA single-season earnings record.
“Who could ask for more?” she said with a laugh. “It’s been fun, and it’s going to be real hard to replicate that in years to come, but I’m going to enjoy it while I have it.”
Not to be left behind, Chitichiti Bangbang wasn’t as dominant early in the futurity year but has proven herself over the summer, running to more than $134,000 in EquiStat earnings with titles such as the Royal Crown Rock Springs futurity championship and placing at pro rodeos and futurities.
“This mare was more trying. I started her to the right, then quickly switched to the left, but when I started adding speed it went south right before Fort Smith [in May], and I knew I had to make a change, so I switched her back to the right,” Brittany said. “She just turned into a barrel horse.”
“Maybelline” was ultra consistent in Guthrie with two times of 16.997 and 16.780 to win the Pink Buckle Futurity reserve championship for $45,500 — $35,400 and $4,550 to the Tonozzis as owners and breeders, respectively, and $4,550 to sire Tres Seis. She also placed in the Open 1D rounds and average for a total $90,910 in Pink Buckle money.
“I had to really concentrate on running her up into the hole at the first barrel. You hate to send a 4-year-old full blast, but her you have to, so I just kept telling myself don’t let up,” Brittany said. “The second run when she ran the 16.7, I ran her by the third barrel a little because I got excited, but it all worked out.”
Also by Tres Seis, “Maybelline” is out of Kisskiss Bangbang by Dash Ta Fame, best known as “Mona.” The great mare of Brittany’s is an earner of $444,213, a multiple futurity and pro rodeo winner, American standard pattern record holder, NFR qualifier and go-round money earner.
“Mona is one of the best horses I’ve ever rode. I knew her babies would have it, I just needed to figure out how to bring it out,” Brittany said. “Maybelline is already winning at the rodeos too, and I’m so excited about her future because I think she’s as good as Mona was, but maybe easier to ride.”
Mona also produced the Tonozzis’ No. 3 highest-seller in the 2023 Pink Buckle Sale, Kiss Me Good By, by The Goodbye Lane, who put an exclamation point on the couple’s week, bringing $490,000.
“What people don’t understand is it’s the 10 years ago when Mona set the world record that started this whole process. It wasn’t just the fact that we had a Dash Ta Fame mare who had a The Goodbye Lane baby and we put it in a sale,” Brittany explained. “There were so many years of work that went into this before they were even born. It didn’t hurt that I’ve won so much this year and won so much on Chitichiti Bangbang. But this was a 10-year process that was a big payoff. We sold Seis On The Chase in the sale the year before, so we want to get it out there to people that we will sell nice horses. We want all our horses to do well; we don’t just keep them for ourselves.”
Emily Efurd Rides Hyper By Design to Pink Buckle Futurity First-Round Win
October 4, 2023 — GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA — In a very late night of futurity competition, Emily Efurd and 5-year-old gelding Hyper By Design smoked a 16.924 to win the first go-round of the Pink Buckle Futurity, worth $26,000 to owner and Efurd’s college best friend and hauling partner Michele Allison, $3,250 to sire Slick By Design, and $3,250 to breeder Allison, who bred her college rodeo mare On A Hyper Lady by Mr Hyperspeed to National Finals Rodeo sire “Slick” to produce “Sturgill.”
The victory capped off a career day for Efurd and her fiance Brandon Cullins. Cullins made history on MJ Segers Fast Lane earlier in the day to win the Pink Buckle Derby with the fastest Pink Buckle event time, a 16.521 on a standard pattern, for $32,000. The Dublin, Texas, couple won a total $58,000 on two runs in one day.
Sturgill is helping Efurd to a career-best year as a futurity trainer. In June, Efurd earned her first futurity average title and go-round win at the Ruby Buckle West event in South Jordan, Utah, aboard the fast gelding. Since then, the pair has won a round at the Royal Crown and placed at futurities such as the Breeders Challenge Championship Finale, and have now won a Pink Buckle go-round.
Since the horse’s first time entered in March, he’s set arena records and also garnered multiple Open 1D wins among tough competition in Texas, as well as his accomplishments placing and winning at the futurities. His earnings stand at well over $160,000. Though Efurd wasn’t always sure he’d make a winner, her perseverance as a trainer paid dividends toward making him into the winner he is today.
“He started out a bit tough. He never wanted to be bad, and he always tried, but he just couldn’t get it. It was weird, because when he did get it, it all came at once, like overnight. He went from like, is he even going to make a barrel horse, to what he is now. It was crazy,” Efurd recounted after winning the Ruby Buckle West. “I couldn’t say if it was one thing or another, but probably confidence and repetition. I kept doing the same thing over and over until he got it.”
2023 Pink Buckle Barrel Race Results: Futurity Round One Top Five
- Emily Efurd/Hyper By Design/16.924/$26,000
- Jamey Hunt/Hurricane Halley/16.929/$18,200
- Deena Van Tassell/Sassy Little Merri/16.950/$14,300
- Kassie Mowry/Picassos Private Jet/16.980/$12,350
- Brittany Tonozzi/Chitichiti Bangbang/16.997/$9,100
Brandon Cullins Runs Fastest Time in Pink Buckle History to Win Derby
October 4, 2023 — GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA — With a smoking 16.521 on a standard pattern, Brandon Cullins and MJ Segers Fast Lane took the lead in the second go of the Pink Buckle Derby to ultimately win the round for $20,000 total ($16,000 to owner and $2,000 each to sire and breeder) and the Pink Buckle Derby championship for $40,000 ($32,000 to owner, $4,000 each to sire and breeder). The pair improved their first-round time of 17.061 by half a second to win the average in 33.582.
The time set a new Pink Buckle event arena record, previously held by Vauna Walker’s 16.567 on French Goodbye from the first round of the inaugural Pink Buckle Futurity in 2018. Both standout horses are by EquiStat No. 8 All-Time Leading Sire The Goodbye Lane, owned by the Jarvis family.
—> Read more: The Ascension of The Goodbye Lane
The 2017 brown mare is owned by Grant Little and was bred and raised by Mark and Linda Jarvis. She’s out of SKS Running Faucet by Diamond Faucet, a proven producer for the Jarvises with more than $300,000 in EquiStat produce earnings. MJ Segers Fast Lane is a full sister to winning mounts Slingshot Lane and MJ Fly Bye Lane, both trained and ridden by Marcie (Jarvis) Wilson.
“Seger,” named after Wilson’s daughter, has won north of $61,000 in EquiStat reported earnings, mostly under Cullins. He took the reins in late 2022 after the mare was trained by Rayel Little and started her career as a 5-year-old futurity horse, winning money with both Little and Wilson in the saddle. She holds several arena records and numerous wins under Cullins’ guidance, such as the 2023 Fizz Bomb Classic Derby, and can now add another record to her impressive and growing stats column.
Three of the top five Pink Buckle Derby winners are by The Goodbye Lane. Pink Buckle Derby reserve champion Stacy Glause, who also won the first round with a 16.767, rode SG Lifeinthefastlane, while Kassie Mowry finished fourth in the average on Force The Goodbye.
2023 Pink Buckle Barrel Race Results: Derby Average Top Five
- Brandon Cullins/MJ Segers Fast Lane/33.582/$32,000
- Stacy Glause/SG Lifeinthefastlane/33.741/$22,400
- Ryann Pedone/Thirty Six Roses/33.819/$17,600
- Kassie Mowry/Force The Goodbye/33.869/$15,200
- Kassie Mowry/Sir Epic/33.872/$11,200
2023 Pink Buckle Barrel Race Results: Derby Round Two Top Five
- Brandon Cullins/MJ Segers Fast Lane/16.521/$16,000
- Tyler Rivette/Flingin Roses/16.722/$11,200
- Ryann Pedone/Thirty Six Roses/$8,800
- Kassie Mowry/KL Touch Of Heaven/16.761/$7,600
- Scamper Cole/Ima Epic Hustler/16.764/$5,600
Stacy Glause Wins Pink Buckle Derby Round One
October 2, 2023 — GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA — With a 16.767, Stacy Glause and homebred 2017 gelding SG Lifeinthefastlane topped a tough first round of the 2023 Pink Buckle Derby that saw nine sub-17-second standard pattern runs in the top 10 inside the Lazy E Arena. The win paid a total $20,000 — $16,000 to Glause as the owner, $2,000 allocated to sire The Goodbye Lane and $2,000 to breeder Glause.
The 6-year-old gelding bred, raised and trained by Glause is by EquiStat No. 8 All-Time Leading Sire The Goodbye Lane and is a multi-generational product of Glause’s program.
He’s out of Full Of Fame, a mare Glause also bred and rode to earnings in the barrel pen, by Dash Ta Fame son Poco Lijerito, the maternal grandsire of both Paige Jones’ 2023 NFR-qualifying mount Famous Hayday and Emily Beisel’s Biddin On Fame.
Interestingly, as a maternal grandsire Poco Lijerito boasts more than $458,000 in EquiStat earners, while as a sire he’s produced just over $15,000 in barrel racing earners.
The win adds to the grey gelding’s already lucrative career of more than $90,000 in EquiStat winnings. He and Glause earned more than $60,000 during the gelding’s futurity year in 2022, highlighted by placings at Ruby Buckle and Royal Crown events as well as being a finalist at the Breeders Challenge Futurity Finale. He also placed in the first go-round of the Pink Buckle Futurity last year and has gone on to earn close to $30,000 in winnings this year as a derby horse, including placing at several pro rodeos.
2023 Pink Buckle Barrel Race Results: Derby Round One Top Five
- Stacy Glause/SG Lifeinthefastlane/16.767/$16,000
- Regina Kiehne/Boonsstreakincolours/16.800/$11,200
- Kassie Mowry/Force The Goodbye/16.853/$8,800
- Margaret Jones/Smooth Money Raider/16.864/$7,600
- Jenna Dominick/Monsterr/16.887/$5,600
