LAS VEGAS — December 6, 2022 — Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Babe On The Chase shared the win with Emily Beisel and Namgis D 33 in Round Six of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, presented by Teton Ridge, clocking times of 13.57 to each earn $25,882.42.
Tonozzi and Babe On The Chase have been steadily working their way up on the ground to get the opportunity to do exactly what the duo from Lampasas, Texas, did tonight in Round Six.
“It’s super special. I mean, even if I don’t win anything the rest of the Finals, this just made it,” Tonozzi said. “I’m probably the oldest person that was the most excited to win a go-round.”
The veteran trainer, world champion and EquiStat earner of $3.5 million has qualified for 16 NFRs and collected more than $767,870.34 in NFR earnings. However, the last time Tonozzi has made the coveted victory lap was in 2011 aboard her late WPRA World Champion Yeah Hes Firen when she coincidentally also shared the round win, that time with Lindsay Sears. Tonozzi’s “Duke” himself earned $252,130.21 in NFR earnings.
This year, Tonozzi kicked off the Wrangler NFR riding RC Black In Famous when she knew she’d be on bottom of the ground. Still, Tonozzi was itching to step aboard her home-raised and -trained Babe On The Chase. “Birdie” who’s now owned by Teton Ridge, is by Chasin Firewater and out of Tonozzi’s cornerstone dam Streakin Six Babe by Streakin Six. Birdie has been a player at the NFR for Tonozzi before, earning more than $49,753 in NFR money, according to EquiStat. The 11-year-old mare has also earned more than $387,313 in total lifetime earnings.
Tonozzi got on Birdie in Round Three this year, and the duo has been getting faster. Currently, Tonozzi sits in the No. 11 position in the world standings and the No. 8 position in the aggregate. Tonozzi says while it’s been a steady build, it’s due in part to a few adjustments.
“I did change some things. I started going down the alleyway a little farther; I changed the way I rode her to the first barrel differently,” she said. “Actually that was my game plan when I came. I ran her by the first barrel at the circuit finals a couple of nights, and then the last night I went way far up in the alleyway and I got her head and then I won the round. I thought I should try that at the NFR, and it’s seemed to have helped me a lot nailing my first barrel here.”
—> Bits of Success with Brittany Tonozzi: Birdie’s Steel Nose Combo Bit
While Tonozzi is an earner of more than $2.7 million in WPRA earnings, a two-time world champion and two-time NFR aggregate champion, she says the long hiatus in an NFR round win was starting to play into her mental focus. She set that aside and focused on her horse, and it paid off in Round Six.
“I’ve been here 16 times — everybody expects you to be here and to do things, and I was getting very hard on myself,” Tonozzi said. “I thought am I just not a go-round cowgirl anymore or what? But it clicked tonight, and I’m just super proud of my horse.”
—> Tonozzis as EquiStat’s Lifetime Leading Owners
Emily Beisel and Namgis D 33 have already turned in a round-winning run in Round Four from a 13.60. They neared the arena record of 13.11 in Round Five with a 13.29 but incurred a 5-second penalty. Tonight, at 14th on the ground, Beisel and “Chongo” turned in a 13.57 to split the win. Through four NFR appearances, Beisel has collected a total of $403,783.79 in career NFR earnings, the majority of which have been earned aboard the 12-year-old grey gelding.
“I couldn’t ask for him to be more honest,” Beisel said of Chongo. “He’s doing everything he can to help me get here.”
Beisel has moved from ninth in the world standings to fifth with four more rounds of competition to go. So far this year she’s picked up $72,257.72 in 2022 Wrangler NFR earnings. From the outside eye, one wouldn’t think that in her first NFR qualification Beisel wasn’t sure of her big grey’s capabilities inside the tricky setup of the Thomas and Mack Center arena. However, the gelding by Bucks Hancock Dude and out of Track Goddess by Eyesa Special has exceeded the Weatherford, Oklahoma, cowgirl’s expectations.
“I never dream that Chongo would love the Thomas and Mack like he does. Truly,” Beisel said. “He loves it here, and this is a great place for him to love. I’m so, so thankful for that. I’ll be totally honest, my first year in 2019 I didn’t anticipate riding him a whole lot, and then he came out and won the first round and placed really good the next two, and then won the fourth round. He just loves it here.”
—> 2022 Wrangler NFR First-Timers
NFR Notable Horse Changes
Kassie Mowry stepped off CP He Will Be Epic (Epic Leader x Percilla x Dash Ta Fame) to get on 4-year-old futurity colt Force The Goodbye (The Goodbye Lane x VF Forcit First x Burrs First Down). Force The Goodbye is owned by Mowry’s fiance Michael Boone and was bred by Janelle Yutzie Blubaugh of Newberg, Oregon. “Jarvis” is one of the year’s top futurity horses with earnings over $360,644 in a year of competition. Mowry rode CP He Will Be Epic through the first five rounds of competition, collecting $50,106.10 in 2022 Wrangler NFR earnings. “Will” is owned by Mowry and was bred by Claire Powell. Will has earned more than $260,926 in earnings.
New NFR Money Earners
It’s a class of horses that stands on its own — NFR money earners. It’s an achievement boasted for a lifetime, and so far at the 2022 Wrangler NFR, six new equine athletes have joined the ranks.
Promise Me Fame Guys — “Levee” is by far the largest earner at the 2022 NFR, collecting $85,315.52 with Lisa Lockhart at the helm. The Teton Ridge-owned gelding by Aint Seen Nothin Yet out of Bar Blue Lass by FC Aboo led Lockhart to a Round Five win, moved her from No. 14 in the standings to No. 4 and to the lead in the aggregate.
Shes Packin Fame — “Sissy” has earned $52,904.20 for first-time NFR qualifier Margo Crowther. The 10-year-old daughter of Carrizzo and out of the Packin Sixes mare Heidis Dashing Sixes was bred and raised by longtime barrel horse player Frank Moore of Pendleton, South Carolina. Sissy was trained and started on the barrels by EquiStat leading rider Craig Brooks and has earned more than $265,327 in EquiStat reported lifetime earnings. Now she can add NFR money earner to her resume.
CP He Will Be Epic — “Will” has helped Kassie Mowry pick up $50,106.10 in NFR earnings this year. He is owned by Mowry and was bred by Claire Powell. Will has earned more than $260,926 in EquiStat reported lifetime earnings, not including this year’s NFR earnings. Among adding NFR money earner to his portfolio, he’s also helped move Mowry from the No. 10 position in the world standings to No. 8.
Justaheartbeattofame — “Gus” has collected $22,125.10 with owner Leslie Smalygo at his first Wrangler NFR appearance. The 12-year-old gelding by Justaheartofawarrior out of the Dash Ta Fame mare Yawl A Fame Maker has earned more than $79,539 in EquiStat reported lifetime earnings.
Chewingthehotwire — First-time NFR qualifier Sissy Winn rode 8-year-old gelding Chewingthehotwire, by Flaming Fire Water and out of Native Quick Dash by Royal Quick Dash, to a large portion of her 2022 season earnings. “Chewy” was bred by Brad and Kenna Squires and has earned more than $97,000 in EquiStat reported earnings. Kenna is an EquiStat earner of more than $1.2 million herself and more than $122,000 as a breeder. Chewy so far has led Winn to $17,461.60 in Wrangler NFR earnings.
Sand In My Socks — “Sandi” is a graduate of Kassie Mowry’s futurity training program and won $100,000 in the very first run of her life as a 3-year-old to win the 2020 Barrel Futurities of America SuperStakes slot race under Mowry for then-owners Isabella Quarter Horses. The 2017 mare by BHR Frenchies Socks and out of JC Pick Six by Tres Seis went on to win over $260,000 with Mowry. Sandi sold this year to 70 Ranch Performance Horses and joined Stevi Hillman’s string for the 2022 NFR. Hillman and Sandi picked up $7,461.60 in Round Four from a fifth-place finish, adding NFR money earner to Sandi’s list of accolades.
Hail To Be Famous — Hail To Be Famous’ barrel racing career started under Kassie Mowry’s training with EquiStat earnings at his first futurity, the 2018 BFA World Championship Juvenile (3-year-old). A year later, Choate made the 2019 BFA Futurity Finals on the 2015 gelding by Dash Ta Fame and out of Itty Bitty Boon by Flaming Talent as the only Junior rider in the Finals. First-time NFR qualifier Choate and “Dash” picked up their first go-round paycheck in Round Six with a time of 13.63 to finish third, worth $17,254.95, making Dash an official NFR earner and boosting Choate’s NFR earnings thus far to $27,254.95.
NFR Barrel Racing Round Six Results
Place, Name, Horse, Time, Money Won
- 1/2 (tie) Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Babe On The Chase, 13.57, $25,882.42
- 1/2 (tie) Emily Beisel, Namgis D 33, 13.57, $25,882.42
- Bayleigh Choate, Hail To Be Famous, 13.63, $17,254.95
- Lisa Lockhart, Promise Me Fame Guys, 13.64, $12,125.10
- Jessica Routier, Fiery Miss West, 13.65, $7,461.60
- Shelley Morgan, HR Fameskissandtell, 13.70, $4,663.50
- Wenda Johnson, Steal Money, Pawhuska, Okla., 13.76
- Dona Kay Rule, High Valor, Minco, Okla., 13.78
- Sissy Winn, Chewingthehotwire, Chapman Ranch, Texas, 13.85
- Leslie Smalygo, Justaheartbeattofame, Skiatook, Okla., 18.54*
- Jordon Briggs, Famous Lil Jet, Tolar, Texas, 18.70*
- Margo Crowther, Shes Packin Fame, North Fort Myers, Fla., 18.78*
- (tie) Stevi Hillman, Sand In My Socks, Granbury, Texas, 18.83*
- Hailey Kinsel, DM Sissy Hayday, Cotulla, Texas, 18.83*
- Kassie Mowry, Force The Goodbye, Dublin, Texas, 19.14*
*denotes penalty
2022 WPRA World Standings
Rank, Name, Hometown, Earnings
- Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, TX, $225,224.50
- Jordon Briggs, Tolar, TX, $222,289.05
- Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, SD, $182,311.53
- Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, OK, $177,762.92
- Emily Beisel, Weatherford, OK, $166,222.48
- Dona Kay Rule, Minco, OK, $164,956.44
- Shelley Morgan, Eustace, TX, $151,706.37
- Margo Crowther, North Fort Myers, FL, $149,774.91
- Kassie Mowry, Dublin, TX, $142,659.40
- Stevi Hillman, Granbury, TX, $138,063.82
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, TX, $133,641.21
- Sissy Winn, Chapman Ranch, TX, $119,309.76
- Bayleigh Choate (R), Fort Worth, TX, $118,147.76
- Jessica Routier, Buffalo, SD, $108,988.20
- Leslie Smalygo, Skiatook, OK, $106,578.10
Aggregate Standings on Six Runs
Rank, Name, Aggregate Time
- Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 82.35 seconds on six runs
- Shelley Morgan, Eustace, Texas, 82.94
- Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla., 82.95
- Sissy Winn, Chapman Ranch, Texas, 83.66
- Bayleigh Choate, Fort Worth, Texas, 83.88
- Jordon Briggs, Tolar, Texas, 87.64
- Margo Crowther, North Fort Myers, Fla., 87.77
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, 87.94
- Dona Kay Rule, Minco, Okla., 88.57
- Jessica Routier, Buffalo, S.D., 89.05
- Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 92.10
- Leslie Smalygo, Skiatook, Okla., 92.50
- Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 92.92
- Emily Beisel, Weatherford, Okla., 96.38
- Stevi Hillman, Granbury, Texas, 98.49
