This issue is a keeper as it is chalked full of all the WPRA champions from 2023 - barrel racing, breakaway roping, all-around, team roping, tie-down roping, futurity/derby and Junior. Plus don't miss all the photos from the NFR and NFBR including committee awards, Justin Best Footing and Saddle Rotation. Enjoy!
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January/February 2024
2023 Champions Edition
CELEBRATE WHAT MATTERS
OFFICIAL SILVERSMITHS OF THE
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CONTENTS
News
431 S. Cascade Colorado Springs, Colo., 80903 PH: 719 - 447 - 4627 FX: 719 - 447 - 4631 Please contact the WPRA office for all correspondence regarding the WPRA News.
Jimmie Munroe WPRA President Ann Bleiker (719) 330-4293 ableiker@yahoo.com Managing Editor Paige Louis Thomas (719) 633-7700 paigeink@gmail.com Graphic Designer Allie Bohus Josie Fladager Tim Gentry Ted Harbin Joe Kusek Kristen M. White Contributing Writers WPRA Office (719) 447-4627 (877) 977-2462 Fax: (719) 447-4631 www.wpra.com
On the Cover : Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi (top left) and Shelby Boisjoli-Meged (bottom right) had record breaking years in 2023 to capture the gold buckle. For Pozzi Tonozzi it was her third world title shattering the season earnings record winning just shy of half a million dollars. For Boisjoli-Meged it was her first gold buckle and she also set a season earnings record just under $200,000 won on the year. What a way to close out the WPRA’s 75th year! WPRA photos by Kenneth Springer President’s Corner......................................................................................................................6 In The News.................................................................................................................................8 Taking Care of Business............................................................................................................9 2023 WPRA ProRodeo and Rookie Standings......................................................................10 2023 ProRodeo Breakaway Standings.................................................................................. 10 2024 WPRA ProRodeo Barrel and Breakaway Standings...................................................11 2023 World Champion Barrel Racer: Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi............................................12 Wrangler NFR Round by Round............................................................................................. 14 2023 World Champion Breakaway Roper: Shelby Boisjoli.................................................16 Wrangler NFBR Round by Round.......................................................................................... 18 Wrangler NFR Results............................................................................................................. 20 Wrangler NFBR Results........................................................................................................... 21 Business Of.............................................................................................................................. 22 2023 Final Roping Standings.................................................................................................. 23 2023 Wrangler NFR Average Champion: Lisa Lockhart......................................................24 2023 Wrangler NFBR Average Champion: Cheyanne McCartney.....................................25 Saddle Rotation Program....................................................................................................... 26 Committee Awards.................................................................................................................. 28 Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award................................................................................... 30 Breakaway Roping Awards..................................................................................................... 31 All-Around World Champion: Jackie Crawford.....................................................................32 Team Roping World Champion – Heeler – Annette Stahl...................................................34 Junior World Champion: Kara McDonald.............................................................................35 Futurity/Derby World Champions......................................................................................... 38 World Finals: WPRA Card Holder Winner: Skyla Peters......................................................40 2023 Futurity/Derby Standings.............................................................................................. 41 2023 Junior Standings............................................................................................................. 41 World Finals: Permit Race Winner: Emily Ward...................................................................42 Justin Best Footing Awards..................................................................................................... 45 2023 PRCA/WPRA Circuit Standings...................................................................................... 46 2023 PRCA/WPRA Breakaway Roping Circuit Standings.....................................................47 NFR/NFBR Photo Album......................................................................................................... 48 Sponsor Thank You................................................................................................................. 51 24 25 30
WPRA News does not endorse and is not re- sponsible for the contents of any ad in this publication. Neither that information nor any opinion which may be expressed here constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities. Opinions expressed in letters to the editor and commentaries are those of the authors and not necessarily those of WPRA NEWS. WPRA News (ISSN 1093-9202) is pub- lished monthly by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Subscriptions are $45 a year. Postmaster: Send address changes to WPRA News , 431 S. Cascade, Colorado Springs, Colo., 80903 WPRA News is designed to provide cur- rent news and results to the members of the WPRA and WPRA All-Women Rodeo. Direct all editorial and advertising corre- spondence to WPRA News , 431 S. Cascade, Colorado Springs, Colo., 80903 Trademark 2017 WPRA NEWS Published by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Printed, produced and read in the U.S.A.
4 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
This is How We Live
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PRESIDENT CORNER N ow that we have turned the calendar to 2024, I would like to take a minute to look back on the year that was in 2023. What a special year it was as we started the year celebrating 75 years of the oldest women’s sports organization in the world and ended it with record- breaking performances in our barrel racing and roping divisions.
appearances finish 1-2 on the year was great to see. It was also record breaking in terms of money won on the breakaway roping side as Shelby Boisjoli-Meged took home her first gold buckle winning just under $200,000 on the year. It is exciting to see the growth of breakaway roping with 480 rodeos now featuring the ladies at the rodeos in 2023. Crowds were up in Las Vegas as well, so this is all encouraging signs as we embark on 2024. Speaking of roping, I would like to congratulate Jackie Crawford on the three titles she picked up during the WPRA World Finals in Waco back in November. Jackie’s overall total of WPRA world titles now sits at 23. She won the all-around, team roping heading and tie-down roping world titles this year. She only trails the late Wanda Harper Bush in total world titles in the WPRA. Wanda collected 32 during her illustrious career. As we now embark on our 76th year we look forward to more record-breaking performances in 2024. Happy New Year to All!
A big congrats to Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi who shattered the regular season earnings record in the WPRA winning just shy of a half a million dollars on the year. To have been apart of when the WPRA was pushing for equal money to now see these figures in 2023, it is truly a testament to all the ladies in the WPRA from the members to the Board of Directors and to all the committees that continue to help raise the bar in professional rodeo. This year’s barrel racing at the NFR, especially during the second round, was very memorable. And what a crazy turn of events in the 10th round to see Lisa Lockhart win her third average title and finish as reserve world champion. Not only that but now Lisa is WPRA’s all- time money earner which is a testament to her consistency in getting to the pay window. To have our two ladies that have made 17 NFR
6 WPRA NEWS JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024
F IREWATERFRENCHFAME S
UMMER K OSEL
Recipient of the 2023
The Scoti Flit Bar Rising Star Award, given in memory of Scoti Flit Bar, was created by past NFR qualifier, Lana Merrick as a way of recognizing the year-long achievements of a horse that is making its first appearance at the NFR. Scoti Flit Bar and Merrick qualified for a pair of NFR’s in 1987 and 1989 before Merrick lost her great partner to a rare blood disease. The Scoti Flit Bar Rising Star Award is awarded to a first-time WNFR qualifier to honor all of the great ones that should never be forgotten. This award is voted on by the top 15 barrel racers prior to the NFR. The one-of-a-kind trophy buckle is designed and handcrafted by world renowned, master silversmith, CLINT ORMS.
Clint Orms Silversmith
FACEBOOK . COM / CANADIANRIVERQUARTERHORSES @ CANADIANRIVERQH WWW .C ANADIAN R IVER Q UARTER H ORSES . COM
Photos Courtesy of Kenneth Springer
IN THE NEWS Mowry and JarvisTurn in Fast Time of 2023 Wrangler NFR
Rodeo Announcer Mike Mathis Passes Away
The eighth round of the 2023 Wrangler NFR will always hold a special memory for Kassie Mowry. Not only was it her first-round victory at the NFR but it was also the fastest time turned in during the 2023 edition and she did it all on her young horse making just his third rodeo appearance.
There will always be rodeo legends across the state and nation. But as far as the citizens of Lufkin, Texas, are concerned, there was only one Mr. Rodeo. Mike Mathis, the legendary voice of rodeo in Lufkin, died December 13, 2023, surrounded by his family at Dignity Health St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mike was in Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo at the time of his passing. He was 75.
That is right Force The Goodbye “Jarvis” a 5-year-old gelding shocked his jockey when he laid down a run in 13.30 seconds inside the Thomas and Mack Arena. “It just happened so fast. I hardly remember any of it, but I was just in go mode” said Mowry “He just went in there and shocked me with that performance. I didn’t think there was a chance of beating Brittany’s time but wow. I never dreamed I would be here in the winner’s circle.” Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, who secured her third gold buckle during that performance had stopped the clock in 13.34 seconds and looked unbeatable until Jarvis took to the cloverleaf pattern. Mowry will always remember that run as she looks at the Montana Silversmiths belt buckle stating she was the Fast Time Winner at the 2023 Wrangler NFR. Kerry Burger, husband of two- time world champion Mary Burger, Passes Away
He was one of the most recognizable voices in rodeo not only in Texas but across the nation as he was a member of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. He won the WPRA Announcer of the Year award in 2006. However, his hometown of Lufkin was the one he was most passionate about. Mike began his professional career as a banker with Lufkin National Bank where he became Executive Vice President and particularly enjoyed helping people in the community. In 1976 he was named Coordinator of the Angelina Benefit Rodeo where he soon became known as “Mr. Rodeo.” He began announcing rodeos professionally in the late 1970’s obtaining his PRCA card in 1983. In 1989, he traded in his business suit for a cowboy hat and a full-time rodeo career. Since then, he has announced rodeos across the United States, served as a member of the PRCA Executive Council, a member of the NFR Committee, a member of the PRCA Board of Directors, and a member of the PRCA Texas Circuit Board of Directors.
Kerry Lee Burger was born Monday March 15, 1948, in Decatur, Indiana to Bryce and Deloris (Werst) Burger and died Wednesday December 13, 2023, at his home near Pauls Valley, Oklahoma at the age of 75 years, 8 months and 29 days. Kerry married Mary Lichtle
Mary Walker Announces Retirement
During the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Mary Walker announced her official retirement from the sport of barrel racing on the Cowboy Channel. Walker won the 2012 WPRA World Title aboard that year’s AQHA/WPRA Barrel Horse of the Year Perculatin that she
on August 3, 1968, and had lived in the Pauls Valley area since the early 2000’s. He was a renowned farrier and had the opportunity to shoe many award-winning horses. He was a veteran of the United States Army serving in an artillery unit. He was an expert marksman with a M-14 Rifle. He is survived by his wife Mary and sons, Todd, and Joey Burger. Private family services may be held at a future date.
called Latte. That same year she won the Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed award and a year later earned induction into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum. She was also awarded the Tad Lucas Award from the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 2013. Walker qualified for five NFRs (2012-2016) and in 2016 she became WPRA’s seventh millionaire in career earnings.
8 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS WPRA Western Region Barrel Racing and Breakaway Roping Event Rescheduled
WPRA 2024 Holiday Schedule Holiday Day of Week From the Corner Office
Date
Presidents Day Memorial Day
Monday Monday Thursday Monday Thursday
February 19
WPRA Wilderness Circuit Director Julie Herman is pleased to announce the new dates for the inaugural Western Region Barrel Racing and Breakaway Roping Event in Salina, Utah. Please mark your calendars for April 12-14, 2024, and look for additional information coming after the first of the year on this event. This event will be similar to the WPRA World Finals in Waco, TX, with the objective to learn how to successfully put on a smaller scaled opportunity similar to the World Finals that eventually be replicated in other circuits. Rule of the Month If renewing your WPRA membership after January 1, a late fee of $25 will be assessed. If renewing your WPRA membership after February 1, a late fee of $50 will be assessed. Late fees will not apply to non-competing/ inactive gold card members. Please reference 1.3.4.1. in the 2024 WPRA Rule Book
May 27
Independence Day
July 4
Labor Day
September 2 November 28 November 29 December 24
Thanksgiving Day
Day After Thanksgiving Friday
Christmas Eve Christmas Day New Year’s Eve
Tuesday
Wednesday December 25
Tuesday
December 31
2025 Holiday New Year’s Eve Day
Wednesday January 1
Thought of the Month Being HUMBLE means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how
DidYou Know Horses do not fully sleep standing up. They must lay down to get REM (paradoxical) sleep. Deprivation of REM sleep, from many types of sleep disorders, can cause poor performance in an equine athlete.
IMPORTANT we can become, but to see how much DIFFERENCE we can make in the lives of others. Gordon B. Hinckley
“On New Year’s Eve the whole world celebrates the fact that a date changes. Let us celebrate the dates on which we change the world.”
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024 WPRA NEWS 9
2023 WPRA PRO RODEO STANDINGS Official Standings as of Dec. 16, 2023
*2023 WPRA World Champion *1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi
RESISTOL ROOKIE STANDINGS 1. Kalli McCall Lufkin, TX
Lampasas, TX
$496,499 $343,688 $322,593 $272,519 $246,674 $229,962 $228,697 $217,139 $194,843 $173,990 $154,406 $154,161 $139,798 $133,969 $130,506 $91,276
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Lisa Lockhart Kassie Mowry Jordon Briggs Emily Beisel
Oelrichs, SD Dublin, TX
Tolar, TX
$37,409 $29,990 $23,020 $21,505 $20,702 $16,616 $14,330 $12,306 $10,807 $10,753 $10,160 $7,920 $7,785 $7,731 $7,190
Weatherford, OK
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Rainey Skelton Victoria Procter Grace Gardiner Karli Cowie Sophie Nolen
Llano, TX
Sissy Winn
Chapman, TX Glenham, SD Wayne, OK Buffalo, SD Granbury, TX Cotulla, TX Wynne, AR
Ledbetter, TX Paradise, TX Mankota, SK
Summer Kosel
Paige Jones
Jessica Routier
Stephenville, TX
10. Stevi Hillman 11. Hailey Kinsel 12. Taycie Matthews
Miley Bunting Bravos
Red Bluff, CA Tenino, WA
Julia Johnson Acey Pinkston
Stephenville, TX
13. Ilyssa Riley 14. Sue Smith
Hico, TX
10. Katie Sowada
Avon, MN
Blackfoot, ID Pawhuska, OK Big Lake, MN Montgomery, TX Stephenville, TX Laundesboro, AL
11. Sage Kohr
Laramie, WY Peralta, NM
15. Wenda Johnson 16. Sara Winkelman 17. Ashley Castleberry 18. Kelly Allen 19. Carlee Otero 20. Dona Kay Rule
12. Quincy Sullivan
13. Kaycee Killingsworth 14. Maren Powers 15. Rachel Werkman
Thrall, TX
$87,815 $86,098 $79,056 $78,860
Occidental, CA Wellsburg, IA
Minco, OK
2023 WPRA PRO RODEO BREAKAWAY STANDINGS Official Standings as of December 6, 2023 *2023 WPRA World Champion
RESISTOL ROOKIE STANDINGS 1. Braylee Shepherd Nephi, UT
*1. Shelby Boisjoli
Stephenville, TX Comanche, TX Stephenville, TX
$197,706 $159,541 $149,887 $144,241 $135,621 $127,600 $119,964 $112,178 $111,784 $102,009 $93,961 $89,484 $85,402 $82,996 $76,213 $66,670
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Hali Williams
Martha Angelone Sarah Angelone
Lipan, TX Alva, OK
$38,773 $30,700 $27,202 $24,005 $21,935 $21,886 $17,801 $16,597 $13,400 $12,414 $10,091 $9,968 $9,158 $9,155 $8,440
Taylor Munsell Kelsie Domer Joey Williams
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Shaya Biever
Vernon, TX Poetry, TX Oakdale, CA Randlett, UT Emelle, AL Canyon, TX Mayer, AZ Randlett, UT Peralta, NM Wittman, AZ
Dublin, TX Volborg, MT Abilene, TX Kingston, OK
MaryBeth Beam
Rylee George Jacelyn Frost
Bradi Good
Cheyanne Guillory McCartney
10. Danielle Lowman 11. Kendal Pierson 12. Jackie Crawford 13. Josie Conner
Gilbert, AZ
Bethany Stallons
Wardlow, AB
Jade Kenney Kenzie Kelton
Stephenville, TX
Iowa, LA
Erika Frost
14. Rickie Engesser Fanning
Spearfish, SD
10. Quincy Sullivan
15. Erin Johnson
Fowler, CO Miller, SD
11. Tayle Brink
16. Samantha Fulton 17. Madison Outhier 18. Jordi Edens 19. Beau Peterson 20. Nicole Baggarley
12. Darby Wilkinson 13. Shyanne Allen 14. Nicole Hadley 15. Kadin Jodie
Arrowwood, AB Mount Ayr, IA Goodland, KS Churchrock, NM
Fulshear, TX Gatesville, TX
$59,609 $54,606 $53,095 $52,914
Council Grove, KS Las Cruces, NM
10 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
2024 WPRA PRO RODEO STANDINGS Unofficial Standings as of Dec. 18, 2023 *2023 WPRA World Champion BARREL RACING
BREAKAWAY ROPING
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Abby Phillips Skyla Peters Preslie Reid
Marshall, TX Liberal, KS
$13,648 $12,417 $8,526 $7,520 $6,712 $6,339 $6,277 $5,303 $5,115 $5,016 $4,661 $4,213 $4,194 $4,028 $3,796 $2,977
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Cassidy Boggs Willow Wilson
Stephenville, TX
$7,193 $6,246 $5,965 $5,746 $5,231 $5,129 $5,061 $4,225 $4,221 $4,199 $4,022 $3,870 $3,863 $3,766 $3,717 $1,013
Baggs, WY
San Angelo, TX Pawhuska, OK
Jordan Jo Hollabaugh
Springtown, TX
Wenda Johnson
Taylor Munsell
Alva, OK
Kalli McCall
Lufkin, TX Llano, TX
Bradi Good
Abilene, TX
Rainey Skelton
Martha Angelone Sawyer Gilbert
Stephenville, TX
Ashley Castleberry
Montgomery, TX
Buffalo, SD Portales, NM Midway, TX
Ericka Nelson Kassie Mowry
Century, FL Dublin, TX
TiAda Gray Tacy Webb
10. Tiany Schuster 11. Ann McGilchrist
Krum, TX
10. Sarah Angelone 11. Brighton Bauman 12. KC-Gail Churchill
Lipan, TX
Marysville, CA Weatherford, OK
Burleson, TX
12. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer
Waco, TX
13. Sue Smith 14. Latricia Duke 15. Keyla Costa
Blackfoot, ID
13. Addie Weil 14. Britta Strain
Commerce, TX Poolville, TX
Zephyr, TX
Tolar, TX
15. MaryBeth Beam *62. Shelby Meged
Poetry, TX
*24. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi
Lampasas, TX
Miles City, MT
Where The Elite Compete SM
2023 WPRA World Champion Barrel Racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi Photo by Kenneth Springer
2023 WPRA World Champion Breakaway Roper Shelby Boisjoli-Meged Photo by Rodeobum.com
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 WPRA NEWS 11
TRIPLE THREAT Pozzi Tonozzi Sets Regular Season Earnings Record, Single Season Earnings Record and Most Money Won at NFR by WPRA Member En Route To Third World Title By Ted Harbin O n the turntable that is professional barrel racing, this record has been played before. It wasn’t exactly déjà vu, but Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi repeated what she’d done 16 years before when she won her
first Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. She set the regular-season earnings record, the single-season earnings mark and earned the most money of any cowgirl at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The 2007 earnings were $259,713. The financial rewards in 2023 nearly doubled it. She finished with $496,499, with about $226,000 coming over the 10-rounds of ProRodeo’s grand finale in Las Vegas. Pozzi Tonozzi was so dominant this season that she won the world title by more than $150,000 over the reserve champion, Lisa Lockhart. “This one was different than the other two,” said Pozzi Tonozzi, who also won the gold buckle in 2009. “It was definitely mine to lose going into the finals. I had such a lead with this one. With the other two, it came down to the last round, but I like doing it this way much better. “I also doubted myself the other times because I didn’t know how my horses would work. Stitch wasn’t great in that arena, and with Duke, you just didn’t know. I had a pretty good idea Benny was going to be great in there, and I had so many backup plans with the other two horses this year that I just went out there and had fun. It’s just like how my whole year went.” Benny’s registered name is Jets Top Gun, an 8-year-old sorrel gelding owned by Busby Quarter Horses and trained by Janna Brown Beam. Benny is sired by Blazin Jetolena out of GL Famous First Lady. She rode the talented red racer through nine of the 10 rounds in which she competed. The only round she didn’t was in Round 6, which was a special
Wednesday morning performance that was scheduled as a make-up show after the first night was cancelled by a deadly shooting on the UNLV campus Wednesday, Dec. 6. Instead, Pozzi Tonozzi ran Babe On The Chase, a 12-year-old sorrel mare owned by Teton Ridge; Birdie had been a key reason for the Texan’s dominating campaign. “I went out to Las Vegas to have fun,” said Pozzi Tonozzi, a 17-time Wrangler NFR qualifier from Lampasas, Texas. “There was not much pressure; I didn’t have to win to pay the bills next week because I had won so much over the year. It was definitely a nice change to have fun and enjoy being at the NFR. “There’s definitely been years that I have not enjoyed it.” The cowgirl originally from Victoria, Texas, clinched her third world championship after the eighth round. That allowed her to enjoy the final two nights of the ProRodeo season with ease. The only thing left was to clinch the Wrangler NFR average title. A downed barrel on the final night deflated that and eliminated her chance of crossing half a million dollars in earnings for a season. She settled for second in the aggregate race to Lockhart. Still, that was worth $63,889, a hefty sum. The difference between first and second, though, was almost $15,000. “I didn’t want to hit that barrel, but nine runs on a horse in that arena is a lot,” she said. “I was just thankful that I got to win second in the average. I was a little bit bummed about it, and I thought, ‘OK, Brittany, don’t let this take away from what you did all year. You just won the world; a downed barrel to be second in the average is not the end of the world.’ “I had to let it go. It was a phenomenal two weeks out there. I wish Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Jets Top Gun “Benny” won the seventh round in a time of 13.47 seconds to inch closer to the 2023 world title. WPRA photo by Kenneth Springer
Brittany Pozzi in her 20th year as a WPRA member raced her way to a record breaking year in which she placed in eight out of 10 rounds at the Wrangler NFR. A downed barrel in the 10th round kept her from winning a third average title but she still finished second in the average in a time of 141.18 on 10 runs. WPRA photo by Kenneth Springer
12 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
arrived at the Wrangler NFR this year, she was ready. She and Benny placed in eight rounds, winning the seventh. She collected just shy of $226,000 over that week and a half in the Nevada desert and finished third in the race for the Ram Top Gun Award, which went to bull rider Ky Hamilton for having the most earnings of any contestant in a single event. She also surpassed the $1 million mark in NFR earnings. She has now won $1,154,788 and is currently fourth on that list that is led by Lockhart with $1,712,318, Sherry Cervi with $1,279,547 and Hailey Kinsel with $1,158,060. Over the course of her stellar career – three pages of the WPRA media guide are dedicated to her – Pozzi Tonozzi has had many supporters, from her parents and sister to the many sponsors that have graced her presence. That list keeps growing, and there may be no bigger cornerstone to what she does than her husband, Garrett, and their 6-year-old daughter, Tinlee. “Garrett’s a huge part of what we’re doing,” she said of her team- roping husband. “He’s been there and done that and understands every aspect of rodeo; he understands every aspect of winning and losing. To have somebody like that on your team, how can you go wrong? “A lot of people act like they want to be in your position or that they know what you’re feeling and they know how the game is played, but he truly does because he’s been there himself. That’s huge. When I wanted to go home after Dodge City (in August), he knew what was
you could go like that all the time when you go out there. That’s not necessarily the case, but I definitely did enjoy it while it lasted.” Just trying to qualify for the Wrangler NFR can be stressful. Fortunately, Pozzi Tonozzi is a veteran with two decades of experiences. She first qualified for the championship in 2003 and has finished up and down the money list. This past season, she collected wins at 17 ProRodeos, with big-money titles in Puyallup and Ellensburg, Washington; Caldwell, Idaho; Reno, Nevada; Dodge City, Kansas; Odessa, Texas; Salt Lake City; and the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede. She also surpassed the $3 million in career earnings which now stands at $3,348,160. “Calgary’s the one that I really look back on, because it’s so cool,” she said. “They treat you like royalty up there.” Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi has stated in the past that she doesn’t let herself think about a gold buckle until at least the eighth round of the Wrangler NFR, so it was a bit ironic that it was during this year’s eighth round that she mathematically clinched her third world title. WPRA photo by Kenneth Springer
It was also her first Stampede title after all these years of competing in the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.” How did she accomplish all this and set records? “The horses we had were the game-changer,” Pozzi Tonozzi said. “The horses I got to ride were outstanding; I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t ride a whole lot of young horses, which a lot of time I’m on young horses. I got to run a bunch of seasoned veterans. “Well … I had to season Benny a little bit, but after that, he got into the grove of things. It was just like clockwork. It’s nice to show up and know you have a chance to win something.” Confidence defines her and her career. Even on her down years, Pozzi Tonozzi was always a threat. When she
on the line and he knew that I could win, that I could break the record. He pushed me to stay out there, and he came home and ran things at home, and we don’t have just a little operation here at home. It’s a big one, and he took care of it because it was the best thing for me.” It may have been the best thing for ProRodeo. Traveling across North America with Tinlee by her side has been fruitful, not only for Pozzi Tonozzi and her husband, but also for their child. The rodeo trail is all she’s ever known, and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to slow down now. “Tinlee loves it,” her mom said. “She loves going. She loves taking her pony and riding at the rodeos and running at Steamboat (Springs, Colorado). It’s not hard at all for her, and that’s good.” It’s also good for Pozzi Tonozzi, who will cherish her third gold buckle for a long time. In a twist of fate during the 10th round of the NFR, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Lisa Lockhart, who have competed in 17 NFRs, would finish the season 1-2. For Pozzi Tonozzi she was in the drivers seat for the world title when she landed in Vegas but Lockhart winning the average and finishing as the reserve champion was not determined until the totals were tallied on December 16 in Las Vegas. WPRA photo by Kenneth Springer
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi added a third gold buckle to her trophy case but making it even more special than the previous two was getting to celebrate the victory with her husband Garrett Tonozzi and their daughter Tinlee. WPRA photo by Kenneth Springer
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 WPRA NEWS 13
2023 WRANGLER NFR ROUND BY ROUND By Ann Bleiker, Photos by Kenneth Springer
utilized it so was very determined tonight to use it to the best of my ability,” stated the Oelrichs, South Dakota cowgirl. “I try to not put too much pressure on it as it is definitely best to be on top of the ground, but it has proven you can also win at the bottom of the ground. So, I tried not to overthink it but tried to utilize it.”
WINN WINS ROUND 1 OF THE 2023 WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO It was a winning night for Sissy Winn at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the first round on December 8, 2023. After a postponed campus of UNLV on Wednesday, December 6 the 2023 edition kicked off in fine fashion. Being 11th on the ground in a round that saw lots of downed barrels Winn and A R Dash Ta Flame “Scoop” took care of business laying down a 13.71 second run to get her first-round win at the “Super Bowl of Rodeo.” “I am just so excited. I had a good feeling about tonight on Scoop, but I didn’t think it was going to be No. 1,” stated Winn after her victory lap. “Last year was my rookie year here at the NFR and I definitely let those nerves get to me. I had all these plans in my mind. This year we were going for it.” Winn knocked No. 1 barrel racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi off the top of the leaderboard for the round. Pozzi Tonozzi aboard Jets Top Gun “Benny” was first out on the ground and set the pace with a 13.75 second run. HILLMAN BROUGHT THE HEAT ON NIGHT NO. 2 AT THE WRANGLER NFR first round on Thursday, December 7, following the tragic shooting on the
Lockhart was aboard Promise Me Fame Guys “Levee” owned by Teton Ridge and the 7-year-old gelding gave his jockey a quick ride around the cloverleaf pattern inside the Thomas and Mack. Lockhart has brought some great ones to Las Vegas so we asked her what makes Levee so special in this pen. “Consistency and he loves his job,” stated Lockhart about Levee. “He wants to do the same thing every time so that takes the guess work out of it as a jockey. When you know you just have to do your job and they are going to do theirs and you can count on that team effort it gives you so much confidence.” Lockart and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi have each qualified for rodeo’s “super bowl” 17 times and they too were impressed with the tight race in the second round of action. “Brittany and I were talking about it in the warm-up pen and how tough it was and the toughest we have ever seen,” noted Lockhart. “It was astronomical how it could really be that tight.” WINN BACK TO HER WINNING WAYS ON NIGHT NO. 4
The WPRA barrel racers put on a show during the second round. From top to bottom it was a race to the finish and eight-time NFR qualifier Stevi Hillman took the victory lap on Saturday night. Hillman was aboard Sand in My Socks “Sandi” and they stopped the clock in
Sissy Winn went back to what got her to the winner’s circle on the first night of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge and it landed her back in the winner’s circle for the second time. Winn of Chapman, Texas, made her first NFR appearance in 2022 and that
13.62 seconds narrowly edging NFR rookie Summer Kosel with a 13.63-second run. Hillman of Granbury, Texas was 10th out on the ground which seemed to suit the duo just fine. “That round was really tough, and I didn’t leg lift last night and it cost me some money,” stated Hillman of Granbury, Texas. “Tonight, I just focused on riding square and that mare took care of me. “It is just so fun to run with that kind of competition and I am grateful to be here (in the winner’s circle).” Times in this round ranged from 13.62 to 13.91, Sissy Winn was only one outside that with two downed barrels. FAN FAVORITE LISA LOCKHART GETS RD 3 WIN AT WRANGLER NFR Third round and some high school classmates from Montana were the good luck charm for Lisa Lockhart who got the victory lap on Sunday night. Lockhart, who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 17 straight years took advantage of being the first runner out and she set the bar high with a quick 13.51 second run. “Honestly I have been top of the ground before and actually not
experience is paying dividends for both her and her horse A R Dash Ta Flame “Scoop.” During the fourth round they stopped the clock in a time of 13.50 seconds, the fastest yet of this year’s rodeo. “I rode like I did the first night,” stated Winn after capturing her second round win. “I went back to the basics and just watched that first run over and over again. I watched a lot of runs that I ran small pens on him. The last two nights, I was just getting too tense and working too hard to make it clean. It went together tonight.” Winn picked up another cool $30,706 to move her NFR earnings to $71,413. Only No. 1 barrel racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi has won more NFR money thus far this year with $77,851. The other big news of the night was that 17-time NFR qualifier Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi surpassed the $1 million mark in NFR earnings alone with a second place finish on night No. 4. She now joins the NFR $1 million Club that includes Lisa Lockhart, Sherry
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Cervi and Hailey Kinsel. She has won $1,0006,704 and is destined to add to that total over the course of the next six rounds. She is also on the brink of setting a new all-time season earnings record in the WPRA as she is now just $2,286 away from that. She sits No. 1 with $348,415 and the record is held by reigning world champion Hailey Kinsel with $350,700 set in 2018. SUMMER KOSEL BROUGHT THE HEAT IN THE FIFTH ROUND OF THE WRANGLER NFR Summer Kosel, who
never been to before, it is tough and something even Chongo had to work hard for. She was doing it pretty effortlessly and gave me confidence to stay on her.” Round six was held at 10 a.m. PST as the make-up round for the postponed Thursday, December 7 night performance due to the shooting that happened on the campus of UNLV on December 6 during contestant grand entry rehearsal. This was Beisel’s third time in her career to win the sixth round at the NFR. Her first coming when the NFR moved to Arlington, Texas, for 2020 due to COVID, the second time in 2022 and now another historic sixth round in 2023. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi who leads the world and average made a horse change for the sixth round and she brought her 12-year-old mare Babe On The Chase “Birdie” down the alleyway. Although they didn’t place in the round, Birdie turned in a safe run to keep Pozzi Tonozzi atop the average leaderboard with 82.17 seconds on six runs. POZZI TONOZZI ON BRINK OF THIRD WORLD TITLE, GETS ROUND 7 WIN
is competing in her first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, brought the heat during the fifth round turning in the fastest time thus far of the 2023 edition. Firewaterfrenchfame better known as Apollo stopped the clock in a time of 13.42 seconds as the first
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, the No. 1 WPRA barrel racer in the world, has been patiently waiting to make her way to the winner’s circle at the 2023 Wrangler NFR. The wait is over.
runner out on Tuesday night. Last week, Apollo was voted as the Scoti Flit Bar Rising Star Award winner and the 8-year-old bay gelding showed the sold-out crowd just how good he is. “It is pretty amazing,” said Kosel, who hails from Glenham, South Dakota, when asked what her first NFR win felt like. “Tonight, I just stayed out of his and God’s way and it worked out. It just came together. Apollo is pretty amazing.” With the win Kosel adds $30,706 to her 2023 earnings which will go a long way in buying Christmas presents for her four children ages 17, 13, 12 and 8. “When I made it here, I made up my mind I was going to have fun,” stated Kosel about what her first experience at the NFR has been like. “The hard work was over, and we made it here. Everyone asking me for a game plan, and I said, ‘anytime I have had a game plan it has never gone well.’ I just wing it and live on a prayer, and we just send it every run.” While Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi has yet to visit the winner’s circle she continues to remain in the NFR news. A day after surpassing the $1 million mark in NFR earnings alone, during the fifth round she finished second in a time of 13.58 seconds to set a new all-time WPRA season earnings record with $372,683. The old record was set in 2018 by current world champion Hailey Kinsel with $350,700. Pozzi Tonozzi still leads the average race in a time of 68.27 seconds on five runs. She is not only looking to add her third gold buckle to her trophy case but also a third NFR average title. Her previous average titles came in 2006 and 2007 and previous world titles were 2007 and 2009. BEISEL AND LIZA GET THE WIN IN HISTORIC ROUND 6 AT THE WRANGLER NFR
Pozzi Tonozzi and Jets Top Gun “Benny” stopped the clock in 13.47 seconds to win the seventh round and move ever so close to mathematically clinching her third world title.
“We finally got a go-around win,” stated Pozzi Tonozzi after Rd. 7. “Benny and I have been very patiently winning second. They got the ground worked up really good for tonight and it was fast.” The Lampasas, Texas, cowgirl leads the average in a time of 95.64 seconds on seven runs and has now surpassed the $400,000 mark in season earnings with $403,389 the most of any barrel racer ever in the 75-year history of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. “I am just excited to have a little room to breathe,” said Pozzi Tonozzi. “I think I am far enough ahead that I have the deal sealed and now it is time to just go have fun.” Pozzi Tonozzi is making her 17th appearance at the Wrangler NFR. Her first coming in 2003 when she also came in as the No. 1 barrel racer her rookie year. She is only $14,150 from clinching her third title. A third-round finish or better during the eighth round will do it and she has said in the past one doesn’t start thinking about a world title until the eighth round. Tune in on Thursday night to see how the story unfolds. “That would be amazing to come in and be so dominate, to win a go round, win the average, and win the world that is definitely another goal that I would like to reach,” noted Pozzi Tonozzi when talking about leading the average as well and trying to get that third average title along with third world title. It was Military night on Wednesday night and each of the Top 15 ladies was riding for Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent. This is a program known as Honor Tags For Heroes and has been a unique program to the WPRA for the last eight years. BARREL RACERS TURNED UP THE HEAT IN RD. 8, POZZI TONOZZI CLINCHES THIRD WORLD TITLE Things got mighty fast in the barrel racing during the eighth round of the Wrangler NFR. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, the No. 1 ranked barrel racer, set the bar high laying down a 13.34-second run aboard Jets Top Gun “Benny” as the second barrel racer out on Thursday night. That was the fastest run of the 2023 edition until Kassie Mowry and Force The Goodbye continued on page 36
While most have become used to seeing Emily Beisel on the grey gelding known as Chongo at the Wrangler NFR she made headlines on Wednesday morning, December 13, at the Wrangler NFR with a round win on Ivory On Fire known as Liza. Liza is a 7-year-old mare
that carried Beisel to the Governor’s Cup Championship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the end of the season and has proven she belongs on Beisel’s A-team. Following the first performance Beisel’s main mount Chongo came down with an infection and has been recovering while Liza has stepped up in rockstar fashion. “She hasn’t given me a reason to get off of her and it is allowing Chongo more time to recover,” said Beisel. “She has been placing… to get fourth in three rounds out here especially in a place she has
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 WPRA NEWS 15
SWEET SUCCESS Boisjoli-Meged Adds Gold Buckle With Record Breaking Year By Ted Harbin W ith her gold buckle in Montana getting the finishing touches, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged returned to her Stephenville, Texas, home and back to reality. Over two weeks in December, she and her husband
– 2019 world champion tie-down roper and a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Haven Meged – found great success in Las Vegas. She set the single-season earnings record, a Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping earnings record and her first world title; he added another Wrangler National Finals Rodeo aggregate championship, setting a Thomas & Mack Center arena record in the process. In fact, the arena record was set on Shelby’s horse For Goodness Shakes “Lil Punch,” a six-year old sorrel gelding. Together, they earned nearly $250,000 in Sin City. It’s a bit unbelievable, even to the two people who accomplished it, but reality is far from glamourous. “We got home, and we had mice in the house, so we spent all night just cleaning and scrubbing,” Boisjoli-Meged said with a laugh. “Haven said, ‘What does it feel like to be a world champion?’ I was like, ‘Well, I just spent the last three hours of my life scrubbing up mouse poop, so can you ask me tomorrow?’ “We ask each other every day how it feels, and neither of knows if it fits in just yet.” That may be the only crappy situation for the two in December, but it’ll be a memory they’ll have with them as they look at their 2023 trophies and accolades, of which they have many. Through the regular season, Boisjoli-Meged’s first introduction into the WPRA record book came with $164,549 in regular season earnings, the first earnings mark that proves how much breakaway roping has grown since it catapulted onto the traditional-rodeo scene four years ago. The next was her single-season earnings mark of $197,706. Finally, she roped $33,157 at the breakaway finals, another new earnings standard.
“I’ve tried a couple of times to make a social media post about all this, and I honestly just don’t know what to say,” she said. “This was probably one of the coolest years ever, and to top it off, we got an offer on our house that we’ve been trying to sell forever. “Between getting married, having a fairytale season, Haven and I both had an awesome finals in Vegas and now our house is selling, this will be a very hard year to top.” While Boisjoli-Meged dominated the season, including the two- day championship at the South Point Equestrian Center, her husband made his own headlines across town at his fifth NFR. He won his second average title – Meged also won the aggregate championship in 2019, the year he became just the second Tie-Down Roping Resistol Rookie of the Year to win a gold buckle – and added an arena-record, 6.4-second run to win the seventh round. He had plenty of motivation after watching his bride of six months showcase her talents just prior to the NFR’s start. After the final round of the breakaway finals was complete, the Megeds sat atop a panel and awaited her turn in the arena to celebrate that coveted world championship. As the cowboy jumped down and walked toward the gate to get an unobstructed view of his wife’s saddle and buckle, he hollered, “Don’t cry.” It didn’t help. Of course, he admitted, he “bawled like a baby” when he won rodeo’s gold four years before, and his wife followed suit on Dec. 6. “It’s been one of those things where my whole family was there, which was special to me,” Boisjoli-Meged said, who plans to switch to Shelby Meged on January 1 for the rodeo record books. “We lost my uncle two years ago, so my grandparents haven’t been able to really come watch the finals, but they were there this year. I also went through a lot of stuff at the National Finals in 2021 dealing with Shelby Boisjoli-Meged dominated the season and also the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. She not only set a new season earnings record but also an NFBR earnings record collecting $33,157 during 10 rounds of competition. WPRA photo by Rodeobum.com (James Phifer)
Shelby Boisjoli-Meged didn’t let the gold buckle slip through her hands in 2023. She set a new single season earnings record with $197,706 to capture her first world title. WPRA photo by Rodeobum.com (James Phifer)
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the home of their dreams and moved. They were hoping to sell their previous home soon, but it took a few months and came to fruition in time to celebrate Christmas and the new year. Roping talent is something both share, but they also understand the need for excellent horsepower. Boisjoli-Meged has that with No Wimpy Turns, an 8-year-old sorrel mare she calls Onna, the two-time (2021 and 2023) Nutrena Horse of the Year presented by the AQHA. “Since we got home, I’ve just been spoiling my mare and giving her a few days off,” she said. “I would not have been able to do any of it this year without her. I think I have to credit all of it to her, and I’m still waiting on the right words to come. It’s just so crazy.” Through each rodeo, through each run – even the runs where she had no success – there was constant support. Whether it came from her husband, her parents, her sisters or other friends and family members, Boisjoli-Meged knew where to turn when she needed it. “Haven is just one of those people where if he says he’s going to do something, he does it and makes it happen,” she said. “He’s really just a doer. When you have somebody like that in your corner and they tell you you’re going to do something, you have so much confidence. They make you believe that you’re going to do it when they tell you you’re going to do it. “My parents have been there with me while I was growing up and helping me, but he’s been there through all the recent struggles the last four years. He’s been there through every practice, every horse I rode, every horse I trained. He’s been there through all of it, and he’s just been able to see me grow as a competitor.” The break from competition will be short-lived. Whether it’s cleaning up mouse poop left while they were playing their games at the highest level or training horses or practicing for the next event, it’s time to go back to work. “We pulled in at 7:30 in the morning and both took a quick nap, then by 1 o’clock in the afternoon, we were back outside getting all of our futurity horses ready for the Gold Buckle Futurities event we’re hosting in Belton (Texas),” Boisjoli-Meged said of the late- December roping. “It’s been right back into our crazy, busy lives all over again. “It’s been nice to get out of Vegas and get away from all that and just get grounded again.” Shelby Boisjoli-Meged is grounded in gold.
In May, Haven Meged put a ring on Shelby Boisjoli’s finger at their wedding and in December he helped his bride put on her new gold buckle following a record-breaking year. Shelby plans to officially change her name to Shelby Meged in January but knew how much it would mean to her family to have her maiden name Boisjoli in the record books. WPRA photo by Rodeobum.com (James Phifer)
other things, so to have my whole family there and all the people that have really helped me get there meant a lot to me. “My parents did everything they could to help me growing up. My dad taught me how to rope. My grandpa taught me how to rope. My uncle who passed away taught me pretty much everything I know about horses. My grandparents on my mom’s side have helped me, and my sisters were there. It was so emotional, because I was just looking back to where I came from and seeing all those people sitting right there had helped me so much. “The Boisjoli last name … I know how much it meant for my family to have a world title for the Boisjolis.”
Shelby Boisjoli-Meged came into the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping sporting the No. 1 back number and she left with the gold. From getting married to winning the world it will be one she will not forget. WPRA photo by Rodeobum.com (James Phifer)
In about a month, that Montana Silversmiths gold buckle will arrive at the Megeds’ home, and it will be engraved with her name. It’s hers to keep, and it’s the perfect symbol for a year that will go down in history. “Probably the one rodeo that stands out to me was Caldwell, Idaho,” Boisjoli-Meged said. “It was pretty cool, because Haven and I both won first at that rodeo. Previously, we haven’t had a good experience at Caldwell, and then for us to come back and be able to both win first gave us a chance to turn a bad memory into a good memory.” Finding success in rodeo isn’t easy for anybody. There were plenty of distractions along the way. They were married in May, then found
In 2019, Haven Meged won his first world title in the tie-down roping and nearly won another in 2023 to match is wife Shelby’s. Haven did make headlines setting a new arena record in a time of 6.4 seconds aboard Shelby’s horse Lil Punch inside the Thomas and Mack. Rodeo’s power couple will no doubt cherish their gold buckles for years to come. WPRA photo by Rodeobum.com (James Phifer)
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