NFR ROUND BY ROUND continued from page 15
“Jarvis” took to the cloverleaf pattern and stopped the clock in a time of 13.30 seconds. “It just happened so fast. I hardly remember any of it, but I was just in go mode. I laid the hammer down and he just delivered,” said Mowry minutes after her first victory lap at the Wrangler NFR. “He (Jarvis) has been handling it
all-time career earnings list with $3,408,613. Cervi has $3,388,790 and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi is right on her heels with $3,284,271 now. Speaking of Pozzi Tonozzi, while the race for the world title is over there are still many accolades left to finish for her in 2023. She finished sixth during the ninth round and leads the average with 122.66 on nine runs. She only needs a 14.16-second run or better to set a new NFR average record. The old record was set in 2021 by Jordon Briggs with a total time of 136.83 seconds. Reigning world champion Hailey Kinsel has not had the finals she has become accustomed to over the last six years but on night No. 9 she finally made it to the pay window with a fourth-place finish in the round worth $12,877 after stopping the clock in 13.51 seconds aboard DM Sissy Hayday “Sister.” In fact, all three world champions in the field in 2023 picked up checks tonight with Jordon Briggs placing third, Kinsel in fourth and Pozzi Tonozzi in sixth. POZZI TONOZZI WINS THIRD WORLD TITLE, LOCKHART WINS THIRD AVERAGE TITLE Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo in Odessa, Texas, winning that rodeo for the first time in her 20-year career and ended it in Las Vegas winning her third gold buckle. “Tonight, with a downed barrel it didn’t end quite like I had hoped but what a year,” said Pozzi Tonozzi. “I don’t know how I will ever top it, but it has just been really incredible.” She set a new season earnings record after amassing $496,499 in earnings for the season. A downed barrel in the tenth round cost her reaching a half a million for the season. Despite the downed barrel in the final round, Pozzi Tonozzi still finished second in the average after Kassie Mowry and Jordon Briggs had costly barrel penalties on the final night as well. She finished with 141.18 on 10 runs. The story on the night was Lisa Lockhart not only winning the average for her third time in 17 trips to the NFR but in finishing as the reserve world champion with $343,688. Lockhart won the average in total time of 137.18 seconds on 10. “I am at a loss for words,” said Lockhart who previously won average titles in 2014 and 2016. “There was a lot that transpired in a short amount of time for all of us tonight. This is all pretty surreal right now.” Lockhart also got the round win in a time of 13.54 seconds to add another $30,706. She now sits at the top of the all-time career earnings for the WPRA with $3,510,066. Sherry Cervi is second with $3,388,790, while Pozzi Tonozzi is third with $3,348,160. In addition, Lockhart has now won $1,712,318 in NFR earnings alone. “I could never have scripted this,” continued Lockhart. “I just had all to gain and nothing to lose. So much transpired tonight and it just snowballed into something ginormous. Winning the round, average and reserve in the world was totally unexpected.” No one in the 75-year history of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association has had a more profitable year than Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi in 2023. She kicked off her 2023 campaign winning the
really well as this is just his third rodeo he has ever been to in his life. So, he is pretty green, but he acts like he is just at a regular barrel race.” Mowry is making her fourth appearance at the NFR with qualifications in 2005, 2017, 2022 and now 2023. Mowry was shocked about the performance her 5-year-old gelding turned in. “He just went in there and shocked me with that performance,” continued Mowry. “I didn’t think there was a chance of beating Brittany’s time but wow. I never dreamed I would be here on a victory lap.” Pozzi Tonozzi with a second-place finish and Emily Beisel hitting a barrel during the eighth round has now clinched her third WPRA World Title. With two rounds left she has amassed over $427,657 in earnings. “It’s surreal right now,” said Pozzi Tonozzi about clinching a third world title. “I never thought a third was going to be in the cards for me. This is another dream come true.” Pozzi Tonozzi leads the average race with 108.98 seconds on eight runs and could very easily set a new average record at the NFR. The old record was set in 2021 by Jordon Briggs with a total time of 136.83 seconds. Pozzi Tonozzi is definitely not through rewriting the record books for 2023. It is now just a matter of how many and how much when all the final figures are tabulated. MOWRY GOES BACK-TO-BACK, LOCKHART BECOMES ALL-TIME CAREER EARNINGS LEADER IN WPRA HISTORY
Kassie Mowry enjoyed her eighth-round win at the 2023 NFR so much, she decided to make a repeat appearance in the winner’s circle in the ninth round. Mowry of Dublin, Texas, and her five-year old gelding Force The Goodbye that she calls Jarvis stopped the clock in a time of 13.37 seconds to
get their second consecutive round win at the NFR. Tonight’s time was just a few ticks off the time turned in during the eighth round which was 13.30 seconds, the fastest time through nine rounds. “I am just blown away by this little horse,” said an excited Mowry following the win. “I feel like I am just there for the ride. Normally I feel like I am more of a jockey and having to help them but right now I am just giving him the reins and he is just making the right moves and I am just trying to stay out of the way.” Taking second in the round was fan favorite and 17-time NFR qualifier Lisa Lockhart who stopped the clock in a time of 13.41 seconds. She added $24,268 to her bank account but more historically she has now surpassed four-time world champion Sherry Cervi on the
36 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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