Barrel racer takes new ride to NFR

Las Vegas in December is a familiar setting for Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi.

Since she joined the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association 20 years ago, the veteran barrel racer has reached the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 17 times, with two NFR average titles and a pair of world championships to her credit.

The path to her 2023 NFR appearance just took a slightly different route.

Tonozzi’s previous runs to Las Vegas have generally featured horses she has owned and personally trained. For 2023, the native of Lampasas, Texas, utilized new equine partners owned by others to reach rodeo’s culminating event.

“Obviously, our sport is a lot about the horse. And I’ve gotten the opportunity to ride some really great horses this year that I’ve never had the opportunity to ride — which is strange for me, because usually the horses that I run are owned by me,” Tonozzi said. “But I actually rode other people’s horses all year, and the horse power has made a difference.”

The results certainly back up that claim.

Over the course of the 2023 season, Tonozzi appeared at 79 rodeos and accumulated more than $270,000 in earnings, resetting the barrel racing regular-season record for most money won. The previous mark was Tiany Schuster’s 2017 total of $250,378.

Along the way, Tonozzi won 17 rodeos, including the Cinch Playoff Series and the Calgary Stampede.

Tonozzi’s primary horses early in the year came thanks to a partnership with Andrea Busby, a fellow barrel racer and horse trainer. Busby’s duo of Benny and Pickles helped get Tonozzi off to a strong start, setting the tone for what was to come. About halfway through the schedule, Titan, a horse now owned by 70 Ranch Performance Horses, moved into the rotation, helping Tonozzi close out the regular season strong.

She also got the opportunity to ride a familiar face as Birdie — the horse she formerly owned and rode to reach some of her previous NFRs — was available.

There was a momentary concern about the transition from riding horses she trained to ones with which she had no prior connection. It didn’t last long.

“A lot of the horses I’ve ridden in the recent past have been trained by me. And all of these horses, except for Birdie, have been trained by other people,” Tonozzi said. “That was a little getting used to, and there was a little trial-and-error there. But it didn’t take long, and it was worth the wait.”

While she came to Las Vegas with nearly a $110,000 advantage in the standings, Tonozzi knows that her regular-season success can quickly be wiped away after a few rounds at the Thomas &Mack Center. In 2020, Hailey Kinsel proved that by winning more than $270,000 at just the NFR, showing that no lead, no matter how big, is safe.

Which is why Tonozzi has no intention of slowing down.

With all four horses she has previously ridden this year at her disposal, Tonozzi plans to approach the 10-day marathon like she has the entire season.

The goal is to run fast, win some money and continue the dominance she and her horses showed all year long.

It might be a different way of doing things, but for Tonozzi, the end goal remains unchanged — leave the NFR with a world title, her first since 2009.

“I’m going to go at it one night at a time and not safety up, and go have a lot of fun and enjoy these horses and enjoy the people who allowed me to ride. It started out as a team, and we’re going to end it that way,” Tonozzi said.

“I’m just looking forward to it. Vegas has been great to me and it has been awful as well. We’re going to go out there with a positive attitude and go for it every night and have fun.”