Rodeos
World champion at last
By Johnna Espinoza, ProRodeo.com
Jan 11, 2008, 07:43

Her plan worked. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr came into the 49th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with roughly a $50,000 lead over the field after a record-breaking regular season. The Victoria, Texas, barrel racer then maintained first place by winning the Wrangler NFR average title for the second straight year.

Pozzi-Pharr made 10-of-10 runs cleanly and placed in eight of 10 rounds. In fact, ‘Ms. Consistent’ has not knocked over a barrel in her last 22 runs at the Wrangler NFR, dating back to the eighth round in 2005. She spent the day before Round 10 imagining a perfect run and kept her mind focused on her theme of ‘don’t hit a barrel.’

All the focus and preparation paid off, as Pozzi-Pharr became the Professional Women’s Barrel Racing Barrel Racing World Champion aboard AQHA/PWBR Barrel Racing Horse of the Year Stitch, .

“It feels pretty good,” she said. “I’ve worked hard for it, and it’s taken a while. It’s definitely got a lot of road miles and a lot of work in it. We may not have had the fastest runs, but we were definitely the most consistent”

Pozzi-Pharr, a four-time Wrangler NFR qualifier, was runner-up last year to 2006 World Champion Mary Burger despite winning the average.

Pozzi-Pharr said she has put last year behind her and is focused on winning in general, not just at the Wrangler NFR, but year-round.

“I’m not a very good loser,” Pozzi-Pharr said. “I’ve won so much that it really bothers me not to get something won.”

Lindsay Sears of Nanton, Alberta, and her mare, Martha, made a run at Pozzi-Pharr’s lead. Sears won five rounds, $119,255 and by all accounts had a stellar Wrangler NFR, but still only closed to within only $28,916 because of the Pozzi-Pharr’s steady performance in Las Vegas.

Pozzi-Pharr did not win a round, but she stayed close to the top. Among the highlights, she placed second in Round 1 and third in Rounds 4 and 7.

Demonstrating a strong will to win, Pozzi-Pharr’s fastest time came in Round 10. She stopped the clock in 13.93 seconds. It was a fourth-place time, but she collected $6,875 to add to her total and clinch the gold buckle.

Her total time on 10 runs was 140.18 seconds – nearly one second ahead of the field. The advantage was significant, considering the relatively small pattern and talented field.

She earned $42,043 for winning the average to bring her Wrangler NFR total to $95,192.

“This is the most I’ve ever won here,” Pozzi-Pharr said. “I’ve always come here with a bad feeling, and now I can come here next year with a good feeling.”

The other barrel racers pushed hard to close the gap on Pozzi-Pharr, but she stayed out of reach at the Wrangler NFR, helped by impressive wins at large-purse rodeos throughout the year.

Pozzi-Pharr crossed the United States in 2007 and finished first at numerous rodeos, including Denver, Tucson, Ariz., Clovis, Calif., Fort Worth, Texas, Cheyenne, Wyo., and Dallas, along with collecting paychecks at several other rodeos.

Stitch never seemed to be off his game, whether running in indoor or outdoor arenas and at small or big rodeos.

Pozzi-Pharr entered the Wrangler NFR with a single-season earnings record of $164,521 and kept going to the pay window thanks to her skills and Stitch’s heart.

“There’s obviously not very many of them,” said Pozzi-Pharr about her award-winning horse. “He has stayed on top of his game all year, no matter if I’ve given him rest or not. He’s come (to the Wrangler NFR) and placed in rounds, where last year, he wasn’t even placing at all in the rounds. He placed in every round but two.”

The improved, and now championship skills, of Stitch and Pozzi-Pharr should make them contenders in the future as well.

“It’s just amazing, and I hope next year can be as good as this one,” said Pozzi-Pharr, who finished with a single-season barrel racing earnings record of $259,713.

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