ProRodeo Sports News 2023 Year-End Edition
WRANGLER NFR NEWS & NOTES
Pozzi Tonozzi wins Barrel Racing title
BY PRCA STAFF B arrel racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi is now a three-time world champion. The Lampasas, Texas, cowgirl – by placing second in Round 8 with a 13.34-second run– clinched her third world title to go along with the ones she captured in 2007 and 2009. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi finished atop the standings with $496,499, a single-season barrel racing record. She finished second in the average with 141.18 seconds on 10 runs. Lisa Lockhart won the average with 137.18 seconds on 10 head. SHELBY BOISJOLI-MEGED WINS BREAKAWAY CROWN Just before the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping presented by Tito’s Vodka began, Shelby Boisjoli added her husband’s name. Now, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged will have that stamped on her new Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, a prize most honored in rodeo for a world championship season. After arriving at the South Point Equestrian Center in dominating fashion with a regular-season earnings record in her pocket, the Alberta-born cowgirl now living in Stephenville, Texas, continued to roll through the 10-round championship. In all, she placed in six rounds, including at least a share of two wins, and earned a NFBR-record of $33,157 over two days, which included a third-place check in the average. She finished the 2023 campaign with $197,706, another earnings mark. “This is the first year that I’ve dedicated my whole season to just trusting God’s plan, and I feel like that’s all I did all season,” she said. “I think that’s the reason why I’m standing right here.” Boisjoli-Meged was one of just a handful of competitors who have qualified for all four breakaway finals. She has been on the front line of the growing interest in the sport, which saw its largest crowd in the history of the NFBR during the Dec. 6 performance. That crowd saw Navajo cowgirl Danielle Lowman of Gilbert, Ariz., win three straight with a 1.9-second run to claim the top spot in the seventh round and two 1.7-second runs to win the eighth and ninth rounds. Sarah Angelone of Lipan, Texas, then matched that 1.7 in Round 10 to close out the season. Cheyanne McCartney of Kingston, Okla., won the average championship, roping nine calves in a cumulative time of 32.2 seconds. That was worth $13,866 and pushed her NFBR earnings to $26,081. ETBAUER, OHL HONORED AT NFR ICONS TRIBUTE The sport of rodeo is ingrained in the Las Vegas community. Each year, more than 170,000 fans pack the Thomas & Mack Center for 10 action packed nights of rodeo. The cowboys and cowgirls that lay it all on the line are never forgotten. That was on full display Dec. 8 at the Virgin Hotels as ProRodeo legends Cody Ohl and Billy Etbauer were honored as Vegas NFR Icons by Las Vegas Events. One of the most popular cowboys of his generation, Etbauer won five saddle bronc world titles (1992, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2004) and garners respect for both his go-for-broke style and his humility during his career that covered parts of four decades. A native of Huron, South Dakota, he was the middle brother of three world-class bronc riders. “What a cool deal this whole thing is,” said Etbauer. “You can’t say enough about what it means to you. There are a ton of people that made it possible for me to get to this point in my career. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did without Express Ranches and my rodeo family. Every time I was able to ride in Las Vegas was a blast and a blessing for me.” Etbauer qualified for the NFR in his second year as a professional in 1989. He went on to make the field a record 21 consecutive years, win
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi poses with her gold buckle and world champ- ionship saddle after earning a record-breaking $496,499 in 2023. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Click Thompson
Shelby Boisjoli-Meged won $33,157 over 10 rounds at the NFBR to clinch her first Breakaway Roping World Championship. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Jackie Jensen
ProRodeo Sports News 12/22/2023
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