December 5-14, 2024

COUNTDOWN

Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi

Aug 14, 2020

Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi

By Johna Cravens

Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi is one of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association’s most accomplished barrel racers. She has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) 13 times. Her first NFR was in 2003, she missed qualifying in 2004, then returned nine years in a row. She missed the top 15 the next three years, returning to Las Vegas in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

2019nfr_R3_BrittanyPozziTonozzi_Clay Guardipee (1)

Just the third barrel racer ever to break $2 million in career earnings, Brittany’s earned two world championships. She’s has won the Wrangler NFR barrel racing average twice, and she’s won the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR) twice.

tonozzi family
The Tonozzi family take a minute to pose outside of the Thomas and Mack Center at the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

She and her husband, two-time Wrangler NFR team roper Garrett Tonozzi, married in 2015. He’s a Colorado native while Brittany grew up in Victoria, Texas. The couple live in Lampasas, Texas, where they have a horse breeding business. Plus, their daughter TInlee, who turned three this year, keeps them busy.

Brittany was the National High School Rodeo champion in 2002, the year before her first trip to Las Vegas to compete at rodeo’s championships. She attended college at Texas A&M University where she won a National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association regional championship and qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo.

RODEO - 2020 - The Finals, Sat, 22 Feb, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi got to make the victory lap and be greeted by fans on the rail of the arena at the 2020 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. It was a first-time win for the veteran barrel racer who grew up just a couple of hours away. San Antonio Rodeo 📸 Scott Foley.

She trains barrel racing horses and can choose her mount from several top contenders that she has bred, raised and trained. Brittany is well on her way to earning her 14th NFR berth this year. As of August 1, 2020, she had won more than $80,000 riding multiple horses and is at the top of the world standings. She got her season off to a great start in her home state of Texas winning San Angelo for the fourth time on Katniss (Ima Famous Babe) and then San Antonio for the first time while riding both Katniss and Birdie (Babe on the Chase). She also won both rounds of her bracket at Fort Worth riding Mona (KissKiss BangBang).

RODEO - 2020 - Bracket 5, RD 3 (Evening), Sun 16 Feb, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi won the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo in February for the first time riding two horses that she raised and trained. She rode Katniss (shown here) in her bracket and the semifinals, then rode Birdie for the win in the finals. San Antonio Rodeo 📸 Scott Foley.

One on One with Wrangler NFR Contestant Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi

Favorite movie: Right now, at the moment, my favorite movie is “A Star Is Born.”

Favorite current tv show: “This is Us.”

Favorite book: I like John Grisham’s books

Dogs or cats: Dogs. We have three – a Jack Russell, a Catahoula and a German Shepherd/Malinois cross.

Favorite dessert: Tiramisu

Favorite board or card game: I like to do jigsaw puzzles.

Favorite sport, other than rodeo: I have to say football. We are big Denver Broncos fans in our household.

If not rodeo, what would you be doing: I’d be training futurity horses.

Best gift ever received: I’d have to say my daughter, Tinlee.

Best childhood memory: Junior rodeoing with my family.

What superpower would you want to have: I don’t know. I guess I’d like to be able to fly for sure.

Favorite thing about Las Vegas: Just getting to run barrels in Vegas. It’s pretty amazing.

What would people be surprised to learn about you: I like to go to zoos and Sea World. I’m kind of a kid at heart when it comes to that stuff.

Best horse you’ve ever ridden: I would say Duke. I’ve had him since he was four and he’s 17 now.

How do you name your horses: We are running out of name ideas. It’s getting hard! Lately we have been naming them after Disney movie characters.

What piece of advice would you share: You’ve got to work hard every day. If you want it, you gotta work for it.

You have a day to relax between rodeos, what are you doing: Relaxing is not in my vocabulary. I’m a little bit OCD so I try to do something productive—clean the barn, clean the house, ride colts.

What belt buckle do you wear and why: I wear my gold buckle, because why wouldn’t you?

What’s the most surprising thing about being a mom: It’s a LOT of work!

You first qualified for the NFR in 2003. What’s the biggest change in 17 years? The money, for sure.

You won San Angelo for the fourth time this year and then won San Antonio. What rodeo wins are still on your bucket list? Houston, for sure. Houston and Calgary.

Follow Brittany on Facebook or Instagram

Listen to Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi on NFR Extra to talk about managing family and a thriving horse program, winning at San Angelo and San Antonio plus words of advice to grow in the rodeo industry.  Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or where ever you listen to podcasts.