Top Trainers Paving Road for the Potential 2025 Barrel Futurity Stand-Outs

The BFA $uper $takes and OKC Slot Race offer first-time futurity horses the opportunity to win big. These high-stakes races require riders to bet on one horse. With no previous track record, riders' pick for these races becomes the talk of the town.

$uper $takes Contestants' briefcases / Barrel Futurities of America Facebook

The barrel horse futurities continue to become more lucrative. The new futurity season begins Nov. 15, 2024. Barrel horses differ from other disciplines in the sense that both 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds are eligible to compete in futurities throughout the year. This means that barrel horses begin their futurity year on November 15 as either a 3-year-old or 4-year-old and compete the following year as either a 4-year-old or 5-year-old.

Two futurities mark the beginning of the new futurity year: the BFA World Championship Futurity and OKC Futurity of BBR. These events offer two high-stakes races for first-time futurity horses.

The BFA $uper $takes limits itself to 60 slots for coming 4-year-olds only. With the entry fee for the $uper $takes totals $5,000, the winner takes home a coveted prize of $100,000 at BFA.

The OKC Slot Race allows 40 spots for both coming 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds who have not competed before Nov. 15. Last year's Slot Race winner pocketed $95,000.

The National Cutting Horse Association limits exhibitors to two horses, and the National Reining Horse Assocation allows for three horses per rider. While barrel racing allows for riders to enter as many as they choose in open futurity; riders can only choose one horse for the BFA/BBR. This makes top rider's pick for the $uper $takes and Slot Race the uproar of the industry.

This piece provides a preview of the 2025 futurity horses from the barns of the top five 2023 futurity riders and previous winners of the BFA's $100,000.

EquiStat's 2023 Top Barrel Racing Riders - Futurity Only

1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi

Earnings: $675,964
2025 Futurity Horses: Four 3 year-olds and one 4 year-olds
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Yes;

2. Dacota R Monk

Earnings: $403,484
2025 Futurity Horses: Four 3 year-olds and five 4 year-olds
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Yes; Dacota says he plans to run something at both BFA and BBR!

3. Caroline E Boucher

Earnings: $308,924
2025 Futurity Horses: Three 3-year-olds and three 4-year-olds
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Yes; Caroline says "[she has] two 3-year-olds looking like they could be super stakes prospects, and the owners of both are willing and excited."

4. Ashley Nelson Schafer

Earnings: $253,422
2025 Futurity Horses: Three 3-year-olds and five 4-year-olds
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Pending and yes; Ashley says she definitely plans to run at BBR, but she is not sure about BFA yet.

5. Ceri C McCaffery Ward

Earnings: $227,663
2025 Futurity Horses: Six 3-year-olds and four 4-year-olds
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Yes; Ceri says she plans to run something at both BFA and BBR!

Past BFA $uper $takes Champions

6. Elaina McKinney

Stats: 2023 Champion - TJR Malibu Eddie
2025 Futurity Horses: Four 3-year-olds
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Elaina hopes to have her horses ready for the BFA Juvenile.

7. Ashley Peterson

Stats: 2022 Champion - Ain't Seen A Love Man
2025 Futurity Horses: One 3-year old (who happens to be a full sibling to the 2022 BFA $uper $takes Champion)
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Ashley says "[She is] undetermined on the super stakes right now." She plans to "start pushing her a bit more now and see how she is clocking and go from there!"

8. Lesile Willis

Stats: 2021 Champion - Im Gunnin For Ya; 2019 Champion - The Midnite Express
2025 Futurity Horses: Lesile's approach looks different from other trainers. She starts the year with a larger amount of horses and culls them throughout the year. Lesile started the 2024 year with 20 head in training. She still has about 15 in the barn. Her goal is to have 3 three-year-olds for the upcoming futurity year. While Lesile sells quite a few horses; she and husband Jason plan to try a different approach to 2024. Lesile says "[she is] going to send a few of [her] colts off to different trainers." The Willis' look forward to play to the role of "owners."
Q: Do you plan to run in the BFA $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Yes and pending; Copper Spring Ranch owns the slot that Lesile rides under for the BFA $uper $Stakes. Lesile says that her goal each year always includes having one prepped for Copper Spring Ranch. Lesile and Jason own their slot at the BBR Slot Race and hope to have one ready!

9. Kassi Mowry

Stats: 2020 Champion - Sand In My Socks
2025 futurity horses: Four 3-year-olds and one 4-year old
Q: Do you plan to run in the $uper $takes?*
A: Yes

10. Chris Martin

Stats: 2018 Champion - VF Leo Stinson
2025 Futurity Horses: Three 3-year-olds
Q: Do you plan to run in the $uper $takes and/or BBR Slot Race?
A: Yes; Chris says he plans to run something at both BFA and BBR and then he plans to sell the colts. Chris wants to win the BFA $uper $takes again and sees himself continuing to run at super stakes/slot races in the future. He also wants to focus his energy on other interests, such as real estate and training cow horses/ranch horses before "[he gets] too old to win!"

*Because these women are ranked high in the 2024 WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings, they were not asked if they planned to compete in the BBR Slot Race (Dec. 10-15) as it overlaps with the 2024 NFR (Dec. 5-14).