Monk Wins Big at Breeder's Challenge Despite Malfunction Mid-Run

The Breeders Challenge in Fort Worth paid over $1 million to barrel racers this weekend. The winners included a 9 year old, NFR winners and handy cowboy who had a tack malfunction.

Hundreds of barrel racers ran in Fort Worth, TX this weekend at the Breeders Challenge Finals where over $1 million was paid out. 

This exclusive event had six qualifiers throughout the year for horses by a select number of stallions.

The first night was the Breeders Challenge High Stakes race, where nine-year-old Dusky Lynn Hall clocked a time of 15.454 and banking $9,902. She was jockeying the gorgeous palomino, Ain't Seen Famous Yet (Sired by Ain't Seen Nothin Yet out of A Nasty Chick). They ran the fastest time of the entire weekend and two years prior Ain't Seen Famous Yet also clocked the fastest time at the Breeders Challenge Finals with Amelia McCumber.

Hall was seen earlier this spring running at Globe Life for the American Semi Finals. This mini cowgirl is only getting started!

In the Derby finals, Kassie Mowry (Multiple National Finals Rodeo qualifier) was champion on Force The Goodbye (Sired by The Goodbye Lane out of VF Forcit First) and Reserve Champion on CP He Will Be Epic (Sired by Epic Leader out of Percilla). She collected a total of $78,625 in the finals race between the two geldings. 

Although this money does not count towards NFR standing, Mowry is sitting third in the world overall to go to Las Vegas this December with her rodeo earnings. 

DaCota Monk and TNR WannaSeeMyCanCan (Sired by Eddie Stinson out of Chase This Ivory) / Whitney Shoop with Shoop Shots Photography

Finally in the Futurity finals DaCota Monk turned in a blazing fast time of a 15.797 aboard TNR WannaSeeMyCanCan (Sired by Eddie Stinson out of Chase This Ivory) and pocketed $78,200. Monk qualifed 6 total horses to the Breeders Challenge Finals and winning the futurity on one of them was an incredible accomplishment. 

Not only did Monk win it but he won it even with a tack malfunction mid-run. As he was turning the second barrel one side of his reins broke off. He had to navigate his horse around second, to and around third then race back to the alley across the timer all with only one rein. 

This would be like driving a race car without brakes and a broken steering wheel but this didn't phase Monk, who trains some phenomenal horses. He won around $90,000 the entire weekend as well as a whole stash of awards.

It was also neat to see the number one cowgirl in the world standings, Brittany Pozzi Tonozi, switch from rodeos to barrel futurities for the weekend and win Reserve Champion in the Futurity finals. Tonozi was jockeying Tres Chasin Babe PZ (Sired by Tres Seis out of Babe On The Chase) and won $47,600.