Equine Royalty on Display: Breeders Challenge Finals in Fort Worth

The Breeders Challenge Finals is coming to Fort Worth! Here's a sneak peak into what the next few days look like for the competitors and their equine athletes alike.

The Breeders Challenge is a exclusive barrel racing incentive that only selective bred horses are elgible for. There are 100 stallions in this incentive and only their offspring are able to be nominated and compete in the six qualifers nationwide. When one of those stallion's nominated offspring win money at a Breeders Challenge event it is then split up between the owner, sire and who nominated the offpsring.

In the qualifiers the top-10 from each of the Futurity and Derby, top five in each division in the open, top five in the seniors, top five in the youth and top five in the amateurs' derby qualify to compete in the finals in Fort Worth.

Between the six qualifiers and the grand finale event a total of around $2.9 million will be paid out! That is a chance at life changing money for the average barrel racer. 

Whitney Shoop with Shoop Shots Photography

Here is the schedule of events for the next few hectic days at two separate arenas. You can watch all the action on the live webcast at Breeders Challenge.

Wednesday Sep 13

7 pm John Justin Arena $5,000 added High Stakes Challenge (Two Divisions, Open to ANY horse & rider)

Thursday Sept 14

9 am at John Justin Arena Open 4D Finals (Four Divisions, 240 horses qualified, all age horses)

6 pm at Will Rogers Arena $1,000 Added Open 4D Warm Up Race (Four Divisions,Open to any horse & rider)

Friday Sep 15

8 am at John Justin Arena Derby Semi Finals (120 horses qualifed, eligible three years after their futurity year)

1 pm at John Justin Arena-Futurity Semi Finals (120 horses qualifed, four & five year old horses who have not competed prior to Nov 2022)

6 pm at Will Rogers Arena- $5,000 Added Cowtown Showdown Race 1 (Open to any horse & rider-Sidepots inlcude American Quarter Horse Association, Womens Professional Rodeo Association, American Paint Horse Association and more)

Saturday Sep 15

Noon at Will Rogers Arena- $5,000 Added Cowtown Showdown Race 2 (Open to any horse & rider-Sidepots inlcude AQHA, WPRA, APHA, Futurity, Derby, Youth, Senior and more)

1 pm at John Justin Arena- Youth Finals (Riders age 17 & under)

2 pm at John Justin Arena- Senior Finals (Riders age 50 $ up)

4 pm at John Justin Arena- Amateur Derby Finals (Riders must have won less than $40,000)

6 pm at John Justin Arena- Derby Finals (Horses are eligible for three years after their futurity year)

7 pm at John Justin Arena- Futurity Finals (four & five year old horses who have not competed prior to Nov 2022)