One on One with Wrangler NFR Contestant 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.

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.

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.

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).