2024 Nutrena Barrel Racing Horse of the Year, Presented by AQHA

By Lane Karney and Kendra Santos for The American Quarter Horse Journal

With more than $7.4 million in career earnings, Kassie Mowry is not only the winningest barrel racer of all time but also breathes the same rarified air as rodeo royals Trevor Brazile and J. B. Mauney based on money won. She rides into her fifth Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on the back of Force The Goodbye, who is the 2024 Nutrena Barrel Racing Horse of the Year, presented by AQHA. Kassie says “Jarvis” is the best horse she has ever ridden, which is quite the tall compliment coming from a cowgirl of her caliber. For the rest of this story, you might want to grab a box of Kleenex.

The fact that only about $1 million of Mowry’s career earnings have come from professional rodeo tells you where her priorities stand. Training young horses and playing the futurity game is job No. 1 for this ultra-talented Texas horsewoman. Fact is, competing at the fewest rodeos to qualify for the NFR is her calling card. Barrel racers can count 100 rodeos toward the world standings and must compete at a minimum of 25 to be eligible to qualify for Rodeo’s Super Bowl. Mowry went to just 27 rodeos during this year’s regular season. 

“The colts matter most, so it’s just not feasible for me to stay gone much more than that minimum number of rodeos,” says the 2000 National High School Rodeo Association barrel racing champ.

Kassie and “Jarvis” were spectacular at last year’s NFR, turning in the fastest time of the entire rodeo to win Round 8 in 13.80 seconds, then going back-to-back with the Round 9 win before finishing third in the 10-run average. Jarvis was just 5 at the time, mind you. 

“Jarvis is an open-minded, agreeable horse who wants to please and do whatever you want to do,” Kassie says. “Jarvis never says no, and he has the ability to go with that attitude. He’d had so much success in buildings and coliseums when I rode him at the futurities his 4-year-old year. There were bulls in the alleyway at the NFR, but he was comfortable in there, because I got to ride him in the arena before it started and show him around.”

Kassie’s fiancé and fellow horse trainer, Mike Boone, started Jarvis as a 2-year-old. Kassie took the reins the end of that 2-year-old year, then ran him at the futurities at 4. Mike starting a great one was nothing new, but he and Kassie both knew this one was something special.

“Mike was so proud of Jarvis,” Kassie says. “He told me when we were leaving Vegas last year, ‘You have to get Jarvis back to Vegas, whatever it takes. He deserves to go 10 rounds.’”

This is where this story seems written in the stars. Kassie was taking 2024 according to plan, riding her gray “Will” (CP He Will Be Epic) in the buildings and Famous Ladies Man, “Emmitt,” at the big outdoor rodeos in the summertime. But that plan -- and Kassie’s life plan -- were both derailed when Mike died suddenly and unexpectedly in an accident on June 1. And Emmitt, who’d gotten hurt at Houston in March, got sore again. 

“I only had Jarvis on my trailer to run him at the building rodeo in Nampa (Idaho),” Kassie says. “Emmitt had surgery after Houston, then time off until Reno in June. When Emmett needed to go home, I figured my year was done. On a whim, and with encouragement from friends, I gave Jarvis a chance, just to see what he’d do in a big arena outside. He won the first round at (Days of ’47 Rodeo in) Salt Lake (City) by three-tenths (of a second). He just nailed it, and changed the course of my whole year.

“After losing Mike, I was warming Jarvis up in tears. He just carried me and did it on his own. He rose to the occasion and did the best he has ever done. I had no idea how Jarvis would handle the wide-open spaces, hard ground and deep ground at the big outdoor rodeos. I just did not see this coming. He knocked it out of the park. I’m in awe of this horse.”

As are Kassie’s peers, who voted for him to receive this Horse of the Year award. 

“I’m heading to Vegas with a lot of emotions,” Kassie says. “I didn’t want to go out to the summer rodeos this year. Mike’s words leaving the NFR last year is why I did. I’m doing what I know Mike would want me to do–give Jarvis another chance at Vegas. Another chance to shine at doing what he loves. There have been meltdowns. And I don’t know if I can top last year. But it’s an incredible opportunity to run at this kind of money 10 nights in a row (this year’s 10 NFR go-rounds will pay $33,687 each, and the 10-round NFR average will be worth $86,391). I just hope I can get through it.

“There’s not one hole in this horse. It’s crazy. He’s just so solid. As a trainer, I work on horses’ weaknesses to make them better. I can’t say there’s one thing I would change about him if I could. I’ve had the privilege of swinging a leg over a lot of other people’s once-in-a-lifetime horses. This is certainly mine. Jarvis is the best horse I’ve ever ridden.”
 
There was a tie for second this year: DM Sissy Hayday, "Sister," ridden and owned by Hailey Kinsel, and DM High Roller, "Vanilla Wafer," ridden by LaTricia Duke and owned by Bravid Duke of Zephyr, Texas.

Sister is a 2011 palomino mare by PC Frenchmans Hayday and out of the Royal Shake Em mare Royal Sissy Irish. Sister was bred by Dillon Mundorf of Three Rivers, Texas. Sister was the Barrel Horse of the Year in 2018.

DM High Roller is a 2017 palomino son of French Streaktovegas and out of the Firewaterontherocks mare Happy To Run Em. Vanilla Wafer was bred by Jo and LaTricia Duke of McDade, Texas.