Rodeo Daily

Barrel Horse Trainer Wins Nearly $200,000 at Pink Buckle Futurity

One of the highest-paying futurity events of the entire year can completely change a trainer's life.
Teal Stoll|
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The 2025 Pink Buckle at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., boasts an incredible $925,000 2D Futurity. Huge checks were awarded October 5-12, with a guaranteed minimum payout of $4.2 million. The exclusive race is for offspring by stallions paid into this incredible incentive.

Pink Buckle Futurity

Round 1 went to a familiar set of names from this futurity season. Lora Nichols and Blissful Version (Winners Version x Blissful Bay x Brookstone Bay) rounded the pattern with a 16.864 for the $35,000 total payout. Nichols has stated in interviews that "Buddy" has placed in the 1D at every futurity she has taken him to this year, from Arizona to Washington to Oklahoma, and everywhere in between.

With one of the fastest times ever recorded at the Pink Buckle, Ceri Ward and GamblingSlick (Slick By Design x HMB Soon ToBe Famous x Dash Ta Fame) absolutely dominated Round 2. With a lightning fast 16.558, they took the win by nearly a full tenth of a second. Ward explained in an interview with Amy Wilson on the EQN Sports Desk that the Lazy E Arena has played a huge role in her success as a trainer.

Ward and GamblingSlick also claimed the Average win for $70,000. The duo placed fifth in Round 1, for total futurity earnings of $117,250. They also swept the Sale Grad Futurity for another $30,000. Adding to their earnings with Open 1D and Open 1D Owner/Rider wins, the duo unofficially banked over $196,000 at the event.

Young Guns League Futurity

A new addition to the Pink Buckle barrel race just last year, the Young Guns League (YGL) was designed to specifically highlight junior stallions. With a unique set of criteria, stallions age out of the program and their offspring are no longer eligible for the race, making room for more junior sires to move into those positions.

Another 2025 standout, Wonder If Im Lucky (Lucky Wonder Horse x TS Sunnys Superstar x PC Mr Sun Peppy) and Heidi Gunderson topped Round 1 with a 16.902. Finishing second in the round was another horse we have talked about this year, Wolverrine, ridden by Kit Johnson.

Ashley Schafer rode HP Hotrod (Dash Ta Fame x Rods Last Ladybug x Sharp Rodney) to the Round 2 win with a 17.015.

In the Average, it was Gunderson and Wonder If Im Lucky claiming another major title for their great year, finishing as the Futurity Champions.

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Teal Stoll
TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.

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