Unexpected Australian Raised Barrel Horse Turns Heads at Rodeo Houston With Wins

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi has been winning for a long time with many different equine partners.
Rodeo Houston is a really big stage and when you see a well known competitor on a different horse, you wonder who he is.

Cashin In The Fame, “Bobby”, started his barrel racing journey in Australia with Montana O’Donoghue-Kent.

Bobby was purchased as a yearling solely because of his bloodlines. He is by Seconds Ta Fame and out of one of the best barrel horses that Australia has to offer, ‘Savas Miss Kayaotoe’.

O’Donoghue’s family is not estranged to barrel horses and training. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and has trained and ridden horses her whole life.

Every milestone in Bobby’s career has been through the time, dedication, and hard work of this family.

Flashback real quick to the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyo in 2013. After the exciting experience that O’Donoghue had, she knew she had to get back to the states at some point to further her barrel racing career and knowledge.

It took a few years before she was able to save up enough money and acquire a sports visa for the U.S., but by February of 2022 the move to Busby Quarter Horses in Brock, TX would happen. The amount of knowledge and help she acquired through that experience is unmatched.

After living and working there for a few months, it was time to get Bobby to the states. A very large cargo plane would take him from Australia to Chicago and then he was driven down to Texas.

Busby Quarter Horses was a life changing experience before anything around Rodeo Houston ever happened. In 2023 O’Donoghue would go to the NFR with Pozzi-Tonozzi to help her and they ended up building quite the friendship.

Montana at the NFR with Brittany and Beni — Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Montana at the 2023 NFR | Montana O’Donoghue-Kent

When 2024 rolled around mutual friends would suggest Lakenn Bice should jump on Bobby at Houston. The team ended up placing in two rounds. For the rest of the year O’Donoghue and her trusted horse would go to the few rodeos they could as their time was fairly limited.

By the end of 2024, her visa was expiring and it was time for her to move back home. The difficult decision was made to sell Bobby and give him the opportunity to become the champion she knew he could be.

A good friend, Molly Harper, had already been on Bobby previously and was looking for a horse to college rodeo on this upcoming year. Tamara Walker, Molly's mother, is the new owner, but O'Donoghue says that they are like family and she gets frequent updates and knows he is in the best care.

Until the college rodeos start this fall Bobby will remain with Pozzi-Tonozzi at Conquer Equine in Lampasas, TX.

“For years I have always said ‘Man, I wish Britt would run Bobby somewhere.’ I always knew he had more in the tank and a jockey like her could get it out of him,” said O’Donoghue. Well, Rodeo Houston 2025 has so far been a dream come true.

Pozzi-Tonozzi and Bobby won their first two rounds as well as their set and will be moving onto the semi-finals.

Australia has officially been put on the map with the caliber of horse that viewers are seeing at Rodeo Houston. The rodeo world is constantly growing and talent can come from anywhere in the world. That has been proven.

Montana and Bobby before the move to the US | Montana O'Donoghue-Kent

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