The Money Barrel

This week on The Money Barrel, we’re excited to welcome Alona James for her first appearance on the podcast. Alona is coming off an incredible Pink Buckle, where she and XF Tres Of Heroine won both the Derby and Open average and set a new Lazy E arena record with a 16.446.

But that week is just one piece of a career that includes Fort Smith futurity championships in 2005 and 2019 and many many more wins. We talk about the horses and people who helped shape her program, what she’s learned through years of training and competing, and the work behind her partnership with this talented mare. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Alona!

This week's episode is brought to you by Martin Saddlery! The Martin Saddlery team is excited to announce the launch of their new site! Be sure to check out www.martinsaddlery.com for barrel saddle tips from Ashley Schafer, Sherry Cervi, Jolene Montgomery, Joy Wargo, and more. 

Welcome to the Rundown! Your Monday morning rundown of the latest happenings in barrel racing!

Once again this year, the Rundown is brought to our listeners thanks to Chewy! Chewy is your one stop horse shop, from feed and supplements, to supplies, medications, and more! Chewy.com/equine

Our guest today is fifth generation rancher, colt starter, barrel racer, and mom - Kit Johnson. Kit’s career has taken her from starting colts and working for some of the country’s top performance horse programs to building a program of her own alongside her husband, Isaac.

Many of you will recognize Kit aboard Wolverrine, but there’s a lot that goes into their partnership before they ever head down the alley. We talk about her background, what she’s learned from starting young horses, and how working cattle—and even buffalo—fits into her barrel horse program. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Kit!

Today’s episode of The Money Barrel is brought to you by Wolverrine, standing at Solo Select Horses in Gainesville, Texas. Wolverrine made his first futurity entry a winning one, taking the title at the March Into Spring Fling in Shawnee, OK and he’s never slowed down, now with more than $137,000 earned. His 2027 breeding contracts are available now. To learn more and book your mare, visit soloselecthorses.com.

Welcome to the Rundown! Your "Monday" morning rundown of the latest happenings in barrel racing!

Once again this year, the Rundown is brought to our listeners thanks to Chewy! Chewy is your one stop horse shop, from feed and supplements, to supplies, medications, and more! Chewy.com/equine

While we were at Pink Buckle, we had the chance to sit down with Hallie Hanssen and Coleman Swanson to talk about how their programs work together. Coleman has started some of the highest-selling colts at this fall’s auctions, and we wanted to hear more about his approach to colt starting and building that foundation. Hallie joined us to share her perspective as both an owner with horses in Coleman’s program and a trainer herself—how she manages expectations as an owner, knowing firsthand what goes into the training process. A unique conversation and one we hope you enjoy! 

This week's episode is brought to you by our partners at Chewy. For a well-stocked barn through every change in season - for life with horses, there's Chewy. Shop at chewy.com/equine

Welcome to the Rundown! Your "Monday" morning rundown of the latest happenings in barrel racing!

Once again this year, the Rundown is brought to our listeners thanks to Chewy! Chewy is your one stop horse shop, from feed and supplements, to supplies, medications, and more! Chewy.com/equine

Welcome to the Rundown! Your "Monday" morning rundown of the latest happenings in barrel racing!

Once again this year, the Rundown is brought to our listeners thanks to Chewy! Chewy is your one stop horse shop, from feed and supplements, to supplies, medications, and more! Chewy.com/equine

Kathy Grimes has been a friend of The Money Barrel since the start…she was our third guest ever. Time flies and six years later we have her on again to discuss her second NFR qualification, this time on KG Just Money - who was born the year we did the first podcast in season one! This year Kathy and “Showie” have set the rodeo world on fire just a year after being one of the leading futurity teams in 2025. They set the new WPRA World Record on a standard pattern, set a new record in Columbia River Circuit history, leading the circuit with just shy of $65,000 in earnings and securing her first Columbia River Circuit Championship before circuit finals even happened! We can’t wait to watch them in the Thomas and Mack - thanks for joining us for another talk Kathy! 

This week's episode is brought to you by A Cut Above Buckles. Crafting custom pieces for more than 25 years, a Cut Above Buckles offers premium craftsmanship without the stress. Visit acutabovebuckles.com

Welcome to the Rundown! Your "Monday" morning rundown of the latest happenings in barrel racing!

Once again this year, the Rundown is brought to our listeners thanks to Chewy! Chewy is your one stop horse shop, from feed and supplements, to supplies, medications, and more! Chewy.com/equine

Welcome to the Rundown! Your "Monday" morning rundown of the latest happenings in barrel racing!

Once again this year, the Rundown is brought to our listeners thanks to Chewy! Chewy is your one stop horse shop, from feed and supplements, to supplies, medications, and more! Chewy.com/equine