Kassie Mowry set the pace during Round 1 of the 2025 NFR with a 13.66 aboard CP He Will Be Epic, earning $36,668 and defending her No. 1 position in the World Standings.

Running first on the ground at the Thomas & Mack is rarely simple, but Mowry and CP He Will Be Epic made it look controlled from the start. Their 13.66 set an immediate standard and stood through all 15 competitors, marking an important NFR breakthrough for the veteran trainer and the big gray gelding who hadn’t originally been tabbed as her Round 1 horse.

After a complicated few weeks of preparation, Mowry relied on Will’s experience and dependability indoors, delivering a run that answered every question coming into opening night.

Where’s Jarvis?

Fans expected to see Mowry aboard the horse that dominated NFR 2024 and helped clinch her first World Championship, Force The Goodbye, in Round 1. But a wild set of circumstances, and a EHV-1 outbreak that nearly put the barrel racing industry at a standstill in November changed the plans. An exposure at an event in late November meant that Jarvis was on the line of being able to compete at the NFR, and Mowry wasn’t willing to risk the health of her horses, or any other competitors’ companions to line her pockets.

“When it came down to it, the risk wasn’t worth the reward for me,” Mowry said. “And he stayed home and I came to terms with that decision and it was a lot of switching around.”

Will’s recovery

Mowry wasn’t even sure if CP He Will Be Epic would be back for Round 1. But the tough horse fought his way back from a terrifying diagnosis.

“Will did get the virus at Waco and he was sick, and I’ve been off of him ever since,” Mowry said. “But he had the respiratory form and he got through it very well and met the criteria. He’s been testing negative for the last couple of weeks, and he’s got all the antibodies for it. So my vet said, ‘Hey, he’s about the safest choice you could go in there with.’ And so I felt comfortable bringing Will.”

• Meet the Field: 2025 NFR Barrel Racing Qualifiers
• All Eyes on Round 1: NFR Barrel Racing Horse List

When Mowry announced Will was in the house at Tuesday’s NFR Back Number Ceremony, some fans questioned the gray gelding, potentially forgetting his success at the 2022 NFR when Mowry came down the alleyway on the massive grey gelding.

“Will has been an incredible horse his whole career,” Mowry said. “He was a standout futurity horse, but Will has had some kind of major injury every year almost of his career, and he bounces back. He’s a big athlete — I think big athletes are maybe more prone to injury — but I use him sparingly. I know I am not going to go run him everywhere that I can. I’m careful and pick and choose where he goes and make him last. He’s not tough, and he is very sensitive.”

But at the end of the day, Mowry admitted she had her own doubts.

“I’m going to learn not to count Will out. He didn’t come here as prepared. If I was coming in here with him being my first stringer, he wasn’t as prepared as what I would want him to be. I’m a creature of habit, and so this was hard coming in here with him not super prepared. But you know what? Will is Mr. Dependable, and I did know that about him coming in here. That gave me a lot of comfort.”

Mowry did bring a talented backup option for the rounds where she’ll give Will a break, and she’s eager to test out her jump jockeying skills.

“Mindy Holloway was so sweet, and she’s let me bring Cornbread. Heaven’s Got Credit. I’ve just seen him run a couple times here and there. They won a big race in Athens not long ago, and that’s an incredible horse. And I thought he would have a style that would really suit this arena.”

Stay tuned for a full story on Heavens Got Credit, presented by Equinety.

Listen to the full The Money Barrel interview with Mowry below.

NFR Barrel Racing Round 1 Results