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Bareback
Riding
| Steer Wrestling
| Team Roping
| Saddle Bronc Riding
Tie-Down Roping
| Barrel Racing
| Bull Riding
| All-Around
Barrel
Racing
Barrel
racing
has
no
judges,
which
means
the
event
has
no
subjective
points
of
view.
Time
is
the
determining
factor.
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| In
barrel racing, the rider must take
her horse around the pattern in the
fastest time possible. But watch
out as a tipped barrel results in
a five-second penalty. |
Barrel
racing is graceful and simplistic — one woman,
three barrels, a horse and the ever-present stopwatch.
The horse is ridden as quickly as possible around
a cloverleaf course of three barrels. At the end
of the performance, after all of the racers have
finished their runs, the clock is the one and only
judge.
Ride
quickly and win. Hesitate and lose.
Not
only have the best of the sport spent countless
hours practicing and honing their skill, but they
also have invested many dollars in the purchase
and maintenance of the talented horses they ride.
A proven barrel racing horse can cost $50,000. For
the professional barrel racer, this is indeed a
small price to pay.
Not
only
must
the
horse
be
swift,
but
it
also
must
be
intelligent
enough
to
avoid
tipping
the
barrels,
an
infraction
that
adds
five
penalty
seconds
to
the
time
and
kills
any
chance
for
victory.
The
horse
also
must
be
able
to
withstand
the
long
roads
a
cowgirl
must
travel
to
reach
the
next
rodeo.
If
a
horse
is
fast,
competitive
and
reacts
calmly
to
the
demands
of
travel,
chances
are
good
that
horse
can
stop
the
clock
as
quickly
or
quicker
than
the
animal
in
the
next
trailer.
Because
so
many
barrel
racers
have
finely
tuned
their
skill,
the
sport
is
timed
to
the
hundredth
of
a
second.
When
the
racer
enters
the
arena,
an
electronic
eye
starts
the
clock.
The
clock
is
stopped
the
instant
the
horse
completes
the
pattern.
Barrel
racing
at
its
core
has
changed
little
from
the
days
when
cowgirls
raced
for
minimal,
if
any,
prize
money
and
support.
And
though
the
prizes
and
exposure
are
greater
now
than
ever,
the
ultimate
goal
remains
essentially
the
same
as
in
the
past:
stop
the
clock
as
quickly
as
possible.
Sheena Robbins won this event last year at Industry Hills. She and her horse completed the barrel course in a very fast 16.40 seconds. She won $1,550 in prize money. Kathy Bankston finished a close second with a time of 16.52 seconds and collected $1,328 in prize money. Lindsey Bonner and Ashley Garcia tied for third place, each with a time of 16.82 seconds. Dolli Lautaret finished fifth and Virginia McClintock finished sixth.
In 2002 Kristin Weaver established the Industry Hills Rodeo best time for WPRA barrel racing. She and her horse completed the course in a lightning fast 16.27 seconds. |
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