I am a person who has always loved rodeos but I have never gotten to personally participate in one. So I want to share this with you and maybe you will come to love it as much as I do. And you probably have heard of Barrel Racing and might have even seen it before.

How it works-

The Main Idea-

 The main idea of barrel racing is to beat the clock. There are three barrels set up in a cloverleaf pattern. The distance between the barrels differs by the size of the arena, but averages distance are: nine feet between barrels one and two, 105 feet between barrels one and three and barrel two and three, and six feet between the start line and barrels one and two. The team (Horse and rider) starts at a gallop and runs toward the first barrel and completes a circle around the barrel, which the rider can choose right or left. Then goes straight across the arena to the second barrel and then to the last barrel and runs as fast as possible to the finish. 

Scoring-

The biggest goal in barrel racing is to run the cloverleaf pattern the fastest. If a horse tips a barrel in the process then it adds five seconds to the total time. Most rodeos use an electric timer with a sensor that automatically starts and stops when the horse runs past the sensor. These timers are much more accurate than a judge with a stopwatch and eliminate the chance of human error.

World records-

In the article “Pierce posts barrel racing record” by JEFF WOLF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL it says “Carlee Pierce recorded the fastest barrel racing time in the 27 years the National Finals Rodeo has been held at the Thomas & Mack Center when she completed the course in 13.46 seconds aboard Dillion during Monday’s fifth go-round.”

There is a website that shows more world records here.

History-

First Woman in a rodeo-

It says on prezi.com that “Most people believe that barrel racing was the begging of women in rodeos but it was truly when Annie Oakley appeared as the first female Wild West star and helped open rodeos to women.”  She stared in Buffalo’s Wild West show in 1894.

How it started-

Up until the 1920s, women riding horses was considered “un-lady-like”. But that all changed around 1928 when a sport called barrel racing was made for women and women only. Originally, barrel racing was a women’s event and alternated between a cloverleaf and figure-eight pattern. In the 1930s speed was not a big factor in barrel racing but by 1948 a group of women formed the GRA (girls rodeo association). WPRA was the first group of barrel racing. They formed a group from Texas and barrel racing became a modern sport and event. 

Is it dangerous?

Do you think it’s easy?

 In teenink.com in the article “So you think barrel racing is easy?” it says “Barrel racing seems pretty easy right? Little does everyone know, barrel racing is fast-paced, requires dedication, and is extremely dangerous. To be a barrel racer it takes the agility, guts, trust, strength, and a lot of patience.”

So is it dangerous?

 Yes. Barrel racing is very dangerous and many girls and women get hurt doing it. But it is a lot of fun and even if it takes a lot of time and effort to train and accomplish, so many people think that it is worth it. 

 Thank you for reading this article! I hope you enjoyed it and learned a lot or found the thing you were looking for!