Purse Barrel

Purse Barrel

Rodeo Events—Barrel Racing

Barrel Racing is the rodeo event for women. At a time when interest in saddle bronc riding and trick riding was starting to decline, a group of ranch women from Texas decided that a little bit of frill and femininity might be just what the rodeo needs. As a result, they developed a very simple race with very simple rules. Using three barrels, a woman would ride her horse in a cloverleaf pattern and the one who did it the fastest without hitting or knocking barrels over was the winner.

The sport started out with 74 members allowed to compete in 60 rodeos with a total purse across all the rodeos of $29,000. Today it is a multi-million dollar sport with various associations worldwide paying out huge purses to the professionals who participate. It is estimated that between 7 and 10 million dollars is paid out annually in this rodeo event alone.

In this event it is critical that the horse and rider work in perfect concert in order to complete the course in the shortest amount of time. Many women only have one barrel horse on which they practice and perform; the connection between the two is that important.

The event itself though, can vary according to arena size. The horse and rider must run a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels. The average distance from the starting line to the first barrel is between 45 and 60 feet. The distance between barrels one and two is about 70 feet and the final distance is 85 to 100 feet. Depending upon the size of the arena, these measurements can vary by as much as 15-20 feet.

The horse and rider start at a specified line either in an alley just out of site or at the mouth of an arena entrance. The time starts when the horse and rider cross the starting line, or time line. Being quick off the mark is a must. The horse and rider, once launched will race towards the first barrel at top speed, only slowing down in order to make the 360° turn. They then head for the second and third barrels, performing the same turn at each barrel. When they head for the "score" line they are again at top speed.

Barrel racing in local forums now allows for novice rider classification, but professional shows are divided into futurities, derbies, maturities or open and professional. The larger, pro events are also aware of the texture of the arena, so have put in practice the ‘dragging' of the arena after so many horses and riders have raced. The surface tends to get deeper after so many runs, so ‘dragging' the field helps to provide a more consistent surface and puts each rider and mount on a more level playing field. This practice has also been shown to prevent injuries to both the horse and rider and many hope that smaller arenas will start to put this practice in play.

So, it looks like barrel racing is here to stay. Beginning somewhere in the mid 1940s, the sport is now somewhere around 65 years old and has thousands of enthusiastic participants and tens of thousands of loyal spectators.

 

About the Author

When she is not writing, Sammi likes working in her garden. She uses the earthway garden seeder to plant her seeds but she likes to buy tomato plants online!

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