Barrel Racing

Barrel racing is an adrenaline rush for the riders on the horses and the fans in the stands. Most barrel horses are pure bred Quarter Horses. Most people have pure bred quarter horses because they have the heart to run and are built to turn sharp and have to be loyal to their rider.

The arena is cleared and three 44 gallon barrels are placed on marked spots in the arena. The barrels, or drums, have an open end at the bottom and have to be empty. Rides must turn 360º around each barrel and on to the next barrel on the opposite side of t. The barrels are placed in a clover leaf pattern and each rider must go to the left or the right of the first barrel.

          Riders enter the ring at full speed and the timer starts as soon as the nose of the horse crosses the Start Line. The horse must be fast and built for the sport.  Also, the horse must be agile enough to turn on a dime. The final results come down to a hundredth of a second. If a barrel is knocked over, there is a 5 second penalty added to the time of the rider.

Re-runs occur when the timer doesn’t start or when it stops before the rider crosses the Score line. Timers are to be informed that the clocks are not to be stopped until the rider has completed the course or in the case of an accident. If a rider turns down a run, he/she will be disqualified for the remaining part of the rodeo.

The Rodeo is one of Saskatchewan’s dedications and barrel racing is a rodeo event. Even know most city people don’t even know what barrel racing is, it is still apart of Saskatchewan’s history. And that’s why it is so important to me, and all the barrel racers in Saskatchewan!

                                                                                              By: Brittney