Barrel Racing

Barrel racing is a popular event in which Quarter horses are used. IT is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider try to complete a patter around barrels in the fastest times. Men do compete in Barrel racing, but it is most commonly seen as a women’s sport. The horseman skills along with the horse agility are combined to safely and successfully complete the task. The pattern that has to be followed is in a clover leaf pattern around three barrels place in a triangle. The barrels are most commonly seen as three fifty five gallon metal or plastic drums. The challenge is to be the fastest one around the barrels with out knocking them over. The timer starts when the horse and rider cross the start line. At the end of the barrel pattern the horse has to be completely over the finish line before the clock stops.
It is judged purely on the time. There are no subjective view points that the judge has to decide. Precise control is necessary to winning especially in the top level. If a horse runs past a barrel or gets off patter then there is considered no time and they are eliminated. Five seconds a penalized if a horse hits or knocks over a barrel. Five seconds might not seem like a lot, but it almost always is that cause of a lost win. The horse and rider must trust each other and be able to work quickly and precisely to win.
Texas is believed to be the first state that started barrel racing. Women from Texas in 1948 were looking to make a place for them in the rodeo. The GRA came about from this which stands for Girls Rodeo Association. IT started off with only seventy four members and only sixty events. In 1981 the GRA officially became the WPRA known as Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. It is still popular today and is one of the most popular competitions. It has grown so much and is really popular often broadcasted on ESPN. The WPRA today has over eight hundred events. It makes over three million dollars and is now divided into twelve divisional circuits. Barrel racing is one of the fastest growing sports for women today. Top barrel racing horse can be priced up to 60,000 dollars.