Barrel racing[1] Is a timed rodeo event that demands some of the most athletic horses and dedicated riders in order to be successful in terms of financial earnings.
The sport in itself consists of horse and rider combining the horse's athletic ability and the rider's superb horsemanship skills in order to safely and successfully maneuver the horse around three 55 gallon closed end metal barrels placed in a cloverleaf pattern in the center of an arena at breakneck speeds. In timed rodeo events, the purpose is to make a run as fast as possible while the time is being clocked either by an electric eye, (a device using a laser system to record times), or by an arena attendant or judge who manually takes the time using a keen eye and a flag to let a clocker know when to hit the timer stop.
The timer begins when horse and rider cross the start line, and ends when the barrel pattern has been successfully executed and horse and rider cross the finish line. The rider's time depends on several factors, most commonly the horse's physical and mental condition, the rider's horsemanship abilities, and the type of ground or footing (the quality, depth, content, etc. of the sand or dirt in the arena).
The Pattern
Diagram of a Barrel Racing Course. Riders enter at the red line, circle around the 1st barrel, proceed to the 2nd barrel, and then continue on to the 3rd where they will complete the pattern and finally exit the course crossing the red line a second time. This pattern is often referred to as a "Cloverleaf"
During a barrel race, the horse and rider will enter the arena at a run or at a walk, depending on the preference of the team at hand. Once the horse is in the arena, the rider will “set the horse up” to begin running the barrel pattern. The rider will guide her/his horse in two turns in one direction of the pattern and in one turn in the other direction. It may sound confusing, but the barrel racing pattern is quite possibly the most simplistic aspect of barrel racing. Standard barrel racing patterns call for a precise distance between the start line and the first barrel, from the first to the second barrel, and from the second to the third barrel. The pattern from every point of the cloverleaf will have a precisely measured distance from one point to the next.
Usually the established distances are as follows:
- 90 feet between barrel 1 and 2.
- 105 feet between barrel 1 and 3 and between 2 and 3.
- 60 feet from barrels 1 and 2 to score line.
Note: In a standard WPRA pattern, the score line begins at the plane of arena, meaning from fence to fence regardless of the position of the electric eye or timer.
In larger arenas, there is a maximum allowable distance of 105 feet between barrels 1 and 2; and a maximum distance of 120 feet between barrels 2 and 3, and 1 and 3. Barrels 1 and 2 must be at least 18 feet from the sides of the arena--in smaller arenas this distance may be less, but in no instance should the barrels be any closer than 15 feet from the sides of the arena.
Barrel 3 should be no closer than 25 feet to the end of the arena, and should be set no more than 15 feet longer than the first and second barrel. If arena size permits, barrels must be set 60 feet or further apart. In small arenas it is recommended the pattern be reduced proportionately to a standard barrel pattern.
The above pattern is the set pattern for the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), and The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).
The National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) use the following layout for governing patterns:
- A minimum of 15 feet between each of the first two barrels and the side fence.
- A minimum of 30 feet between the third barrel and the back fence.
- A minimum of 30 feet between the time line and the first barrel.
Rules
Since barrel racing has no judges, it is not under any subjective points of view other than those of fellow competitors. When competing at speeds well over that of any human beings' abilities on their own two feet, things can become hazy if a barrel racer is not keen to pay attention to detail. Barrel racers in competition at the professional level are acutely aware of all of their surroundings. From the tiniest movement in their hips and hands to the smallest anticipations of her horse, a barrel racer is always mentally preparing herself for whats next as well as the unexpected.
During a run, a barrel racer can hit a barrel. This means she can knock a barrel over most commonly with either with her horses shoulder or with her knee. When someone competing for big bucks does this, she knows that's she's lost all chances of winning her race. So much time and effort goes into teaching a horse not to hit a barrel and into concentrating on body position when going into and coming out of a turn that to hit a barrel is harsh way to lose a race. But as all barrel racers know, you can't win them all. WPRA Rules govern that when a barrel is hit, the rider shall be assessed a five second penalty in addition to her run time.
Running past a barrel will result in a no time for disqualification.
Though things can get tough in the arena, barrel racers seem to have somewhat of a family amongst themselves. Even though the competition is stiff, most barrel racers are enthusiastic towards one another and often cheer and encourage one another on in their runs. When times of loss are at hand most barrel racers are supportive and encouraging to fellow competitors.
Barrel racing often also requires a certain bond between horse and rider in order for them to successfully compete as a team. Just as rider must trust horse, horse must trust rider. The bond that is achieved allows the horse to want to give everything he/she has in order to please its master. This willingness to please, is often referred to as “heart.” Most barrel racers who have competed at high levels of completion such as the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), or NBHA World Championships will often refer to their winning horse as bearing a lot of heart.
