Barrel Racing Facts That Every Sports Lover Should Know

Barrel racing is a horseback riding sport mainly dominated by women.

Men also participate in the games, but their numbers are few. The games require fine horsemanship.

Top speed might be necessary to win the games, but the racer cannot lose precision in a barrel race. They need both time and finesse on their side to win. Riders enter the course with their horse, maintaining a certain dress code. Read on to know more about barrel racing.

History Of Barrel Racing

Barrel racing began as a sporting event, mainly for women. The sport has gained popularity and developed a great deal since it began back in the 1880s.

Barrel racing didn't necessarily create opportunities for women to join the rodeo. The first woman to participate in the rodeo was Annie Oakley, who joined the Buffalo Bill show in 1885. She became a star of the Wild West.

As the 20th century arrived, women flourished as performers in rodeos.

According to the book 'Cowgirls Of The Rodeo' by Mary Lou LeCompte, between 1890-1920, cowgirls took part in some of the most important rodeos in North America, like the World Series Rodeo in Madison Square Garden at New York, the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada, and many more.

Even with these developments, though, women equestrians were considered quite 'unladylike' until 1928.

However, that began to change when barrel racing was introduced as the very first horseback sport for women.

In 1948, 38 cowgirls from San Angelo, Texas, collectively took on the rodeo industry's tradition of allowing male-only athletes. They founded the Girls Rodeo Association, which later came to be known as the Women's Professional Rodeo Association.

No one knows exactly how barrel racing began, but before 1948, speed didn't play a large role in winning the game. However, when the Girls Rodeo Association introduced modifications in the way the sport was played, speed became a major factor.

When the '50s arrived, Florence Youree successfully petitioned for the inclusion of barrel racing in the National Finals Rodeo. This was a big achievement because the National Finals Rodeo at that time was a men-only event.

She also became the All-Around GRA World Champion in 1966. The second athlete to make her mark in history was Charmayne James, who became the first-ever barrel rider in the history of the rodeo to have won more money than any cowboys from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in a single rodeo season.

Rules Of Barrel Racing

There are quite a few rules to barrel racing, from maintaining the pattern of the barrels to completing a run in accordance with the pattern within a minimum time frame. However, here are a few basic rules for you to remember.

The first and most basic rule of barrel racing is completing the pattern in the shortest time. If someone runs past a barrel or doesn't follow the pattern, they will get a 'no time' score and be disqualified.

If a rider or their horse knocks over a barrel by hitting it, they will receive a time penalty of five seconds or more. These penalties are accounted for in the total time, which will make it harder for the rider to win.

There is a time limit of 60 seconds after the clock starts within which the rider has to complete the course.

The barrels used in the competition should be made of metal of at least two colors, 55 gal (208.2 l), and be closed at both ends. Competitors have to maintain a dress code at least an hour ahead of the race. They are required to wear western boots, a hat, a long-sleeved tucked-in shirt, and western-cut jeans or pants.

The Women's Professional Rodeo Association and National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association follow certain measurements for most events for distances between the barrels, the start line, the score line, and more. Here are the standard measurements:

90 ft (27.4 m) of distance between the first and second barrels.

105 ft (32 m) of distance between the first and third barrels and between the second and third barrels.

60 ft (18.3 m) of distance from the first and second barrels to the score line.

At least 15 ft (4.6 m) of distance from each first barrel to the side fence.

At least 30 ft (9.1 m) of distance from the third barrel to the back fence.

At least 30 ft (9.1 m) of distance from the first barrel to the score line.

Famous Barrel Racers

There have been quite a few barrel racers who have captured the hearts of barrel racing fans everywhere with their expert horsemanship. Here are a few of them:

Charmayne James - Charmayne James is the most well-known name among barrel racing fans. She, along with her horses, Scamper and Cruiser, won 11 WPRA World Barrel Racing Championships and six NFR championships. She has been added to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Martha Josey - Martha Josey, along with her horse, CeBe Reed, won a whopping 52 consecutive competitions. Later, along with her second horse, Sonny Bit O'Both, she won gold at the 1988 Winter Olympics for the barrel racing exhibition, the NFR championships, and the NBHA Senior World Championship.

She was added to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's Rodeo Hall of Fame and to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

Fallon Taylor - Fallon Taylor was talented enough to qualify for four consecutive NFR championships in her teen years. She took a break after that when she suffered a head injury while riding. She subsequently made a comeback and won the WPRA Barrel Racing World Champions and the AQHA Barrel Racing World Champions.

Sherry Cervi - Sherry Cervi is tied with Charmayne James for qualifying for the NFR for a record 19 times. She won four times and is the highest-earning racer in the history of barrel racing. She was also included in the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

FAQs

Q: Who started barrel racing?

A: The Women's Professional Rodeo Association probably started barrel racing.

Q: What is the average time for barrel racing?

A: The average time for barrel racing is about 15-30 seconds.

Q: What is the fastest time in barrel racing?

A: The fastest time in a barrel race was 13.46 seconds.

Q: What is a good age for a barrel horse?

A: A good age for a barrel horse is five years on average.

Q: Are there male barrel racers?

A: Yes, there are male barrel racers.

Q: Who is the most famous barrel racer?

A: There are many famous barrel racers, including Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Sherry Cervi, Charmayne James, and others.