cowgirl barrel racing

Historically a women’s event, cowgirl barrel racing has been a part of the rodeo since the early 1940’s.  The relationship between the horse and their rider needs to be in complete harmony.  In order to win, the horse can’t just be fast – they also need agility and intelligence.  The rider enters the arena where three barrels sit in a cloverleaf pattern.  They will attempt to run through the pattern as fast as possible, making it around each barrel and back across the electric eye.  If you knock over a barrel, that’s a 5 second penalty.  If you miss a barrel, you’ll get an incomplete time and be disqualified from the running!