What Is Barrel Race? Barrel Racing Rules

Barrel Racing Rules: You must have heard about barrel racing quite a few times. But do you have any idea about what is Barrel race? If no, then in this article, you will learn everything that you should know about the barrel race.

What Is Barrel Race?

Barrel racing is a very special event in the rodeo world and is one of the fastest events too. While the cowboys hold spinning bulls and buck, and cowgirls sit on horses charging through the gate racing against the clock. The faster the girl rides on a horse to complete the set pattern, the higher she gets up on the leaderboard.

Barrel racing rules:

In barrel racing, the rider and horse pair together to race against the clock. In the arena, three barrels are set up in a pattern of the cloverleaf, and the rider has to negotiate the pattern cleanly. The distance between the barrels varies from one organization to another. However, the average distance between the barrels is nine feet in the first two barrels and 105 feet between the first and third barrel and second and third, and there is a six feet distance between the start line and the first and second barrel.

The rider enters the arena quickly and runs in the direction of the first barrel. The rider can decide whether to start at the leftmost barrel or the rightmost barrel and then take a complete circle around the barrel. The rider has to steer the horse towards the second barrel and then run towards the third barrel. After taking a round of barrel three, the rider rides the horse in the direction of the finish line at the fullest speed.

Scoring Technique:

The main goal of a successful barrel race is in the fastest possible time without knocking any barrel. A tipped barrel adds five seconds to the final time of the rider’s if there is any deviation resulting in the cloverleaf pattern. You will end up without any score. Most organizations use the electric timer with a season feature that starts and stops automatically when the horse runs past the sensor. These timers are very accurate more than a human with a stopwatch and eliminate any chance of human error.

Equipment needed for barrel racing:

The racer will require different types of gear to outfit a horse. For the safety and comfort of the rider, a saddle for barrel racing is important. These barrel race saddles have short skirts and deep seats that allow more contact with the horse’s back and increase stability. Some riders also add breast collars to prevent the saddle from shifting back during the race and quick starts. A bridle with an effective and gentle bit is vital to guide the horse around the arena. These boots help the rider support a horse’s tendons when he charges around the arena and helps in preventing serious injuries. Some riders also like to carry a quirt or whip to encourage the horse to run faster but check with the organizations about the rules. Barrel racing rules at times are different in different organizations.