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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
  
Location: White Mountains of AZ | What got you into the sport of running barrels? How did you figure out that you loved it and wanted to run fast around 3 metal cans? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | I started out showing western and English performance at club and open shows, I always wanted to try it after seeing it at a rodeo when I was younger. Being with a show barn at the time there were a limited about of horses to run. When I was finally old enough they let me and I was hooked. I will be honest, I really wasn't all that tough up until highschool(horse power was seriously lacking lol). Now I am horseless again and HATING it but trying to work my booty off a few years to have a house, truck, trailer etc THEN I will spend the money to buy a decent futurity colt! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | I found it got addicting real fast!! And I hope you find that rig and futurity colt!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1028
| My mom ran barrels, so as soon as I could walk, she had me walking my stick horse around the pattern of coffee cans in our backyard, until I was big enough to ride on my own. I had a couple of horses when I was younger that I mostly just pleasure rode with my mom when she was exercising her barrel horse, but when I was about 11, I had the opportunity to take a spin on my aunt's old barrel horse (slightly arthritic but plenty fast enough for me!). I was hooked from the first run. I ran that horse for a couple of years until he started to slow down, then my parents bought a blown up rope horse that I patterned myself. After a couple of frustrating years (mostly rider error, I'm sure), he started winning every thing. There was a point in time that if we unloaded him at a local rodeo, people wouldn't enter their kids in the juniors with me. That horse took me through junior rodeos, high school and my first 2 years of college. When I sold him, I was able to by my current horse (as a prospect then) as well as a couple of mares to start raising my next generation of barrel horses.  |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Honestly it was watching the NFR as a kid back when they had Heston commercials and belt buckles. I never wavered after seeing those. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | FLITASTIC - 2015-02-04 11:54 AM
My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun.
Who's your mom? And I love hearing about how rodeo is in "their blood" Probably some of my favorite stories! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | bowersk - 2015-02-04 12:00 PM
My mom ran barrels, so as soon as I could walk, she had me walking my stick horse around the pattern of coffee cans in our backyard, until I was big enough to ride on my own. I had a couple of horses when I was younger that I mostly just pleasure rode with my mom when she was exercising her barrel horse, but when I was about 11, I had the opportunity to take a spin on my aunt's old barrel horse (slightly arthritic but plenty fast enough for me!). I was hooked from the first run. I ran that horse for a couple of years until he started to slow down, then my parents bought a blown up rope horse that I patterned myself. After a couple of frustrating years (mostly rider error, I'm sure), he started winning every thing. There was a point in time that if we unloaded him at a local rodeo, people wouldn't enter their kids in the juniors with me. That horse took me through junior rodeos, high school and my first 2 years of college. When I sold him, I was able to by my current horse (as a prospect then) as well as a couple of mares to start raising my next generation of barrel horses.
That's crazy! Pulling their kids out because they know they wont win...what is that teaching them!! HA |
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 Party Girl
Posts: 12293
Location: Buffalo, Wyoming | We had race horses for many years. My grandpa was really good friends with a guy who also had race horses and his whole family rodeod. Fast forward about 15-20 years my sister and I became really good friends with his grand-daughters. The middle of them was a 2 time National High School Rodeo All-Around Champ and she got my sister hooked. Grandpa traded a colt to another good friend that also had race horses and rodeod for his daughters old High School horse. This dude was automatic. My first Jr rodeo I only ran poles and think I had my eyes closed the whole time and Old Tink took care of me. I was hooked after that. |
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 Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | FLITASTIC - 2015-02-04 1:54 PM
My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun.
WOW!!! You are one very lucky girl  May I ask who your mom is? |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | I started riding low level dressage and hunter jumpers. My parents friends had horses and I went riding with her and her horse that I was riding took off. That was my first time on a horse outside of an arena (I had been riding for 5-6 years at this point) and I got a big ole need for speed! I knew I couldn't handle the bumping and running with a group of horses on a race track so I learned as much as I could about barrels! Needless to say my instructor was extremely disappointed! |
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | I was raised around horses. There are pictures of me at 2 mo. sitting (well being held) on the back of an orney, red pony. After my aunt and uncle moved on, my mom inherited the horses full time. I was around 8 when I went to my first local show and never looked back. I was so blessed to have an awesome little Appy that was a blast to ride and I always just loved barrels. Growing up, we were made to do western, showmanship and english also to help improve our skills but the love was always speed events. I like that it is just you and horse. No one else in the arena, no one to blame but yourself... |
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 Veteran
Posts: 232
Location: Winging It in KY | Fairweather - 2015-02-04 3:08 PM Honestly it was watching the NFR as a kid back when they had Heston commercials and belt buckles. I never wavered after seeing those.
OMG! I remember those commercials. That's been several years ago. |
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | cuckleburr - 2015-02-04 2:40 PM Fairweather - 2015-02-04 3:08 PM Honestly it was watching the NFR as a kid back when they had Heston commercials and belt buckles. I never wavered after seeing those. OMG! I remember those commercials. That's been several years ago.
Ssssssshhhhhh!!! Nobody's supposed to know that was a long time ago, lol!!
Obviously, the NFR and those commercials had an impact! |
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| I rode 3 and 5 gated saddlebreds for years then when many training practices were out lawed and saddle bred farms went under about the same time i was stuck on the side lines. That winter the #4 girl in the world was renting out the giant indoor along with her mom. They would bring in 8 barrel horses and i would just watch them for hours training. that winter from then on out i have been hooked and with success!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | I love stories :) |
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Veteran
Posts: 232
Location: Winging It in KY | Started with dressage and jumping. Mingled a bit with western pleasure, trail, hunt seat and other all around events. Met someone who ran all the speed events. He introduced me to one of his exceptionally broke horses and it was all over with. I was hooked. I loved the poles, always have. Back in the day when you went to a show you ran several events: barrels, poles, speed (arena race), flags, keyhole and several others. Kept my love for speed horses but got rid of the guy. LOL! |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | I was raised with horses (4-H, breed shows) and my mom was a riding instructor in the area. Apparently I wanted to barrel race since I was young since one of my "show & tell" days was how I barrel raced (far from anything big more like fun shows or goofing around with friends) Back then rodeos were the only other option and my mom had no desire to haul me around. I had a Marlene McRae VHS Id watch constantly, and anytime we went to the Canadian Finals Rodeo with youth groups I knew I'd be there some day. When I got to college I carried a NFR picture of Kelly Yates & Firewater Fiesta everywhere! I got a chance to barrel race at my first rodeo in 2005 on a borrowed horse AND I survivied but I know it wasn't pretty LOL. That same year I finally had money to buy myself a horse to maybe try to barrel race with. She was an unbroke 3 year old I got for $800. Yep unbroke, why, because I couldn't afford a finished horse and I was stubborn enough to think I'd train my own and start competing! 10 years later WOW have I learned so much and keep learning, I still have goals I need to reach but know I'm closer to them then I was 10 years ago! My success this year is the fact I've raised and trained my current prospect and JUST to get to enter him is beyond surreal and I feel very blessed!!
Edited by dream_chaser 2015-02-04 3:37 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1094
Location: Idahome | I grew up around rodeo, ranching and horses. I have always run barrels but never really enjoyed it much until I went to college. I would have rather roped than run barrels. I took on of my dads old ranch horses and started messing with him in college and he turned me into a lover of barrel racing. Hubby keeps trying to get me to rope more, but I have zero work ethic when it comes to roping any more. I would much rather dink around with the barrels. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| We are not a rodeo family. My youngest always wanted a horse. For her 8th or 9th birthday we got her lessons- 1 year later we owned 3 horses for our 3 girls, eventually working our way up to 6. We hauled our 3 girls for years. The oldest did not want to take her horse to college, the second took hers but horse and trailer came back home when college life was more fun then riding. #3 did not want to take her horses her first year. I was sitting in the stands senior year of daughter #3 and it dawned on me what was I going to do once she left for school. Every weekend had been spent hauling them, my husband had started shooting sporting clays, I had nothing. We had these nice horses sitting in our pasture so I decided I would start barrel racing. Ha, I was scared to death of falling off, stomach would burn as I entered the alley even though I was barely loping but I stuck with it because of great friends who were so encouraging and I loved our horses. It took me a lot longer then most to get where I would let them run a little but I was in no hurry. I finally feel like I am starting to "get it" and having a blast. Here is a run from this past weekend- big moment was when I let go of the horn and went 2 handed between the barrels. DD can no longer tell me I am going to break the horn :)Flashy Disco 1/31
Edited by rodeomom3 2015-02-05 12:37 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | dream_chaser - 2015-02-04 1:35 PM
I was raised with horses (4-H, breed shows) and my mom was a riding instructor in the area. Apparently I wanted to barrel race since I was young since one of my "show & tell" days was how I barrel raced (far from anything big more like fun shows or goofing around with friends) Back then rodeos were the only other option and my mom had no desire to haul me around. I had a Marlene McRae VHS Id watch constantly, and anytime we went to the Canadian Finals Rodeo with youth groups I knew I'd be there some day. When I got to college I carried a NFR picture of Kelly Yates & Firewater Fiesta everywhere! I got a chance to barrel race at my first rodeo in 2005 on a borrowed horse AND I survivied but I know it wasn't pretty LOL. That same year I finally had money to buy myself a horse to maybe try to barrel race with. She was an unbroke 3 year old I got for $800. Yep unbroke, why, because I couldn't afford a finished horse and I was stubborn enough to think I'd train my own and start competing! 10 years later WOW have I learned so much and keep learning, I still have goals I need to reach but know I'm closer to them then I was 10 years ago! My success this year is the fact I've raised and trained my current prospect and JUST to get to enter him is beyond surreal and I feel very blessed!!
Sounded determined!! HA |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| FLITASTIC - 2015-02-04 1:54 PM My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun.
Very cool  |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I grew up with both my parents rodeoing. It was a given that I would start with her leading me around the barrels at barrel club. I Jr. Rodeo'd and HS rodeo'd.....about college time I didn't have a finished barrel horse and started breakaway roping and caught that bug and now that's what I mainly do. |
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| Roxy Curtis/Mcdarland |
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| Rolling J - 2015-02-04 12:26 PM
FLITASTIC - 2015-02-04 1:54 PM
My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun.
WOW!!! You are one very lucky girl May I ask who your mom is?
One lucky guy. Guy. Lol. |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | I grew up riding and training. My grandpa started polo horses and random horses that came through sales that he liked, to turn for profit. He had is own style and could have one going quick. I was starting our colts when I was about 8 by myself and was putting first weight on babies at around 5. I have modified his style to what I need, and he yelled at me eery time I started a new one up until he passed.
I was 12 when we he decided to take me to a "playday" becuase his buddy's daughter was goign to them. The first one I went to I had to study the riders before me so I knew the patterns (barrels & poles). I took my pony and we actually placed the first time out. After a few years on the pony, Grandpa decided I needed something faster so we went and bought another colt. That horse made me, and taught me so much.
Now I have my own hores all of which I have started, and take a few sane outside horses a year. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | clover girl - 2015-02-04 2:31 PM
I grew up riding and training. My grandpa started polo horses and random horses that came through sales that he liked, to turn for profit. He had is own style and could have one going quick. I was starting our colts when I was about 8 by myself and was putting first weight on babies at around 5. I have modified his style to what I need, and he yelled at me eery time I started a new one up until he passed.
I was 12 when we he decided to take me to a "playday" becuase his buddy's daughter was goign to them. The first one I went to I had to study the riders before me so I knew the patterns (barrels & poles). I took my pony and we actually placed the first time out. After a few years on the pony, Grandpa decided I needed something faster so we went and bought another colt. That horse made me, and taught me so much.
Now I have my own hores all of which I have started, and take a few sane outside horses a year.
Awesome story!!! :) |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11492
Location: 31 lengths farms | Grew up riding whatever my dad could afford to put me on, first was a Shetland pony, then a POA. My poor POA somehow survived me, good thing he was tough. I hung around kids who had horses and their parents ranched for a living so my pony was drug more than once with me roping something that was bigger than he could handle. I'd get kicked out of the branding pen and told if I was going to rope to go grab one of the horses...nothing doing, I believed Monk could do it. He was so glad when I outgrew him and got to be my brothers pony who at the time hated riding, LOL!!! I started showing 4-H and our leader had a rule that if you did gymkhana you had to show Pleasure classes too. Me, I just wanted to do anything that involved a horse or pony or anything with a mane and tail. When I outgrew the POA, I moved up to my sisters Welsh/Arab and got a taste of a little success at the 4-H level in gymkhana and I'm a bit of a adrenaline junky so fast was good with me. Then from him I moved to a QH/Arab mare that I leased for the first 2 years I rode her and then my mom bought her for me for my 16th birthday/Christmas present and what was a hobby fun thing to do became an obsession. I'm not really much of a barrel racer, I just own horses that I love to ride be it at a reined cow horse show, sorting , barrel race, gymkhana. My first love is barrel racing but I will settle for turning a cow back on the fence and circling one up in a stock horse class too if a "tub busting" isnt' available. Running across the grass at the Pendleton 4D race two years in a row is the highlight of my life. So far :-) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | run n rate - 2015-02-04 3:29 PM
Grew up riding whatever my dad could afford to put me on, first was a Shetland pony, then a POA. My poor POA somehow survived me, good thing he was tough. I hung around kids who had horses and their parents ranched for a living so my pony was drug more than once with me roping something that was bigger than he could handle. I'd get kicked out of the branding pen and told if I was going to rope to go grab one of the horses...nothing doing, I believed Monk could do it. He was so glad when I outgrew him and got to be my brothers pony who at the time hated riding, LOL!!! I started showing 4-H and our leader had a rule that if you did gymkhana you had to show Pleasure classes too. Me, I just wanted to do anything that involved a horse or pony or anything with a mane and tail. When I outgrew the POA, I moved up to my sisters Welsh/Arab and got a taste of a little success at the 4-H level in gymkhana and I'm a bit of a adrenaline junky so fast was good with me. Then from him I moved to a QH/Arab mare that I leased for the first 2 years I rode her and then my mom bought her for me for my 16th birthday/Christmas present and what was a hobby fun thing to do became an obsession. I'm not really much of a barrel racer, I just own horses that I love to ride be it at a reined cow horse show, sorting , barrel race, gymkhana. My first love is barrel racing but I will settle for turning a cow back on the fence and circling one up in a stock horse class too if a "tub busting" isnt' available. Running across the grass at the Pendleton 4D race two years in a row is the highlight of my life. So far :-)
I wanna run that Pendleton 4-D race !!!! It will happen! |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | I came out of the womb loving horsese lol. My dad had horses and rodeo'd long before I was born or before he even met my mom (who is 60 and never been on a horse). I started riding lessons at age 6, riding english. Then moved around to several barns, trying western pleasure, hunt seat, dressage, and then finally I started just taking general riding/horsemanship lessons from a lady who barrel raced. I had a blast just trotting around barrels and poles in the indoor. I ride best when I have a physical objective (like a jump, barrel, etc.) after I moved I started dressage lessons again and bought my first horse (at age 19). I then moved to my current barn where there is no trainer. They do have weekly Cowboy Mounted Shooting practice there weekly though so now I'm hooked on that. I still give my sister lessons, as she's a barrel racer (and much more of a speed demon than I). I'm sure I'll be hitting up some races with my new boy just to get comfortable running/competing before running/competing with guns. |
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 No Name Nancy
Posts: 2715
Location: never in the right place | I live in New England and the burbs, when I was 12 I asked my Dad for a horse. He asked who was gonna clean the poop and I told him, he was. No horse for me. Fast forward years later, my 7 yr old was taking lessons and I wanted to ride too. Started taking lessons and got bored with WTC so the instructor said there are games you can do, so she taught us to barrel race. Loved it from the start. All 3 kids rode lesson horses but I was the only one that stuck with it and got my own. started barrel racing in 1987 for real, did ammy rodeos and actually won some money. Now at 66 I still ride and love to barrel race but not as fast. Not bad for coming from a very non horsey family. I was just born in the wrong part of the country. sigh!!
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Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | QH<3er - 2015-02-04 3:01 PM dream_chaser - 2015-02-04 1:35 PM I was raised with horses (4-H, breed shows) and my mom was a riding instructor in the area. Apparently I wanted to barrel race since I was young since one of my "show & tell" days was how I barrel raced (far from anything big more like fun shows or goofing around with friends) Back then rodeos were the only other option and my mom had no desire to haul me around. I had a Marlene McRae VHS Id watch constantly, and anytime we went to the Canadian Finals Rodeo with youth groups I knew I'd be there some day. When I got to college I carried a NFR picture of Kelly Yates & Firewater Fiesta everywhere! I got a chance to barrel race at my first rodeo in 2005 on a borrowed horse AND I survivied but I know it wasn't pretty LOL. That same year I finally had money to buy myself a horse to maybe try to barrel race with. She was an unbroke 3 year old I got for $800. Yep unbroke, why, because I couldn't afford a finished horse and I was stubborn enough to think I'd train my own and start competing! 10 years later WOW have I learned so much and keep learning, I still have goals I need to reach but know I'm closer to them then I was 10 years ago! My success this year is the fact I've raised and trained my current prospect and JUST to get to enter him is beyond surreal and I feel very blessed!! Sounded determined!! HA
That's a good word too  |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I grew up on our family ranch. Mom rode with me till she was about 7 months. Then they had me on a horse again when I was 4 days old (the truck broke down on the way to house, so Grampa fetched me to the house on BayBay while Dad walked to get the tractor to pull the truck in) I rode with my Dad daily doing cowboy stuff until I went to college, I was the hired help.
I went to town to a horse show and accidentally outran my friend's expensive pole/barrel horse on my $450 paint cowpony. He'd never seen either pattern. She was mad. I was hooked, mostly entertained that I could outrun my friends. We were 12, my horse was 14. He was the greatest little cowpony alive that just didn't know any quit.
I got a Sharon Camarillo book and memorized it. My first official barrel colt ran an 18.1 on a standard pattern in 2002 at a local American West and ran in the 1D that day. He was 4. I've never gotten over the feeling of pride and happiness. I was so happy I cried. I've made more bad runs than I've made good ones, and I'm ever so proud every time I clock well against tall company.
I get rehooked every time I do badly, or do mediocre, or do wonderfully!! It's my passion and I just can't seem to stop! I'd like to claim I was sick, but that would probably mean there was a cure, and I just don't think that there is. |
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 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | My family has always had horses. I got my own horse when I was 12 we joined a riding club that had playdays. We were not very fast but we were having fun. After a few years I got a better, faster horse and we were going to a playday every weekend and I was pretty successful at that thru high school. Of course, I got married soon after and had kids and that greatly limited my riding time. I had sons who were not all that interested in barrel racing for some reason. Imagine that. But they are all pretty good team ropers. My oldest son has 2 daughters and thank goodness one of them loves barrel racing. Well actually they rope and barrel race. A few years ago I started looking for a young horse to mess with so that I could ride with the girls and found (by accident) a gelding that has turned into something really special. Probably the nicest horse I have ever owned. Granddaughter is doing well at hs and ammy rodeos on him, so now I am without a horse again. lol We went to the QH show at Ft. Worth this week and the pleasure horses were working out in the arena. After watching them for a hour or so, it confirmed I made the right decision with barrel racing.
Edited by RocketPilot 2015-02-04 8:23 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | I have loved horses for as long as I can remember, it was never I want a Barbie at the toy store, it was I want a toy horse! My parents are from the city. Never been around horses!but My grand mother had horses behind her house. I was back there every chance I could get. My mom eventually got me riding lesson when I was young from an old cowboy we knew. Later they bought me a pony after I wouldn't quit begging. I progressed from there and never looked back! My mother said I was marked in the womb! A old friend of hers asked her when was she having her colt? Little did he know it was a filly;) |
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Expert
Posts: 1586
Location: west of East Texas | My family got a couple of scrub horses on a lark before my memory starts so I don't know any different. From the scrub horses, we moved up to some that could actually do things like drill teams and trail rides without killing anybody. From there they moved us kids into 4-H, shows, playdays, etc. When I was 7, two AWESOME show horses (one halter, one reining) fell into our hands and my parents focused on that with my older brother. When I was 10, my brother got his drivers license and I got his horses. Every weekend was a show, a rodeo, a playday, usually a couple of each. I took horses to college but didn't win consistantly and my funds were too tight to lose. After a couple of years I sent the horses home and concentrated on school and career. I moved to Houston after graduation and ended up paying someone to let me ride their horse, even though I was doing him a favor. Four years of the big city and I was packed and headed back to rural-ville. I got a colt out of my college barrel horse but started and stopped so many times doing things like having kids that she was 12 before she won her first check. I brainwashed my kids into riding at birth so that I won't ever have to quit again. (insert evil laugh here) |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | My mom trained All Around Paints as a business and always had a barrel horse around for her "down time". Mom was also a 4H leader in our area. Us kids were in the 4H, but the only class that Mom would let us compete in in the show ring at the 4H shows was Grooming and Conditioning. That left the speed events. We all bumped around on one of my Mom's good old horse Nutmeg for a long time. She brought me from barely jogging through the pattern to cruising through. Fast forward a few years. We had moved to FL, mom had gotten injured and was no longer riding and I had shifted my focus to the Hunters, Jumpers and Big Eq's as a Junior. I was riding with a very gifted trainer who was also VERY hard to ride for. One day, I walked down the barn aisle, loved on a few of my favorites and broke down crying as I realized that I just didn't care anymore.
I sent most of my horses off to be campaigned, went out and bought a couple of barrel prospects and set out to see if I could find the fun in riding again. For the next 6 months, I hauled to jackpots all over and enjoyed myself. My horses weren't as ready as they should have been. We dang sure weren't winning any big money, but I was slowly starting to enjoy the little bits of progress. I looked forward to going and playing with my horses and getting to visit with friends. After those 6 months, I brought the H?J horses back home and was able to resume showing them with a newfound perspective. I still hauled those couple of barrel horses whenever my schedule allowed, much to my trainer's annoyance. As they kept moving up the ranks, I began setting one weekend a month aside to go to larger barrel races. Soon, that became two weekends a month. When Dad walked into the barn one day and realized that it was no split down the middle, with one side being full of barrel horses/prospects and the other side containing a few Lrg Jr Hunters, 2 Eq horses and a few Jumpers, he chuckled. I sold out of the show horses pretty quickly thereafter. |
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 Mature beyond Years
Posts: 10780
Location: North of the 49th Parallel | Didn't come from a horse family and in fact my grandpa bought me an unbroke 2 year old when I was around 14 or 15. Yeah, green + green = black and blue. Eventually my parents learned they needed to mount me on semi decent horses. Went through a couple and fell in love with one. Supposed to be my HS Rodeo horse. Found out he had many all around AQHA points after a near career ending injury. So I started showing Western Pleasure and AQHA. Got bored of riding slow horses and sick of the politics and money needed to get to the top. Bought an unbroke 2 year old with decent reining bloodlines. Started riding colts in exchange for lessons and board for a reining trainer and although I got taken advantage of big time, I got to ride a lot of really, really, really nice colts and learned a lot. Moved to college, still had my reiner except she was super inconsistent in the show pen. Tried working cow horses. Still one good run and then the next one was absolutely horrible, so I decided that if I was bored, I mind as well pull her sliders and make her a barrel horse and if she was inconsistent, I could win money (that was seriously my logic). She's 8 now, still inconsistent but my proudest moment was when she ran 1.4 off of an arena record and out ran some nice futurity and rodeo horses on her 3rd run on the clock. Ive had a couple knee surgeries and not ridden much for the past 2 years so that's why she's still inconsistent. She'll make a better rodeo horse than jackpot horse, though.
Edited by bccanchaser16 2015-02-05 1:46 AM
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| I showed halter and pleasure and it was too political, so I switched to speed events, (which I found is VERY political too when it comes to draws in rodeos). |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| My mom ran barrels, and my parents ran the local riding club. I started out doing the 5 and under playday events being led by my parents, then graduated to riding solo on my first pony. My parents split and the horses were sold, but I could not get over my horse fever!! Finally was able to get another horse in Middle School and have had horses ever since. I always go back to barrel racing. Its just fun,
plus I have no roping skills! lol. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 365
| My family barrel races so I was always at horse shows. My mom bought me a pony and I've been doing it ever since. I grew up with everyone around here that shows and I'm just used to it. I love the sport, I've been an NBHA member for years and now IBRA too. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | ctdrumrunr - 2015-02-04 4:17 PM
I live in New England and the burbs, when I was 12 I asked my Dad for a horse. He asked who was gonna clean the poop and I told him, he was. No horse for me. Fast forward years later, my 7 yr old was taking lessons and I wanted to ride too. Started taking lessons and got bored with WTC so the instructor said there are games you can do, so she taught us to barrel race. Loved it from the start. All 3 kids rode lesson horses but I was the only one that stuck with it and got my own. started barrel racing in 1987 for real, did ammy rodeos and actually won some money. Now at 66 I still ride and love to barrel race but not as fast. Not bad for coming from a very non horsey family. I was just born in the wrong part of the country. sigh!!
Haha I your answer to your father made me laugh!! |
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 I don't want to screw up!
Posts: 3881
Location: North Dakota -> Colorado | I didn't grow up in a rodeo family or even a horse family for that matter, but my parents had friends that had horses. Ever since I was little they would stick me on the horse with their daughter and eventually I started to love horses more and more. I never really got over that addiction. I begged until I finally got a horse. She was by no means a barrel horse, she was just an old pleasure horse. I went to a barrel clinic I think the 2nd year that I had her, and I have been hooked ever since. We bought a 12 yr old Team penning horse that I retrained for barrels. Looking back, it was a miracle she turned out as good as she did. Now 19, she is slowing down and no longer can clock 1D/2D all the time, every now and then she'll turn out a blazing run that makes it all worth it. When I was 15 I bought a young horse to finish and season, I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot about what to do with a younger unfinished horse. I never really clicked to get her in the 1D and unfortunately I lost her last summer on the road to a twisted gut. I have been blessed in the last couple of years. I have had the opportunity to ride and run some top caliber horses, and get a feel for what a horse like that feels and runs like. Last fall, I bought a new horse that I am starting to run, and so far she ranks in the Top 3 of best barrel horses I have ever swung a leg over, and I've swung my leg over some greats. I can't thank the people that have given me all these opportunities enough. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | TurnNBurn-3Barrels - 2015-02-05 8:48 AM
I didn't grow up in a rodeo family or even a horse family for that matter, but my parents had friends that had horses. Ever since I was little they would stick me on the horse with their daughter and eventually I started to love horses more and more. I never really got over that addiction. I begged until I finally got a horse. She was by no means a barrel horse, she was just an old pleasure horse. I went to a barrel clinic I think the 2nd year that I had her, and I have been hooked ever since. We bought a 12 yr old Team penning horse that I retrained for barrels. Looking back, it was a miracle she turned out as good as she did. Now 19, she is slowing down and no longer can clock 1D/2D all the time, every now and then she'll turn out a blazing run that makes it all worth it. When I was 15 I bought a young horse to finish and season, I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot about what to do with a younger unfinished horse. I never really clicked to get her in the 1D and unfortunately I lost her last summer on the road to a twisted gut. I have been blessed in the last couple of years. I have had the opportunity to ride and run some top caliber horses, and get a feel for what a horse like that feels and runs like. Last fall, I bought a new horse that I am starting to run, and so far she ranks in the Top 3 of best barrel horses I have ever swung a leg over, and I've swung my leg over some greats. I can't thank the people that have given me all these opportunities enough.
So sorry to hear about losing your mare...that must've been hard. And I hope the new horse turns out great! |
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Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11492
Location: 31 lengths farms | QH<3er - 2015-02-05 3:31 PM
run n rate - 2015-02-04 3:29 PM
Grew up riding whatever my dad could afford to put me on, first was a Shetland pony, then a POA. My poor POA somehow survived me, good thing he was tough. I hung around kids who had horses and their parents ranched for a living so my pony was drug more than once with me roping something that was bigger than he could handle. I'd get kicked out of the branding pen and told if I was going to rope to go grab one of the horses...nothing doing, I believed Monk could do it. He was so glad when I outgrew him and got to be my brothers pony who at the time hated riding, LOL!!! I started showing 4-H and our leader had a rule that if you did gymkhana you had to show Pleasure classes too. Me, I just wanted to do anything that involved a horse or pony or anything with a mane and tail. When I outgrew the POA, I moved up to my sisters Welsh/Arab and got a taste of a little success at the 4-H level in gymkhana and I'm a bit of a adrenaline junky so fast was good with me. Then from him I moved to a QH/Arab mare that I leased for the first 2 years I rode her and then my mom bought her for me for my 16th birthday/Christmas present and what was a hobby fun thing to do became an obsession. I'm not really much of a barrel racer, I just own horses that I love to ride be it at a reined cow horse show, sorting , barrel race, gymkhana. My first love is barrel racing but I will settle for turning a cow back on the fence and circling one up in a stock horse class too if a "tub busting" isnt' available. Running across the grass at the Pendleton 4D race two years in a row is the highlight of my life. So far :-)
I wanna run that Pendleton 4-D race !!!! It will happen!
Running there was culmination of 40 some years of dreaming about it. When I was little my dad was stationed at Camp Pendleton which has a rodeo so when I heard people talking about Pendleton Round UP I was like "yah, been there..." LOL!!! Then when I was 9 I finally saw a picture of the actual Pendleton Round UP and it became my dream to run there...not the NFR like most little girls but Pendleton. It was such an obsession that 9 years ago I heard that there was an Ed Wright clinic in Pendleton and talked a buddy of mine into going to it because I figured it was as close to running at there that I'd ever get. We kept the horses at the grounds but of course the actual clinic wasn't held in the round up arena. I however did climb the locked gates with the pop up barrels and ran it on foot in the pouring rain with a mild hangover at 5 am the second day of the clinic. I was pretty sure I was going to die at the 2nd barrel but thankfully, or not, my travel buddy standing in the alley way yelled "Hustle!!!" just about then which gave me the resolve to in fact finish the pattern. I hurt so bad I had to go lay down in the truck for an hour afterwards, LOL!!! Lets just say when the opportunity came to run there conditioning for myself as well as my horses was the top priority for me. A friend kept asking what races I was going to to get ready...I do not think you can run enough 15 second patterns to get game ready for Pendleton, LOL!!! Lets just say we prepared for the Belmont instead.
I hope you get to go to it, it is seriously the most fun on horseback I have ever had, reminds me of being a kid again and just falling in love with the pure joy of a long stretch of land and opening a horse up on it for the heck of it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | run n rate - 2015-02-05 9:40 AM
QH<3er - 2015-02-05 3:31 PM
run n rate - 2015-02-04 3:29 PM
Grew up riding whatever my dad could afford to put me on, first was a Shetland pony, then a POA. My poor POA somehow survived me, good thing he was tough. I hung around kids who had horses and their parents ranched for a living so my pony was drug more than once with me roping something that was bigger than he could handle. I'd get kicked out of the branding pen and told if I was going to rope to go grab one of the horses...nothing doing, I believed Monk could do it. He was so glad when I outgrew him and got to be my brothers pony who at the time hated riding, LOL!!! I started showing 4-H and our leader had a rule that if you did gymkhana you had to show Pleasure classes too. Me, I just wanted to do anything that involved a horse or pony or anything with a mane and tail. When I outgrew the POA, I moved up to my sisters Welsh/Arab and got a taste of a little success at the 4-H level in gymkhana and I'm a bit of a adrenaline junky so fast was good with me. Then from him I moved to a QH/Arab mare that I leased for the first 2 years I rode her and then my mom bought her for me for my 16th birthday/Christmas present and what was a hobby fun thing to do became an obsession. I'm not really much of a barrel racer, I just own horses that I love to ride be it at a reined cow horse show, sorting , barrel race, gymkhana. My first love is barrel racing but I will settle for turning a cow back on the fence and circling one up in a stock horse class too if a "tub busting" isnt' available. Running across the grass at the Pendleton 4D race two years in a row is the highlight of my life. So far :-)
I wanna run that Pendleton 4-D race !!!! It will happen!
Running there was culmination of 40 some years of dreaming about it. When I was little my dad was stationed at Camp Pendleton which has a rodeo so when I heard people talking about Pendleton Round UP I was like "yah, been there..." LOL!!! Then when I was 9 I finally saw a picture of the actual Pendleton Round UP and it became my dream to run there...not the NFR like most little girls but Pendleton. It was such an obsession that 9 years ago I heard that there was an Ed Wright clinic in Pendleton and talked a buddy of mine into going to it because I figured it was as close to running at there that I'd ever get. We kept the horses at the grounds but of course the actual clinic wasn't held in the round up arena. I however did climb the locked gates with the pop up barrels and ran it on foot in the pouring rain with a mild hangover at 5 am the second day of the clinic. I was pretty sure I was going to die at the 2nd barrel but thankfully, or not, my travel buddy standing in the alley way yelled "Hustle!!!" just about then which gave me the resolve to in fact finish the pattern. I hurt so bad I had to go lay down in the truck for an hour afterwards, LOL!!! Lets just say when the opportunity came to run there conditioning for myself as well as my horses was the top priority for me. A friend kept asking what races I was going to to get ready...I do not think you can run enough 15 second patterns to get game ready for Pendleton, LOL!!! Lets just say we prepared for the Belmont instead.
I hope you get to go to it, it is seriously the most fun on horseback I have ever had, reminds me of being a kid again and just falling in love with the pure joy of a long stretch of land and opening a horse up on it for the heck of it.
I would love to do this...maybe not the running with the hangover tho!! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 533
Location: Northeast, KS | For me I would have to say my step-daughter is the one that first got me interested. I have had horses and ridden all my life but that was limited to trails. One day Danielle said she wanted to try barrels I think she was 8 at the time and I was 34. I am now 47 and still going with no plans of slowing down anytime soon!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | Blue Cowgirl - 2015-02-05 1:27 PM
For me I would have to say my step-daughter is the one that first got me interested. I have had horses and ridden all my life but that was limited to trails. One day Danielle said she wanted to try barrels I think she was 8 at the time and I was 34. I am now 47 and still going with no plans of slowing down anytime soon!!
Way to go step-daughter!!! |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | My family is not a rodeo family by any means. I didn't exactly grow up in the best home...and so my grandmother found that horses were an excellent outlet for me since I was such a horse crazy kid. When things were rough at home, grandma always picked me up and we went riding. She eventually bought me my first horse at 6, from there her best friend (former barrel racer) taught me most of what I know....and so I grew up riding/running as much as I could because horses were an outlet for me. My love for them hasn't faded, and I hope my daughter will soon be running barrels!!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | hoofs_in_motion - 2015-02-05 1:47 PM
My family is not a rodeo family by any means. I didn't exactly grow up in the best home...and so my grandmother found that horses were an excellent outlet for me since I was such a horse crazy kid. When things were rough at home, grandma always picked me up and we went riding. She eventually bought me my first horse at 6, from there her best friend (former barrel racer) taught me most of what I know....and so I grew up riding/running as much as I could because horses were an outlet for me. My love for them hasn't faded, and I hope my daughter will soon be running barrels!!!
Horses have and always will be my escape. Things would be rough at the house so I would sneak out and go to my horses....Saved me! |
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Barrel Racing and YOU!