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 Expert
Posts: 2604
  
Location: Texas | Can someone enlighten me about the BBR and the Finals? I am debating on joining this year and making enough races to make the finals in 2018. But I can't find any details about the finals on their web site. Like what are the entry fees, is that entry fee for 2 runs and a possible finals run, stall fees, can you pay per day or is it one price for the entire time there, shavings costs, do you have to get a tack stall, how far away is the RV park, chances of getting an RV hookup, can you run generators, etc. How do they handle this many people coming in loading/unloading. Is it worth going? I guess if you don't have a top 1D horse it is a pure crap shoot. But looks like they pay quite a few places. Do they give prizes too? Any suggestions or advice you could share with a first timer, good & bad. Thanks in advance! |
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| I have been a member of BBR and been to finals a few years now. Entry fees last year were $210 (costs change every year) per horse which was 2 runs and if you make short go. Stalls I believe were $60 for the whole finals, they are on concrete. Shavings you can either bring your own or buy them from the feed store on the fairgrounds. You can buy a extra stall for your tack room if you want. The Rv park is quite a ways from the stall barn. I would say 1/2 mile away. It's a race for rv spots tuesday night at midnight, come Wednesday morning it's full. You can run generators if you can park in the parking lot or there is a big lot southwest of the barns that you can park in I believe. Unloading/loading they allow 15 minutes by the barns to put things in your stalls. They have people there with golf carts helping. It's a 5D and they do pay several places in each D in each round. Advices would be to take mats if your stalling and take a cart to carry your saddle because it's a long walk everywhere there.
Hopefully I got most of your questions answered! |
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Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | Thanks OKBarrelracer!
Anyone else have any feedback? Is it worth the trip? |
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7551
Location: In The Land of Cotton | The actual schedule and forms should be available March 1. They are in the process now of dealing with The American |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Central Texas | We went for the first time last year. It is worth it to go. We have decided not to go this year as my mom is a teacher and just can't afford to take a week off this year. I went last year on Tuesday night. I got there at 12:30. It was a total cluster (insert 4 letter word with F here). We were able to get an RV spot, but I will not go through that fight again. If you have a generator I would highly recommend using it. When you get there at that hour there is no one to help you unload. And no one to direct traffic. My mom came up on Wednesday. There are people on golf carts starting at 8 or 9 in the morning. They drove up and unloaded everything for her and took it to the stall. It is totally worth it to get a tack stall too!
You can rent a golf car to drive around and save finding parking. We brought our bikes which was better than the golf carts. If you get a golf cart, decorate it or put a sign on it with your name. A friend of ours rented a golf cart and knew what number was on the side. We went in to feed one afternoon and the golf cart was right outside the door of the barn with others. When we came out, the cart was gone. The keys are all the same. We know because we tried her key in another cart and it worked.
Edited by txcajuncowgirl 2017-02-09 12:28 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 286
| The entry fee this year is $250 for the Finals Races, $50 for the incentives, $35 for the Insurance race and $60 for the Gold Card race. |
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Member
Posts: 27
| i just got my flyer in the mail! entry fee is $250 and stalls are $85! im looking for any and all information or insight i can get this will be my first year attending and i plan on bring my lq trailer to stay in. so i see you talking about getting there tuesday night at 12-12:30 is this because we cant get on the grounds earlier? im glad to see we can bring our own shavings! when will they post the draw? what time does the race start each day? is there an extra fee if you make it to the finals? the flyer doesnt say anything about r.v. fees do you contact the fairgrounds to do this? aprox how many r.v. water and electric hook ups are there is the limited hook ups why its first come first serve or can you reserve them somehow? all and any information is helpfull! best places to eat in town? how to request stalling near friends? |
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Veteran
Posts: 132
Location: Missouri | There are no extra fees if you make it back to the finals. The RV park is separate from the BBR. It is fcfs and they have electric and water. It will be full very quickly so you need to make sure you have a back up plan such as a generator or a RV spot reserved in a campground pretty close to the city. You have never seen so many trailers piled in a little amount of space. It is terrible. Last year we were there at midnight and it had rained all night and it was a nasty mess. It is all grass. I think it was full by 4 or 4:30 on Wednesday morning.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 926
| I was a member and went to the finals for many years. Last time was 5 years ago. No RV parking spots, have to watch your valuables, even behind the barns, with theft and frankly just more folks than I want to deal with.
However, I will say, if you make it to the short go....Cha Ching!
If you've never been go. However, I think dollar for dollar there are better races to attend. Not bashing the organization it's just that the facility isn't necessarily meant to hold that many folks.
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 Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | You can rent mats and even pay a little extra to have them placed and shavings, if you have shavings delivered, put in and ready when you arrive.
Don't get caught parking too long in front of barn or coliseum areas or you will get a ticket. Figuring out the way around the place can be daunting since some roads are one way only.
They have round pen turn outs which is nice and a number of practice arenas.
The coliseum is nice and clean, lots of vendors.
The staff is super helpful.
The food at the coliseum was too pricey and not very good. But there are tons of places close by to eat.
They have a store behind the barns that sells shavings, hay, and feed. They deliver! |
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Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | Found an OK State Fair Park facility map: http://www.okstatefair.com/content/okstatefairpark-map
If you don't get an RV hookup and use your generator do you park in "Event Parking" or in the unnamed areas? I am not too keen on getting a "tack stall" since anyone with sticky fingers could help themselves. Is there usually enough room to tie & saddle at the trailer if you are using a generator or is everyone parked too close to safely tie a horse? Or do you cart your saddle, boots, etc. to the stall and saddle there, then cart it all back to the trailer after your run? |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Bump |
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | So, what is the gold card race precisely?
Also, where would you park if you use a generator?? We are contemplating getting hotel rooms, but don't know if there are hotels nearby??
Thanks! |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | cranky B4 10am - 2017-02-12 1:16 PM So, what is the gold card race precisely?
Also, where would you park if you use a generator?? We are contemplating getting hotel rooms, but don't know if there are hotels nearby??
Thanks! There is a motel on the back side of the fairgrounds (I think it is a Super 8). Then there are all kinds of motels within a mile (on Reno or Meridian). We always stayed at the Howard Johnson (on Meridian) because you could take a back street out of the motel over to Reno. That was several years ago so I have no idea what the motel is like now but it was clean and reasonable.
Edited by NJJ 2017-02-12 5:42 PM
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be | cranky B4 10am - 2017-02-12 2:16 PM So, what is the gold card race precisely?
Also, where would you park if you use a generator?? We are contemplating getting hotel rooms, but don't know if there are hotels nearby??
Thanks!
West and SW you will live if you stay in a hotel
East and NE you will be in the Ghetto and probably won't.
Several decent hotels on Reno Ave. |
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Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | NJJ - 2017-02-12 3:08 PM cranky B4 10am - 2017-02-12 1:16 PM So, what is the gold card race precisely?
Also, where would you park if you use a generator?? We are contemplating getting hotel rooms, but don't know if there are hotels nearby??
Thanks! There is a motel on the back side of the fairgrounds (I think it is a Super 8). Then there are all kinds of motels within a mile (on Reno or Meridian). We always stayed at the Howard Johnson (on Meridian) because you could take a back street out of the motel over to Reno. That was several years ago so I have no idea what the motel is like now but it was clean and reasonable.
Thank you! That is great information. |
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Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | 1DSoon - 2017-02-12 3:38 PM cranky B4 10am - 2017-02-12 2:16 PM So, what is the gold card race precisely?
Also, where would you park if you use a generator?? We are contemplating getting hotel rooms, but don't know if there are hotels nearby??
Thanks! West and SW you will live if you stay in a hotel
East and NE you will be in the Ghetto and probably won't.
Several decent hotels on Reno Ave.
OK, good to know!  |
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Member
Posts: 27
| who do we contact about the r.v. spots if they are separate and how much would they cost per night? is it worth fighting over a r.v. spot or better to just get a hotel? pros and cons of both? trying to decide what to do and what is best financialy |
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 Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | Haven't been there since 2012 so hoping to get the time off to go back this year since I scrambled to qualify. Will be tricky because I have NASCAR duties two weeks later. |
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Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | I dread the RV spot fiasco but in the past, we've gotten in. |
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Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | Kmarie91 - 2017-02-13 9:56 AM who do we contact about the r.v. spots if they are separate and how much would they cost per night? is it worth fighting over a r.v. spot or better to just get a hotel? pros and cons of both? trying to decide what to do and what is best financialy
The web site I posted the link to above says RV sites are first come/first serve. From what others have posted, be there in line to get an RV as soon as they become available, otherwise plan on not getting one.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Central Texas | You can get to the grounds earlier than midnight, but you are not supposed to unload your horse or go in the barns before midnight. I was told there were people in the barns before midnight last year. If you have and RV (or using a horse trailer that won't have horses) you can go earlier and get in a spot at any time. You have to pay for that time too. The RV's have water and electric and a central dumping station that is easy to get to. There are about 330 I think, but they fill up quick. Last year was bad too because of the rain. There were several spots in standing water. If your trailer is only a 30 amp, bring a 50 amp converter in case thats all thats left. Generators park in any of the cement lots. I think it was $20 a night for the RV. When you are pulling in that night there is a guy handing out the reservation forms. It is FCFS. You aren't supposed to reserve spots, but people do. I had friends last year who unloaded thier golf cart and held their spot that way. The mom stayed at the golf cart while the others went to the barns to unload.
We ate at Cattleman's which isn't far from the arena and it was good. You have to send your entries in together to get stalls together. The stalls are very tall. Three of the walls are solid, and the front wall is small squared thick metal wire. It would be a feat to climb the stall door and steal tack (I'm sure there are people who do). You will see most people get a tack stall to keep feed and hay and such in. Just keep it locked at all times. When they assign stalls they assign them across from each other instead of side by side. This allows the horses to at least see each other.
Edited by txcajuncowgirl 2017-02-14 1:13 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| The big parking lot facing the barns is where I stayed last year. I got there about 1 or 2 Wednesday I think so we were at the back, but it was more spacious back there. We had plenty of room. I never brought my horses to the trailer since it was so far on concrete. I just took my saddles up there each time. A golf cart is very handy but not mandatory. But Im pretty sure I spent enough money in fuel what I would have spent renting a golf cart, and it would have been easier. I ran a generator the whole weekend because it was hot. I didn't even see the RV park and I know I will go back to the same spot I was last year and run my generator. I don't think anyone would regret going, it really is a lot of fun.
Word of advise, If you want to put your horse in one of the turn out pens, it is free, but DO NOT leave your horse or they will lock it in until you call them. |
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BBR Finals Questions