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 I'm not opinionated
Posts: 4597
  
Location: Online | I live in a completely different part of the country as you. But I have found in my years of barrel racing is the committees don't give a rat's ass about the barrel racing ground. They go in with a water truck and an "arena groomer" the day before after letting it sit like concrete for months and think since it's "pretty" then it's good. They have no idea. The only way to get anyone's attention is to have someone who actually runs barrels and understands what it takes to have good ground to get on the committee. Then just maybe they will put some effort into it. This is part of the reason I have given up rodeos. It's not worth crippling my horse for a few hundred bucks.
If it's not the ground prep, it's the entertainment acts during the rodeo. Just ask those who ran at Joseph, Oregon....... |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| You are right rodeomom, the ground committee usually doesn't care, but if the girls would start making noise before the rodeo it might open their eyes. Maybe even get the media involved. No one wants bad publicity, especially rodeo right now. But until the girls get together and figure out how they want to address this issue, it's not getting resolved. Rodeo ground doesn't need to be perfect but it durn sure should be safe. |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | Way back when I first started hauling to rodeos with friends, I used to comment about the ground a lot. Later, when I was approached about maybe hauling some horses for girls to run when needed, a good friend and someone who had been rodeoing for years said to me "I know you're used to good ground and if you think that you might pull up somewhere, not like the ground and not want your horses to run on it, don't tell the girls that you will haul them. This is a whole different deal and you're not always going to like it, but if you sign on for it, stick to it.". That being said, there are times that I watch my horses head up the alley and pray the entire run. There have also been times when the girls might come back to the trailer and say "Can you come look at the ground? It's looking pretty sketchy and a few girls have already turned out".
At the end of the day, the committee should be responsible. In some cases, they don't know how to work the ground. In other cases, they may have other concerns that are higher on their priority list. Either way, it is our responsibility as owners, riders and contestants to do what we feel is best. If that means paying fees and a fine because we chose not to run a horse on certain ground, those are the rules of the game that we signed on to play. |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| i could not agree more i and many others truly believe that the ground not be dragged caused the ground to break underneath doc so i now sit in a wheelchair
rather than a saddle i am a quad not a low para like amberley |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
 
Location: Displaced Iowegian | I agree that it is the rodeo committee's responsibility to see that the ground is safe....that being said....EVERY association has a Barrel Racing Director. It is HER responsibility to contact and keep in touch with the committees to provide safe ground....THAT is what she is elected to do.......If the committee fails, she (or her designated person) should contact the judges to see if the situation can be resolved before the rodeo begins....JMO! |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| NJJ - 2015-08-02 11:35 AM
I agree that it is the rodeo committee's responsibility to see that the ground is safe....that being said....EVERY association has a Barrel Racing Director. It is HER responsibility to contact and keep in touch with the committees to provide safe ground....THAT is what she is elected to do.......If the committee fails, she (or her designated person) should contact the judges to see if the situation can be resolved before the rodeo begins....JMO!
Good point!!! |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| GLP - 2015-08-02 12:21 PM
NJJ - 2015-08-02 11:35 AM
I agree that it is the rodeo committee's responsibility to see that the ground is safe....that being said....EVERY association has a Barrel Racing Director. It is HER responsibility to contact and keep in touch with the committees to provide safe ground....THAT is what she is elected to do.......If the committee fails, she (or her designated person) should contact the judges to see if the situation can be resolved before the rodeo begins....JMO!
Good point!!!
I don't think the any director at our rodeo has ever been on a horse. I seriously doubt that the association that caughtyawl's ran in had a barrel Racing director and if the did, I can tell you they knew nothing about the ground.
Edited by streakysox 2015-08-02 12:39 PM
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| streakysox - 2015-08-02 12:33 PM
GLP - 2015-08-02 12:21 PM
NJJ - 2015-08-02 11:35 AM
I agree that it is the rodeo committee's responsibility to see that the ground is safe....that being said....EVERY association has a Barrel Racing Director. It is HER responsibility to contact and keep in touch with the committees to provide safe ground....THAT is what she is elected to do.......If the committee fails, she (or her designated person) should contact the judges to see if the situation can be resolved before the rodeo begins....JMO!
Good point!!!
I don't think the barrel Racing director at our rodeo has ever been on a horse.
Educate her. People not familiar with barrel racing have to be educated by some one who is. I thought I had a working knowledge about feed until Rachelnelly(?) and Herbie shared their knowledge. Of course not every one will want to learn. Then it is up to the local barrel racers to get some one who will care or bug the person who appoints the director until they do appoint some one acceptable. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | Nevertooold - 2015-08-01 7:14 PM
kakbarrelracer - 2015-08-01 3:22 PM Â Seems like it would be kind of hard to make many changes when the NFR ground crew doesn't care enough to make the ground good. I think it affected more than just the barrel racers too. It made the NFR pretty disappointing to watch.
I couldn't agree more.Â
Back in the 1970's we were fighting this fight about rodeo ground and there hasn't been much progress.Â
This is the saddest thing I've heard all day. Surely we can band together in some way. We have to change this, perhaps if we promote barrel racing and make it more of a draw, or demand more from the committees, we could change this
It just frustrates me to hear this. I am an amateur and i wamt the pro girls to know i have their back. I want to do my part.
Edited by kewlcowgurl 2015-08-02 6:50 PM
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I will not spend my dollars, but rodeo goes on cause there are people who dont care about there horses amd allow them to run on that ****ty ground. Yall can get mad i just wont even look that way. Old enough i dont miss it either. One rodeo ther did not stake barrels and move the third which some taped and brought to me moved three feet in, of course times where faster i loaded my hors next day andhad to get a pass to get out cause they where having a horse sale told them they where cery unproessional, i had a big time rodeo girl there trying to get them to do 3 reruns. Cause of that barrel. Other little rodeo tricks are the timer was wrong had to use backup when some there says they where doing that kn good runners. Bull hockey, petty stuff. At least at the big d shows they are fair and try to have good ground. I done with rodeos. If everyone would boycott they would change,
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Posts: 3006
Location: OREGON | The sad thing is how many don't care and run their horses anyway. So many good horses get career ending injuries from crappy ground. NO rodeo is worth ruining my horse! Wish more people thought the same. |
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Member
Posts: 6
Location: Oregon | I live in a completely different part of the country as you. But I have found in my years of barrel racing is the committees don't give a rat's ass about the barrel racing ground. They go in with a water truck and an "arena groomer" the day before after letting it sit like concrete for months and think since it's "pretty" then it's good. They have no idea. The only way to get anyone's attention is to have someone who actually runs barrels and understands what it takes to have good ground to get on the committee. Then just maybe they will put some effort into it. This is part of the reason I have given up rodeos. It's not worth crippling my horse for a few hundred bucks.
If it's not the ground prep, it's the entertainment acts during the rodeo. Just ask those who ran at Joseph, Oregon.......
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As I sit here with 3 fractured ribs from my horse falling on the second barrel at Joseph, I agree with you 200%
Edited by webejameen 2015-08-03 12:18 AM
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 Saint Stacey
| Â It's the committees job to work the ground. Most are volunteers that have never swung a leg over a horse, let alone a barrel horse, and they simply have no idea. Case and point...Akron CO. last year it was really hard and slick. Head horses couldn't even keep their feet under them. The judges stopped slack and made them dig the ground then they let everyone run again if they wanted. There were a LOT of complaints. This was their 3rd year to have a PRCA rodeo. Because of last year, the entries were way down. But that committee started asking around and got input from the girls. This year the ground was MUCH better. It actually got a little deep. My theory is that if I'm not volunteering my time or trying to make a difference...then I shouldn't complain. If I do complain, I'd better be kind about it and not a racing biatch. People respond much better to someone who tries to be kind over an ass chewer any day. Barrel racers gave a bad reputation for just being total wenches that yell and scream. |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | There are certain producers that are notorious for not giving a crap about groud. There are others who are amazing and pretty super about getting feed back. They don't want their bucking stock on crap ground either.
I rodeo now more than I ever have. I have been to barrel races that had worse ground than rodeos. It all depends on who is working it and how much knowledge they have. I care very deeply for my horses, but they also know how to turn correctly and take care of themselves. They won't run if they don't feel safe. I had issues with gorund a 2 of the 4 rodeos I was at this weekend. 1 was slick as snot underneath, one had way too much water on it and was sticky, my 3rd and 4th runs the arenas had been sitting for almost a year and had grass in them the night before, but were the safest, most even of the weekend. My horse still ran in safe mode at the last 2 but managed to place.
How to fix the bad ones? Some places just shouldn't have rodeos because no amount of working will make the ground even and safe for 3 nights of rodeo and 60+ barrel racers. Others just need a little push and fire lit. IN our Ammy association the barrel directors are pretty good about getting after people, but they can't be at 6-8 different rodeos in a weekend when they are competeing too.
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Veteran
Posts: 276
| I agree with get yourself a good Barrel Director. There is just no way to make the stock contractors or the committee care about the ground for the barrel race. If you can find a knowledgeable lady to be the director and take it upon herself to call the committees beforehand in order to ensure that everything is the best it can be, you'll have a lot more luck than just waiting to see how it was after the fact. A lot of times too, it helps to have local barrel racers check into this for everyone. They may know someone who has some good equipment and can get them on the ball about getting the pen ideal. Those places that are notorious for bad ground year after year? Quit going. And send the committee a letter (not snarky, but get your point across) and tell them why you aren't going. That is all I know to do. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 823
Location: East Texas | Here is Cheyenne. It has more gravel in it than my drive way.
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas | CrossDRanch - 2015-08-03 6:11 PM
Here is Cheyenne. It has more gravel in it than my drive way.
I loved the ground up there!
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | streakysox - 2015-08-02 12:33 PM
GLP - 2015-08-02 12:21 PM
NJJ - 2015-08-02 11:35 AM
I agree that it is the rodeo committee's responsibility to see that the ground is safe....that being said....EVERY association has a Barrel Racing Director. It is HER responsibility to contact and keep in touch with the committees to provide safe ground....THAT is what she is elected to do.......If the committee fails, she (or her designated person) should contact the judges to see if the situation can be resolved before the rodeo begins....JMO!
Good point!!!
I don't think the any director at our rodeo has ever been on a horse. I seriously doubt that the association that caughtyawl's ran in had a barrel Racing director and if the did, I can tell you they knew nothing about the ground.
In the associations I run, all event directors are nominated and voted on by contestants. The barrel racing director is a contestant. It is her job to be out there and make sure the barrels are staked correctly, timers in the right place, etc, etc. just like the breakaway director has to make sure cattle is being sorted correctly and pushed.
I agree the ground should be worked by the committee, but if there is any concern beforehand (the arena has a bad rap), the barrel racing director should contact that particular commitee and express her concern. Most rodeos around her are run at arenas that see barrel races often, so they stay worked pretty decent. A lot of times they'll be harder for a rodeo, but not dangerous. I guess we're lucky. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | CrossDRanch - 2015-08-03 6:11 PM
Here is Cheyenne. It has more gravel in it than my drive way.
Wow... Your driveway must suck....   |
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