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Expert
Posts: 1561
  
| Rules are rules, I just dont like it when some are called out for making a circle when the producers daughter is facing the wrong direction and side passing across the entire arena without a word said. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | At our typical jackpots (25-30 ppl normally) people we aren't super sticky about if your circle, or timing you out for a gate issue. 90% of the time it's the same ladies who come to all the local jackpots and sometimes issues arise. I've yet to time someone out for schooling at the gate at the local jackpots we host simply because we're usually all friends and no one cares if it takes a bit longer to school a horse. We've shuffled the next person up if it's taking a bit longer then a min or two but that would never fly at something bigger. Here it's small local jackpots where we're at least well acquainted with one and other and these occasions are few and far between and we're okay waiting on a fellow BB who needs the occasional bit of extra time. I have friends a couple hours away who have to invoke a time limit, or circling rule at their jackpots simply because they get some girls that come that have chronic gate issues and can't get their horses in without a lot of time and extra help. Luckily locally we haven't had much of that.
I've joined a committee that host a larger 100-200 ppl event in the fall so was looking for input on how the bigger shows get through it so quickly. We have an awesome announcer and great grounds crew and the suggestions that are coming are fantastic and have given us some great ideas.
It's a smaller pen (80 x 200) so we can really only get one tractor going but we have an in and out gate. All the runs here are closed gate as for some reason none of the arenas have alley ways. I love the suggestions that have come in and I think this years event will certainly be a bit quicker then the previous years.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Missouri | there have been several great ideas! I will be helping with a big barrel race around here in July - for a 1 day show we have so far $3000 in the open, $1000 in youth and $1000 in adult! we are hoping to have more $ in the open by show, so I love hearing all the ideas about running one more quickly! we are hoping for a really big show! lol | |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| It also matters how big your pattern is. A lot of the shows that can run 50-60 an hour are running 14-15-16 second patterns. The timer is set super close to the entry to preclude dinking around. You catch a lead in the warmup pen and lope down the alley. Smaller regions that only draw 40 can get away with circling, etc. I grew up running in Wyoming, and was in a bit of a culture shock when I went to run in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana at their big barrel races. It also matters what kind of shape the ground is in. Fast, safe ground is highly valued and 'ground men' are hired specially to keep the ground right. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: Great NW | 1. 2-3 tractors
2. a GREAT announcer - that keeps things moving. announces the next 3- every rider then at drags announces the next 10 riders.
3. A holding pen big enough to hold the next one or two rakes.
4. a good gate system(I like the winged gate system - as long as your riders will stay to the front and they are only allowed to come in or leave during rakes.
5. Forward motion rule, no circling and a 60 second time limit.
6. Start on time.
Usually semi big rakes at 50 and Big Drags at 100. for some arenas. some can handle skipping the semi-big rakes.
The Announcer needs to be upbeat and keep things moving. If you start the race out strict the whole thing will go smoothly - if you let one person dilly dally then others will take a mile. No need to disqualify - fine them $10 bucks. it usually is enough to get them ready to run when their name is called.
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  Extreme Veteran
Posts: 494
Location: La Frontera | Make sure the batteries in the timers are new and have extra batteries on hand. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1440
Location: Texas | NJJ - 2014-02-09 8:56 AM
FlyingHigh1454 - 2014-02-08 9:11 PM And it shouldn't matter. IMO
I disagree, as do most producers who put on shows of 100+ entries or more.......It DOES matter........If every one of the 100 entries takes just a "mere" 30 seconds to WALK in the gate and circle a couple of times, it ADDS almost 1 hour to the show.....it is ONE of the biggest time consumer "hogs" for a show producer.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| CYA Ranch - 2014-02-09 10:14 AM
FlyingHigh1454 - 2014-02-08 9:11 PM NJJ - 2014-02-08 6:46 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-02-08 4:48 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-02-08 4:43 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-02-08 4:36 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-02-08 4:30 PM FlyingHigh1454 - 2014-02-08 3:19 PM dianeguinn - 2014-02-08 12:37 PM ThreeCorners - 2014-02-07 11:41 AM Besides the arena crew and multiple tractors for the drags, I think probably the biggest time savor most efficient set up to run so many so fast is setting up the wings. That way you have your next 5 in during the drags in the holding area, and there is no waiting on the gate and the alley way cluster. Also, it eliminates the bad to start alley way issues that eat up so much time. 99.999% of horses with alley way issues have no issues with the wings set up. Also, at our big shows, they are not allowed to come in and circle and then go....or walk down the alley, look in, go back up the alley and then start. Once you enter the alley, you must keep a forward motion down the alley or you will be DQ'ed. That speeds it up a lot. I watch videos from other places where they walk in, circle a couple of times and jack with their horses and I'm thinking.....geez, just start your run already!!! If that is allowed, then I see why it's slow. I do think multiple tractors are needed, but we do have one local jackpot that a gal drags, and she has that tractor in high gear and does a good job. It doesn't take her very long to drag. I would never go to a place again if they DQ'd you for running your horse how it likes to be ran. I know for a little while while Dee was just started running in, I had to walk her down the alley and show her the barrels or we would end up on the other side of the arena. Don't judge how others want to run their horse. We have never had anyone say anything about people taking their time. Rushing is what causes mess ups and knocked barrels. I've ran at a lot of events and there has never been a problem, large or small. So It could just be your part of the country, because here no one cares. It's however you want to go in. I wasn't meaning she was specifically judging (although it kinda came out that way ) more of, around here, we don't care how you want to run. If you have enough room, circle if you need to. That is how all races, big or small, are around here. (Within reasonable time, of course, don't spend 5 minutes getting ready, generally 2 circles max and go ). I don't circle mine, since she is much better running through now. I'm simply saying that around here, it doesn't matter. And it shouldn't matter. IMO
I run in Indiana and Kentucky, most times 100+ people in open on usual days. Big AQHA shows don't even have that rule, and they are rule crazy with very large turnouts. It doesn't cause a problem for me because I run straight in, but it is a stupid rule . That is my opinion and I would for sure be mad if they ever had it at any of our races, because we always finish in plenty of time, even on extra large turnout days. We do have the 60 second limit though, and a 1 minute gate call to get in the arena or your DQ'd (and that is strict). It may just be me though, I believe all the racers around here would agree.  | |
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