Go, Turn! Go, Turn! Go, Turn! Go Go Go!

Barrel Racing. My favourite rodeo event! Three barrels set in the arena in a triangular shape. A horse and rider gallop out of the chute at top speed, turn around each of the barrels in a cloverleaf pattern and gallop home.A simple pattern, but so difficult to pull off. The rules are simple: go around all three barrels, don't knock any down. The fastest one wins. Sounds easy enough? Oh, and you're going incredibly fast while your horse's body angle is at a 90 degree angle with the ground on the turns. And if your horse falls, it could land on top of you, and cripple you.... and you could die. :)

The most important thing is to trust your horse. They've got a mind of their own so you really need to build a bond with them before you can work effectively as a pair. They're your teammate, partner, and the only way you're getting around the barrels. Like Batman and Robin, except Robin weighs over a thousand pounds and could crush you on a whim!

I love it! The rush of adrenaline is incredible! My horse, Sabrina (her show name is appropriately Deck's Need4Speed), and I are both very enthusiastic about this sport. She's my crazy little baby and I love her! A purebred American Quarter Horse, she's bred for speed events and working cattle (which is harder than it sounds). She can turn on a dime, stop, and give you back a nickel in change. I've been working with her for 4 and a half years now, and we've built up such a partnership that nobody else can even think about being able to handle her like I can. She's temperamental, stubborn, full of attitude, listens when she feels like it, and is way more intelligent than any animal has a right to be! Everyone says that we're such a good team because we're so much alike! As soon as she sees me dragging out the barrels, she starts prancing and snorting in anticipation because all she wants to do is run, and boy can she ever run!

So that's what I do in my spare time and to blow off steam, and earn some ribbons in the summer!