Rodeo Barrel Racing Terminology and Facts

Barrel racing is an event that is competed in by children from the time they can walk to professionally competing women. The concept of barrel racing seems very simple, but in practice it is very complex and is highly competitive in most places. To truly understand barrel racing in its entirety it is beneficial to learn about it using a step-by-step approach.

The event start with three barrels standing in a triangle in the arena, and the competitor enters the arena mounted on horseback and heads toward either the left or right barrel. The time starts when the horse crosses a set of electric eyes that are set approximately one hundred feet from the barrels. The barrel that the barrel racer goes to the first barrel, which is called first, then a competitor, continues to the opposite barrel or second and finally the point barrel. The competitor goes to the inside of the barrel and then progresses around it and then continues to the next barrel. The first barrel turned is in one lead and the other two are turned in the opposite lead. The horse changes leads between the first and second barrels, when the rider also changes the hand that they have on the reins. The distance that the barrel racer leaves from the barrel when entering the turn is known as the pocket. The goal of barrel racing is to obviously complete the pattern as quickly as possible. Additionally, for every barrel the competitor knocks over they are assigned a five second penalty. Some other penalties can be administered to a barrel racers time based on the ground rules or the rules that are posted and determined by those people putting on the barrel race or the organization.

At many barrel races, the format is known as a four division (4D) or five division (5D), in which there is awards and payout for competitors sent at different time increments from the fast time of the contest. This is very common for barrel racing organizations and is a way of handicapping the event.