New Brunswick, PEI, Barrel Horse Association

What is barrel racing/ Pole bending?

In barrel racing, the rider must take their horse around the cloverleaf pattern in the fastest time possible. But watch out as a tipped barrel results in a five-second penalty! Pole bending is timed event that features horse and rider, running a weaving or serpentine path around six poles arranged in a line.

Not only must the horse be swift, but it also must be intelligent enough to avoid tipping the barrels or poles, an infraction that adds five penalty seconds to the time and kills any chance for victory.

The horse also must be able to withstand the long roads a cowgirl/cowboy must travel to reach the next rodeo. If a horse is fast, competitive and reacts calmly to the demands of travel, chances are good that horse can stop the clock as quickly or quicker than the animal in the next trailer.

Because so many racers have finely tuned their skill, the sport is timed to the thousandth of a second. When the racer enters the arena, an electronic eye starts the clock. The clock is stopped the instant the horse completes the pattern.

Barrel racing at its core has changed little from the days when cowgirls and cowboys raced for minimal, if any, prize money and support. And though the prizes and exposure are greater now than ever, the ultimate goal remains essentially the same as in the past: stop the clock as quickly as possible.

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