Dirt flies as barrel racer Lindsay Emerson takes off into the arena, heart racing, wind in her hair and a sparkle on her lucky earrings – as well as her eye.
“I’ve been barrel racing basically all my life,” Emerson, 41, of Tecumseh says. “I grew up around horses and we went to rodeos all the time. I’ve been riding competitively since I was nine or 10.”
Barrel racing is a heart-pounding trial against the clock, where riders follow a course of three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern, according to the National Quarter Horse Association. Riders choose to circle either the right or left barrel first, race to the opposite barrel and complete the course after circling the third barrel and racing down the center to stop the timer. Knocking over a barrel carries a five-second penalty.
“It encompasses so much,” says Ross Wright, founder of Better Barrel Races (BBR) an association that produces top-paying competitions that draw riders from all over the world. “There’s speed, there’s really nice horses, athletic ability and just being part of that western lifestyle, which has really been embraced lately.”
It’s a life that is a family tradition for many.
“My mom ran barrels before I was ever born,” Wright says, “so I was pretty much born into the sport. I’ve been barrel racing my whole life.”
Emerson, who placed in the BBR Top 10 a few years ago, brought her daughter Delaney, 11, into the sport as well.
“I started when I was six,” says Delaney Emerson, who, along with her horse, Blackjack, has already picked up a few buckles in her career. “I like riding horses because I kind of grew up around them, and I like riding them because I think they’re fun. The only times I get nervous are when I’m warming up, and then once I’m in there, I’m just relaxed.”
Certain qualities mark a successful barrel racer, Wright says, beyond just having a great horse.
“You definitely have to have perseverance and determination,” she says. “And the self-motivation to go out every day and ride.”
Camaraderie is one of the reasons riders love – and stick with – the sport.
“You develop a lot of great relationships that are pretty everlasting,” says Wright. “You make a lot of friends from all over the country, and sometimes all over the world. You meet people and get to find out different things about different places that you might not otherwise. There’s a lot of opportunity.”
Emerson mentions that anyone can become a fan of barrel racing.
“The majority of barrel races, with the exception of rodeos, are free to watch,” she says. “So find a barrel race in your community and go watch. It’s fun and exciting to pick your favorite horse and your favorite rider and cheer them on.”
The Better Barrel Races World Finals competition comes to OKC’s Oklahoma State Fair Park for action-packed days in the arena beginning on April 21.
