Weekend Review - IBRA/NBHA at Porchview Arena, Acme, Penn.

On one of the coldest days so far this fall, western Pennsylvania's barrel racers headed to Porchview Arena in Acme, Penn., to show down in one of the last barrel races before many head to the All American Quarter Horse Congress. For many of the youth, the pressure was on to have one of the last good runs before the Congress. In the open, though, it would prove to be a pee-wee's show, as Julie Siesky, the leading Penn-Ohio pee-wee, set a pace atop her mother's retired barrel horse early in the night that held throughout the 70 horses in the Open 4-D. 

What: IBRA/NBHA Barrel Race, 3D Youth, 3D Open, 4D Open, 3D Masters

Who: Barrel racers and pole benders from the Tri-state area, many IBRA members

Added Money: $300 added in the 4D, $25 added in the Youth

The Ground: The major complaint of the show was that the ground was not sticky enough for some horses that really needed to get down deep in it. It did seem rather loose, but no major falls or accidents happened because of the ground. It was pretty safe. The fastest time of the day was run in the Masters, with Roger Bracken cracking a 15.2, but nothing was faster. 

Overall: Some great horses ran some great times at this show. It was great to see Julie Siesky win the open with a 15.4, as later her mother said this was her first 1D check ever. A lot of people ran in the 15s, showing the consistency of the competitors in the area. 

The weather put a damper on the fun, and the mud outside the arena got lots of splint boots filthy. Parking became kind of a nightmare as many people were parked in because those who pulled in later were trying to avoid parking in the field and getting stuck in the mud, although the mud in the fields ended up not being too bad. 

Porchview's show committee had some great warm soup and coffee to keep everyone warm, though. Some vendors also showed up to sell sparkly tack, jewelry and purses. 

Weekend Review - Henderson's Arena - Jackson, Ohio

The final weekend of summer drew in huge crowds and top horses at Henderson's Arena in Jackson, Ohio. With exhibition only on Friday night, by 6 p.m. Friday the parking lots were full and electric hook-ups were scarce. When all was said and done, though, Ohioans Kelly Pitts and Brad Shirey took home the wins in the 1D on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. 

What: NBHA OH District 05 Money Maker.

Who: Hundreds and hundreds of barrel racers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. The Open had over 350 horses on Saturday night. 

Added Money: $2000 each night in the Open 3D.

The Ground: As usual, the ground at Henderson's was soft and deep, generally in a good way. Some people came out of the pen complaining the ground was too deep, but most thought it was fine. The tractor drivers did a good, quick job working the arena, helping the huge show to move along. After every 100 horses they ran a big drag that kept the ground holding. The ground was not particularly fast, though, as 15.5s and 15.6s have won at Henderson's before, and usually a few more horses get into the 15s than just the three or four that did this weekend. 

Overall: This was a top-of-the-line show. Many of the best horses in the area showed up to run here. The barns were packed, and the parking lots were crammed. With well over 100 in the Youth each day, too, the show was a huge success and really drew in the talent. 

Although the committee only held exhibition Friday night, if you needed to do some tuning the barrels were set up in Henderson's outdoor arena, where the ground was soft and the pattern isn't much different from inside the arena. 

Aside from just the ground, the competition and the added money, the hospitality at Henderson's Arena could not be better. The food stand offers a wide array of delicious Southeast Ohio's best home-cooked meals and desserts at reasonable prices. Even more, Henderson's Western Wear and Tack Shop had some great sales and always has the latest in western fashion that's hard to find anywhere else on the East Coast. 

Results: Kelly Pitts on Tin Zan Man won Saturday night with a 15.964, and Brad Shirey took home all the money Sunday with a smoking 15.838. 

Heads Up on a Great Local Barrel Race

This September 12 and 13 Simmon's Equestrian Center  will be holding the September Sizzler, giving out three Tod Slone saddles in a dramatic fashion. This show isn't just giving out saddles to the fastest, a huge amount of consistency will come into play for the show. 

To win the PeeWee saddle, kids and ponies have to qualify in the first Pee Wee class, and the top ten from that class get the chance to run for the saddle later in the day. 

The show committee also threw together a "Target Race," in which a rider choses one class plus his or her run in the 4D to combine to come up with a target time. The fastest combined time wins the saddle. For example, a rider could designate his or her run in the Warm Up Barrels to combine with his or her run in the 4D. Youth have the option of using their runs in the Youth class for the Target Race. 

Even more, the Open 4D has $2,000 added Saturday, and the Warm Up class even has $500 added. Winners in each division of the Open, Youth and place winners in the slot race will all receive trophy halters. 

Hats off to the organizers of this show to throwing together what already looks like a great barrel race!

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Good Luck n Leave 'Em Up!

For everyone headed out this weekend, best of luck where ever you're going. TheBarrelRacingBlog is headed to Ford City, Penn., for the Fort Armstrong Barrel Racing Association show in Memory of Bob Buchleitner.

Check back Monday morning for a weekend review of the show, complete with results, photo slideshows and even some video!

Shoeing for the Ground We Run On - A Lesson Learned

Looking at upcoming barrel races on barrelhorses.com, I stumbled across an event I know all-too-well: The All-American Youth Barrel Race in Jackson, Miss.

After a great year on my horse in 2001, my parents agreed to drive me to Mississippi for this event. If I remember, some 800 other kids ran there that year, and Talmadge and Mike Green raised $25,000 in added money, with saddles given in every go in every division.


I was so excited - other than the Congress, this was the only "big" show I had ever run. It was the first time I had ever traveled further south than West Virginia for a barrel race, and unfortunately, the first time my horse had ever run in deep sand.


In the northern parts of the country, we find ourselves running in harder-packed dirt and clay mixes, sometimes with a bit of sand added. My horse had just slight rimmed shoes on, perfect for running in our northern dirt. BIG mistake.


In the first go, we wrapped one and two, but when we came around three, my horse's back end slipped right out from underneath her. She caught herself, jerked her joints up off the ground and ran home. We ended up in the 4D after all of that, and I qualified for the finals.

In the second go, Onyx couldn't turn at all. She wouldn't even get close to a barrel - completely unlike her. We just couldn't figure it out; I schooled all night in the practice pen but could not get a decent turn. The same thing happened in the finals the next day. At 14, I was devastated. I cried the whole 20-hour drive home.

When we got her home, she was nailing barrels where ever I took her. She won youth classes the whole month of July and never looked back.

Until August, when I noticed something just wasn't right with her back end. I took her to the vet, and low and behold, she had fractured her hip during that run in Mississippi and had been running on it ever since. Luckily, our vets at Fox Run Equine Center got us into a study for shock wave therapy , which healed her in about six months. She is still running today, with much thanks to Fox Run.

Moral of this story - BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU TRAVEL. I try to switch shoes depending on the ground at a particular time of year (much to the dismay of my shoer who thinks I'm a pain). When I'm heading down south like last weekend, I have pegs in my sidewinder shoes. In the good indoor arenas, I have a lot less grab with just a rim shoe.
At right, the sidewinder.

Getting Started...

As the spring season heats up, we're all getting ready to move on to new things - outdoor arenas with our young horses, futurities, rodeos, etc. While I'm running a new young horse, I'm also trying something else new. I'm getting this blog underway to give myself a voice in the industry - I'm going to be commenting on everything from the ground at arenas I hit to new products I try to new ways my horse comes up with to hurt herself. I'll also feature interviews from interesting people I meet along the way and provide show results whenever I get them. If you have any suggestions for anything  you'd like to see on this site, please, please let me know! 

It's Henderson's Arena in Jackson, Ohio, this weekend for an NBHA show. Exhibition starts at 8 a.m. If you'll be there, let me know and give me a shout!