Some students at George County High School have a passion for the sport of barrel racing.
Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around present barrels in the fastest time.
Freshman Jayden Turner does barrel racing. Her best time is 16.4 seconds, and she wants to continue the sport in her future. Turner has two horses, Tank, 21 years old, and Chigger, 14 years old. She has always wanted to barrel race since she was little.
“Every horse is different,” Turner said. “The horses are unpredictable when it comes to the sport.”
Turner says the sport is a lot more dangerous than any other. There is a chance that the horse can throw the rider off itself and get stepped on or worse.
“You’re riding something that has its own mind,” Freshman Kara Hataway said.
Hataway says that barrel racing is different from most sports because the rider has an active partner with its own mind. She also states that barrel racing is not just about athletic ability.
Hataway competes with her horse, Jose. Her best time is 14.5 seconds. The TV show “Heartland” inspired her to barrel race. She wants to compete in the National Finals Rodeo in her future.
Sophomore Kaylee Parnell races with 18 seconds as her best time. She does the sport because she enjoys it and barrel racing runs through her family. Her dad barrel races and he inspires her to do the same. She also sees herself barrel racing in her future.
Parnell thinks that barrel racing is more competitive than most sports, and that is what makes the sport different from any other.
The sport is also very expensive. The competitors have to pay for lessons, accessories, entree fees, horse necessities, and much more.
Barrel racing horses can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $35,000 or more. Lessons can cost from $50 for a weekly lesson to as much as $175 dollars per lesson.
On the other hand, the students at George County High School that play the sport still have a burning passion for barrel racing .
