Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time.
Though both boys and girls compete at the youth level and men compete in some amateur venues and jackpots, in collegiate and professional ranks, it is primarily a rodeo event for women. It combines the horse’s athletic ability and the horsemanship skills of a rider in order to safely and successfully maneuver a horse in a pattern around three barrels (typically three fifty-five gallon metal or plastic drums) placed in a triangle in the center of an arena.
Usually the established distances are 90 feet between barrels 1 and 2, 105 feet between barrels 1 and 3 and 2 and 3, and 60 feet from barrels 1 and 2 to the and 3, and 1 and 3. score line.
In larger arenas, there is a maximum allowable distance of 105 feet between barrels 1 and 2, and a maximum distance of 120 feet between barrels 2
Barrels 1 and 2 must be at least 18 feet from the sides of the arena; in smaller arenas this distance may be less, but in no instance should the barrels be any closer than 15 feet from the sides of the arena.
Barrel 3 should be no closer than 25 feet to the end of the arena, and should be set no more than 15 feet longer than the first and second barrel. If arena size permits, barrels must be set 60 feet or further apart. In small arenas it is recommended the pattern be reduced proportionately to a standard barrel pattern.
A variation called the Camas Prairie Stump Race is a match race in which two horses race against each other on identical circuits opposite the start-finish line. The riders start beside each other facing in opposite directions, and the first horse and rider back across the line win the race. The races continue until all but the last is eliminated. It is not a timed event.
It is one of five game classes approved for horse club shows by the Appaloosa Horse Club. The ApHC rules state that racing competition is traditional to the Nez Perce Native American people, but it’s unclear if it’s derived from any traditional competition.