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In our continuing effort to improve rodeo elements for
our members we want to address the changes that have
been made this year at RodeoHouston for the barrel racers.
- Arena: The arena, for
the barrel race, will be shortened this year to make room
for accommodating the concert staging and to keep the
ground more consistent between and around the barrels.
This will be done by putting in a panel fence on the concert
stage end as shown in the photo of the arena. By doing
this it will alleviate the need to move the staging over
the barrel pattern each performance, which in the past
has made the ground around the third barrel particularly
hard and packed As a result the barrel racing will be
the final event of the rodeo instead of bull riding like
in past years.
- The pattern: This year's
barrel pattern will be smaller than previous years due
to the shortened arena. This year's pattern is as follows:
Barrel Pattern:
- The timer will be set right inside the entry gate
approximately 14 feet from the bucking chutes.
- The distance from the timers to the first and second
barrels is 40 feet 1 inch.
- In between the first and second barrel the distance
is 80 feet.
- From the first and second to the third the distance
is also 80 feet.
- The last barrel will be 25 feet 6 inches off the panel
fence.
- Electronic eyes: There
were issues with the electric timers not functioning
last year and research determined that it had to do
with interference from too many wireless frequencies
in a confined area. This year RodeoHouston has hard
wired one timer and there will be 2 wireless timers
as back-up.
- Riding times: Riding times
for barrel racer will be 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. every
day
- Other information: The
chuck wagon race will be held prior to the barrel race
but there will be a tractor drag prior to the actual
barrel race. Also immediately after the barrel race
there will be a short fireworks show in the building,
so please get your horses out of the building as quickly
as possible following your run to avoid any spooked
horses.
We hope these changes will be of benefit to our members
competing at RodeoHouston and make it a more fair competition.
Best of luck to all those entered.
WPRA Administration
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