For western riders--what is considered a good barrel racing time?

Question

My qh gelding is 14 but still has a lot of go! Now we're barrel racing, and I'm gonna clock us to see where we're at. And with these answers, I'll know how much progress we're making and what to expect next year at the fair. And wether we need a lot of improvement.

Answer 1

I'd say that the average time I got was about 15 seconds, but I stopped barrel racing around Christmas when we sold my barrel horse. Try to get under 20 seconds.

Answer 2

The woman who owns the barn that I board at is a very talented barrel racer, and regularly competes.  She usually gets somewhere between almost 14 seconds and 15 seconds.  This woman has won all sorts of money, saddles, and even belt buckles!  At a race that I tagged along for, a woman won that evening's race with a 13 second run!

Answer 3

My horse "Ole' Blue" ran 13 & 1/2 EVERY time.  But we had to retire...we got too old ;(        But I think 14 - 15 is very good time.

        GOOD LUCK!!    :D

Answer 4

well a bronze time in 4-h is a 17 flat so a 17 or below is very good.

Answer 5

this is a tricky questions because not all patterns are the same. Some arenas like locals or fairs do not run NBHA or Rodeo patterns. I have run barrels for almost 20 years and I remember there was a long pattern that 18 and 19 was tough to beat and I remember the first time I took my regular barrel horse to a 15/16 rodeo pattern we over shot every barrel because all of our timing was off. Also in NBHA the times are graduated based on a 1-d time so even if your gelding is not running as the top of the ladder, you can still place in shows like that by having consistency at his particular level. The best thing is lots of practice because he depends on you to bring out the best in him.

Answer 6

I did a lot of barrel racing when I was younger. Not so much anymore. 18 was a good time when I was younger, but now you need to be in the low 16's to be at the top. I don't know why they started 4D barrel racing. I don't like it. Having 4 catagories to win and a person who gets a worse time than you could get money and you get none, depending on how the split goes. I don't know a lot about it, but it doesn't seem fair. When I barrel raced, the best times won. Simple and fair. That is my opinion. That's how they do it at the rodeo's too.

Answer 7

16 seconds is a good one...

Answer 8

at the rodeo at my home town alot of the top ppl get 18's