Terrebonne rider wins barrel racing

Brenda Mays of Terrebonne, partnered with her horse Jethro, found the perfect combination of speed and form to sweep the field away with a time of just over 17 seconds to win the barrel racing event in last weekend's Sisters Rodeo.

"I knew that I was having a good run, but I didn't come expecting to win. I was very lucky today," said Mays.

Barrel racing is all about cooperation between horse and rider, and in a perfect partnership both will excel. Because of the demands of the competition and money involved, finding a good horse for a partner is very important to the competitors. A top-of-the-line barrel horse can cost thousands of dollars.

The money can be there as well for the competitor who can remain on the edge. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr came here from Texas as one of the top ranked barrel racers in the world.

"She (Pozzi-Pharr) has won over $200,000 since the beginning of this rodeo season," said Sisters Rodeo Announcer Curt Robinson.

The barrel racing event is held in a cleared arena where three barrels are set up at different marked locations. The riders then enter the arena and ride flat out rounding each barrel in a cloverleaf pattern and then exit where they entered. An electronic timer is used that registers the time down to a hundredth of a second.

Age doesn't seem to be a factor for the competitors.

"I have been doing it for more than 20 years. I am 38 now and hope to keep it up for a long time," said Mays, who indicated she will continue until she can't stay on the horse during a turn.

Although this is a normal rodeo event, the logistics are more difficult for the women than for the men.

"The girls that compete in this event have it much harder than the guys. The guys can fly to their events and borrow the horse and equipment, but the girls have to drive everywhere. They can put on 40,000 miles a year," said Robinson.

The number of events for the competitors is surprising to those who are not familiar with the rodeo circuit.

Nataly Mattox of Roseburg said, "I had a baby earlier this year, and I will probably only go to 20 rodeos this year as it is a little harder with the baby. In order to go to the nationals, you need to compete in 60 to 80 or maybe even 100 rodeos in a year. I hope to be able to go to the nationals so I will increase the number I go to in the next few years."

Sisters is a favorite location for many barrel racers.The arena is a little larger and is always in great shape according to the competitors.

"I really like going to Sisters; my horse really likes it there, too. He has been running there for four years," said Mays.