Barrel racing may look like an easy event, however it is certainly not for the faint-hearted. The horsemanship skills and drive in this event make it a real crowd pleaser.

The contestant enters the arena at full speed on a sprinting Quarter Horse. As they start the cloverleaf pattern, the horse and rider trigger an electronic eye that starts the clock. They run the pattern around three barrels positioned in the arena and sprint back out of the arena tripping the eye and stopping the clock.

The contestant can touch the barrels as long as she doesn't knock them over. This results in a five second penalty added to her time for each barrel knocked over. This can spell disaster in an event where the time is measured in hundredths of seconds.