Despite Less Riders Provincial Barrel Racing Galloped Like Clockwork

Story and Photos By Robert Thomas

It’s an event that brought hundreds of riders and horses to the community.

Over the last four days - August 14th to August 18th - the best barrel riders were in Moose Jaw taking part at the Saskatchewan Barrel Racing Association’s provincial championship.

“We had 308 barrel racing contestants at the Saskatchewan Barrel Racing Finals. They ranged in age from Pee Wees (seven and under), Youth (18 and under) and the Open 18 years of age and up,” Nicole Hicks vice-president of the Saskatchewan Barrel Racing Association said.

The largest horse show in the province has been held the past couple of years at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Association’s Golden Mile Arena.

Riders and horses descended on Moose Jaw from across Saskatchewan with a few riders coming from Alberta and Manitoba.

As the first year that the COVID - 19 pandemic is over the event actually saw a drop in participants from last year.

“Our numbers were down a little bit from last year. With the COVID over, with us out of COVID there are a lot of events going on not just Saskatchewan barrel racing. There are rodeos, there are other events with people choosing where they are going and the with the price of fuel it does not help things,” Hicks said.

“The price of fuel might have had a bit of an effect. But with different rodeos and events going on and whatnot had an impact.”

Despite the reduced number of riders said the event went well.

“It was a good week and everybody had lots of fun. The ground was good. Our new groundskeeper Rod Smith was good, he did a fantastic job,” she said, adding “we seemed to fly through with our daily events so we are pretty pleased.”

Hicks said she was happy to see the stands about half full on average throughout the event and she did see spectators she did not recognize from the barrel racing circuit.

“Yeah I saw a few people I did not recognize from the barrel racing world in the stands. It was nice,” Hicks said.

With COVID restriction now gone Hicks said “it is definitely less stressful in putting the event on.”

“We are not sitting here worrying about people wearing masks and being far enough apart from one another. It is just less stress to the event.”

The number of horse trailers and campers filled the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds with numerous trips off the grounds by riders and their family on ice cream and other assorted runs to local restaurants and merchants.

“I would think that it is a pretty big impact to the City of Moose Jaw. There are 300 people who come here so between restaurants and hotels those types of venues get used a lot during the event over the week,” Hicks said.

About next year the question is still up in the air if Moose Jaw will once again be hosting event as the board has yet to decide where to hold the annual event.

“We plan to be back. At lest I am hoping we will be back. We are looking at other venues as they send in quotes so we will see if we are back here next year.”