Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get a handle on the times and setups used at the Thomas & Mack Arena for barrel racing. It’s like the place for the NFR, so figuring out the patterns and what works there felt like a good challenge. Here’s how I went about it.
Digging for Info
First, I scoured the internet. I looked for any videos I could find of barrel racing at the Thomas & Mack. YouTube was a goldmine, obviously. I watched tons of runs, trying to get a feel for the distances between barrels and how the horses handled the turns.
Mapping It Out
Then, I tried to find some kind of diagram or layout of the arena, specifically for barrel racing setups. Honestly, that was tougher than I expected. There’s a lot of general info about the Thomas & Mack, but not so much on the specifics of the barrel placement. I did find some discussions on forums, with people sharing their estimations, but nothing concrete.
Putting it to the Test
So, what did I do? I grabbed my measuring tape, and headed out to my own practice arena. I don’t have a perfect replica of the Thomas & Mack, obviously, but I wanted to at least get a general feel for the distances. I used the forum discussions as a starting point, and I set up some barrels based on those estimations.
Practice Runs
- I started with some slow work, just getting my horse used to the pattern. I really focused on the turns, since that seemed to be the trickiest part at the Thomas & Mack.
- Then, I gradually increased the speed, paying close attention to how my horse was handling the pattern. It was all about finding that balance between speed and control.
- I made some adjustments to the barrel placement as I went, trying to mimic what I’d seen in the videos. It was a lot of trial and error.
Still Work to Do
Honestly, it’s still a work in progress. I’m still tweaking things and trying to refine my approach. I might even try to reach out to some folks who have competed at the Thomas & Mack to get their insights. But for now, I feel like I’ve got a better understanding of what it takes to run barrels there.
It is a lot of fun for pratice.
