It seems that no sooner does one season end, another begins. I am talking about the barrel racing season here. As soon as the excitement of all the association finals winds down, one starts looking forward to next year and to the dream of owning that special horse that will take them to the winner’s circle the following year. And this is never more true than when December rolls around and we can all start running our futurity horses.
A barrel futurity is for a coming 4- or 5-year-old horse that has never run in a barrel race for prizes or money prior to December 1st. But don’t let this idea deter you. Many great barrel horses have been bred to run barrels, with huge amounts of enjoyment to their owners, that never ran in a barrel futurity.
For instance, you may be wanting to come up with a winning barrel horse and realize that you do not have the budget to buy one. I always say, when it comes to a barrel horse, you can spend the time or spend the money. For many it is easier to spend the time.
In today’s barrel circles a horse’s bloodlines must be considered a factor when choosing a prospect. Many of today’s top barrel athletes are sired by, or out of, proven barrel horses and barrel horse producers.
With the high prices of barrel horses today, even at the barrel horse auctions, breeding for your next champion may not be a far-fetched idea. And, I for one, think it’s about time we’ve gotten to the point where we are breeding for barrel horses rather than accepting rejects from other disciplines.
With all the research being done for us on the pedigrees of the winning barrel horses and even the magic crosses, it is not too difficult to pick a good prospect or to breed for one.
Now it may not always be possible to breed to one of the leading barrel sires. Or it may even be extremely difficult to purchase a barrel horse by the number one leading sire. But I know of one solution to this problem: the California C-N Stallion Service Auction. This service auction has over 26 barrel horse and barrel horse producing stallions’ stud fees up for silent auction which started October 15 and ends November 15. And the best part is, most go for less than half of their regularly advertised price. It is easy. Just have a mare worthy of breeding, and I bet you can even borrow one if need be, then go to www.cbarnquarterhorses.com and they will walk you through the process.
And if you have never seen a barrel futurity and would like to, mark your calendar and be in Lemoore, Calif., December 7 and 8 for a real thrill.