By Coach Driggers
Over 2000 horses and riders converged on Perry, Ga., recently to compete in the 2022 National Barrel Horse Association youth and teen World Championship. The riders and horses qualified for the show by earning points in their respective districts to get to the World Championship event. Colleton County was well represented as four young girls participated in the show with three making it to the finals.
Barrel racing is a sport that involves the horse running a clover leaf pattern around three barrels in as fast as time possible without knocking down a barrel. The rider is then placed in certain divisions based on time. Only the top 25 riders in each division qualify for the final run. To be successful, the rider and the horse have to work as a team. Each feeds off each other and anticipates each other’s movements. Rider and horse have to be on the same page. Generally, this takes years of practice and training to develop trust and confidence with each other.
Colleton County had four girls to participate in the World Finals: Caroline Nettles, Riley Thomas, Karsyn Murray and Ady Arrowood. These young people all said they have ridden hurt, sick and have had some bad experiences along the way. Every one, without exception, expressed a deep love and affection for their horses—a love and trust that will stand all tests and trials.
Caroline Nettles is a 12-year-old who begin riding barrels at age 10. “I watched my sister ride, it look like fun so I decided to try it. I was meant to barrel race; it just comes natural to me,” says Caroline. Caroline rode her 17-year-old horse, Mercury Rizzonne, and qualified in the first run with a time of 16.9 seconds. “Mercury is very forgiving — he has complete trust in me and have trust in him. We work together as a team and if you treat them good, they will take care of you. It’s all about trust,” said Caroline. She was rewarded with a championship belt buckle.
Fifteen-year-old Riley Thomas begin riding horses when she was around eight years old. Thomas also won a belt buckle for making the finals. She and her horse, Tess, learned to barrel race together. “I really have a passion for barrel racing — it makes me feel happy and I get a big adrenaline rush coming down the alley into the arena,” she said. She describes her week in Perry as a vacation, even though it was extremely hot with early mornings and late nights working with the horses. “Sometimes I would exercise Tess at one or two o’clock in the morning. Tess is my best friend and he knows me like the back of my hand. I just have a passion for horses that provides me with good feelings and an escape to relieve the stress of life,” said Riley.
Eight-year-old Karsyn Murray has been riding horses since she was about two years old. She competed on her horse Wild Thing, a 16-year-old quarter horse. “Wild Thing is my best friend and we trust each other all the time. I just have a love for horses. I try to ride every day because it is something I enjoy doing and I have a lot of love for my horses. The week in Perry was just like a vacation for me, even though it was extremely hot,” said Karsyn. In addition to barrel racing, Karsyn travels to Swansea to participate in the youth rodeo event, where she has won several saddles. She was rewarded with a belt buckle and cash prize as she placed second in the redemption round. Karsyn said, “I saw barrel racing on my favorite tv show ‘Heartland’ and decided to give it a try — and, as they say, the rest is history.”
Fourteen-year-old Ady Arrowood rode her 16-year-old Quarter/Arabian horse to a
World Champion first place in the redemption round. She was introduced to horses when she was about two years old and eventually began riding at the Colleton County Saddle Club. Ady said, “I started barrel racing around six or seven years old. Horses are my life. I don’t know what I would do without them. My horses are my best friends. They trust me and I trust them.” She is really proud of her horse, Lucky Lexi, because no one thought that she would become a barrel horse. “After a long two years of practice, training, perseverance and love — Lucky is now a World Champion,” said Ady.
These young girls have ridden hurt, sick, tired and hungry, but they wouldn’t trade their life for anything in the world. All are happy to be called cowgirls because that is the life and dream they are living.
