:encouragement:
I clicked through all the promotions and boy! That’s the biggest freakin horse trailer.
[QUOTE=enjoytheride;7648098]
I clicked through all the promotions and boy! That’s the biggest freakin horse trailer.[/QUOTE]
Yep, the top barrel racers are on the road most of the year, to win enough to qualify for their Rodeo Finals.
They generally have commercial and private sponsors that help pay their way and those trailers are part of it, either advertising the trailer itself or who provided it for her, so they have to be very nice and get attention.
The top barrel racers have more than one rig on the road.
Their several trailers go to different rodeos and they fly/drive around to several each weekend.
It is a tough, very competitive world.
It does pay very good if you are good at managing the business end, have the horses, can ride them at that top level and have some good luck to add to all that.
I expect wearing a helmet also sets this lady apart when it comes to publicity, always good when you are appealing to sponsors.
I actually ran into this girl when I worked Reno Rodeo two years ago. She was very friendly, but she was made fun of by most barrel racers and the cowboys. We had one at our stock trailer that was viciously attacking her. It didn’t matter about her record or her personality.
When I said I wore a helmet because I mainly ride hunter/jumpers he told me it was different. I wasn’t “running professional rodeo”.
I’m glad she is going for it and sticking to her guns! She also has the cutest horses!
Yay for her!
It’s confounding to me the level of actual anger many Western riders show Western helmet wearers. When I made the switch from English to Western I expected some good-natured ribbing; I did not expect malice.
It’s astounding how many people—who are otherwise good people and good horsemen—think that those who wear helmets are clearly incapable, cowardly, and disrespectful.
Trying to find an English analogy… helmet wearers are viewed the same way one might view a rider wearing a tube top and sweats to a show.
#proudhelmetwearer
Good for her!
She is very cool.
[QUOTE=Belmont;7648159]
I actually ran into this girl when I worked Reno Rodeo two years ago. She was very friendly, but she was made fun of by most barrel racers and the cowboys. We had one at our stock trailer that was viciously attacking her. It didn’t matter about her record or her personality.
When I said I wore a helmet because I mainly ride hunter/jumpers he told me it was different. I wasn’t “running professional rodeo”.
I’m glad she is going for it and sticking to her guns! She also has the cutest horses![/QUOTE]
Yikes! Good for her for sticking it out. Hope she gets to be the Charlotte DuJardin or Allison Springer of barrel racing + helmet wearing.
She isn’t just some barrel racer, she is the world record holder.
And what I think is amazing, is that in a sport decided by thousandths of a second, any serious competitor would put a western hat on, basically a giant sail. There’s a reason people don’t wear western hats for the Tour de France and it’s not just because they fly off and you’ll be miles away before someone retrieves or because it’s not the tradition. They wear carefully designed, streamlined helmets that are made to squeak out every hundredth of a second and every calorie of energy needed to slide that rider through the air faster for the same effort.
Showing this to my DD#1! She gets ribbed, mostly by adults, about her helmet when she ties goats. I REALLY wish helmets were mandatory at all public venues for minor children.
I saw her video going around Facebook. I hope it makes a difference.
At the open show we took our horses to this weekend, day one was English and day two was Western. There were maybe… 2 adults wearing helmets on day two? Some of the kids?
Right as we were loading up our horses to leave a horse in the warm up area broke out bucking and his rider fell, hard. She was one of the two riders wearing a helmet. While she was hurt, her head was fine and she was talking normally.
The poor horse broke out of the arena, slid on the concrete and scraped up pretty bad.
Maybe some of them will learn from it.
Good for Her!!!
I agree, the NASTINESS, the bullying etc that gets directed towards western riders who choose to do the SMART thing and protect their brains is appalling.
It makes no sense. It is WILLFULLY ignorant. Its like calling someone a “wussy” for wearing a seat belt. (or adding - calling someone a weakling for not smoking cigarettes - its just DUMB)
While I watch barrel racing infrequently, I have seen women hit the end wall / rails and get KNOCKED COLD on several occasions. Its sickening, and I REALLY wish that they were wearing helmets. No one wants to witness a full of life young women get a life changing (or ending) head injury.
BRAVO to her for not giving into ridiculous peer pressure. Hopefully she will start to bring around change in the sport.
Check out how many times heads get SLAMMED into the ground in this video -starting at 0:50. And this isn’t a matter of the stupid Parelli theory of “I trust my horse - its trained so I don’t need a helmet”. Most of the time the horse is hitting the dirt along with the rider.
My 2 year old daughter is doing a youth rodeo and there is only one other child who wears a helmet. I was shocked. I don’t care. My kid wears a helmet or she doesn’t ride. Period.
I’m glad to see this
[QUOTE=Appsolute;7648632]
Good for Her!!!
I agree, the NASTINESS, the bullying etc that gets directed towards western riders who choose to do the SMART thing and protect their brains is appalling.
It makes no sense. It is WILLFULLY ignorant. Its like calling someone a “wussy” for wearing a seat belt.
While I watch barrel racing infrequently, I have seen women hit the end wall / rails and get KNOCKED COLD on several occasions. Its sickening, and I REALLY wish that they were wearing helmets. No one wants to witness a full of life young women get a life changing (or ending) head injury.
BRAVO to her for not giving into ridiculous peer pressure. Hopefully she will start to bring around change in the sport.
Check out how many times heads get SLAMMED into the ground in this video -starting at 0:50. And this isn’t a matter of the stupid Parelli theory of “I trust my horse - its trained so I don’t need a helmet”. Most of the time the horse is hitting the dirt along with the rider.[/QUOTE]
yep agreed when I wore my helmet in the sorting rings I got laughed at stupid people…
I’ve seen lots come off in penning sorting and roping it is dangerous and with many more hooves to crush you too
[QUOTE=La Gringa;7648701]
yep agreed when I wore my helmet in the sorting rings I got laughed at stupid people…
I’ve seen lots come off in penning sorting and roping it is dangerous and with many more hooves to crush you too[/QUOTE]
I’m glad I’m old enough and secure enough not to care… This DQ somehow ended up with a cute little kill pen horse that we strongly suspect was a cow horse in his previous life and I intend to take full advantage… In my navy blue blinged out DQ helmet 
[QUOTE=Appsolute;7648632]
Good for Her!!!
I agree, the NASTINESS, the bullying etc that gets directed towards western riders who choose to do the SMART thing and protect their brains is appalling.
It makes no sense. It is WILLFULLY ignorant. Its like calling someone a “wussy” for wearing a seat belt. (or adding - calling someone a weakling for not smoking cigarettes - its just DUMB)
While I watch barrel racing infrequently, I have seen women hit the end wall / rails and get KNOCKED COLD on several occasions. Its sickening, and I REALLY wish that they were wearing helmets. No one wants to witness a full of life young women get a life changing (or ending) head injury.
BRAVO to her for not giving into ridiculous peer pressure. Hopefully she will start to bring around change in the sport.
Check out how many times heads get SLAMMED into the ground in this video -starting at 0:50. And this isn’t a matter of the stupid Parelli theory of “I trust my horse - its trained so I don’t need a helmet”. Most of the time the horse is hitting the dirt along with the rider.[/QUOTE]
Ugh…I could barely watch. :no:
I think the only way there will ever be change is for youth programs to start requiring helmets and rodeos should require them on any minor for sure. That is about the only thing that will create a new generation of helmet wearers that are less likely to see a stigma attached to wearing a helmet.
There was an older woman who qualified for the NFR some years back who wore a helmet, and said she had to set an example for her grandkids. Don’t know that she’s qualified again in recent years.
It’s equally strange that the bull riders ALL wear protective vests, but usually only wear helmets if a specific bull they’ve drawn is known to be a head tosser. Like THAT is the only way they could POSSIBLY hit their heads!!!
Ty Murray commented that he thought the newer generation(s) of bull riders would probably wear helmets more because they did in junior rodeo - mostly because MOM said so - and that would carry through. However, for years, J. B. Mauney DID wear a helmet, but now that he’s older (and presumably NOT wiser), he just wears a cowboy hat. Yeah, 'cause it’s a slur on your manhood to wear a helmet, I guess. And of course, he’s the blue-eyed hero of PBR (because SOMEONE has to beat (occasionally) all those Brazilians (who occupy most of the top placings). PBR has become SO political. Yeah, they still have to ride, but the shameless promotion of “anyone but a Brazilian” is disgusting.
I think this attitude is in response to the helmet Nazis. People who choose not to wear a helmet are; stupid, irresponsible, proof Darwinism works, setting a bad example or fashionistas. When people constantly get attacked sometimes they respond in kind. Perhaps if the helmet Nazis were a little more tactful there would not be so much pushback.
