Riverside County Barrel Racers (RCBR)

Our hearts and prayers are with everyone in Las Vegas at the NBHA race affected by this morning's tragic incident.

We are deeply saddened for the horses that were injured, their owners, the producers, and the SouthPoint team. No one should ever have to experience something like this. We pray for a speedy recovery for all of the horses affected and are grateful for the veterinarians who stepped in to provide immediate care and support. We can only imagine how difficult today has been for everyone involved.

We all share a love for these incredible animals and the sport we enjoy with them. The last thing anyone wants is to worry about something like this happening.

Keeping everyone affected in our thoughts and prayers.❤️

You’ve heard it — “𝑺𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕.”

It’s true.

There’s an old saying: 𝐒𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟓 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟔𝐭𝐡. 𝐒𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟓 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟔𝐭𝐡. 𝐒𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟓 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬…𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟔𝐭𝐡.

The people you choose to be around are shaping you, whether you realize it or not.

If you sit with people who complain about the ground, the competition, their horse, whatever it may be, eventually you’ll find yourself doing the same thing. And complainers don’t win. They just get really good at explaining why they didn’t.

𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔.

So look around at who you’re sitting with.
Are they pulling you up? Or slowly pulling you down? You have the power to change the people you surround yourself with.

𝑺𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝟓 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑩𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝟔𝒕𝒉. 💜

𝑨𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒅. 💜

In barrel racing, the 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒅 split for payout is 𝟕𝟎/𝟑𝟎. This means 70% of your entry fee goes directly into the payout pot, while the remaining 30% covers production costs like insurance, awards, and other overhead costs. 𝑨𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 is exactly what it sounds like: cash provided by sponsors or the producer that is added on top of the entry fee pot. This money is added to the total payout to sweeten the pot for the riders and should be listed on the event flyer. 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝑭𝒆𝒆 (or arena fees) are a separate charge intended specifically for the cost of renting the arena. They are not part of the payout percentage.

A fair 𝒑𝒂𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕 means that the last paid spot in the last division (4D or 5D) should at least get their entry fee back. When a producer waters down the payout by over-placing, it takes away from the competitors.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆: 𝑹𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝟕𝟎%. 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚, 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔. 𝑨𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑨𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓.

Before you load up your trailer, evaluate the race. 𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐. Make the best choice for your team by asking:
1. Does the arena setup or ground type work for my horse?
2. Is the fuel worth the drive?
3. Is the payout worth the run? (Is the race paying out 70% and is the added money worth the run?)

Producers should be 100% transparent about their splits, added money, and percentages. You deserve to know exactly where your dollars are going before you even enter. If a producer isn't going to pay out correctly or fairly, that needs to be listed clearly so riders can make an informed choice.

You only get so many runs on your horses, so make them count. 🐴💜

𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉. 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔.

Great horsemen know that learning never stops.

The best riders and trainers are always looking for ways to improve by studying the horse in front of them, learning from respected professionals, asking questions, and attending clinics to gain new perspectives. Every horse, every ride, and every conversation with a great trainer is another opportunity to grow.

Horses are incredible teachers but only if you’re willing to listen.

The pursuit of becoming a better horseman isn’t about perfection.

It’s about curiosity, patience, and a commitment to keep learning for the sake of the horse. 🐎🩵

We get it; the trailer hasn’t moved in a few weeks, the work emails are piling up, and the kids’ sports schedules have you running more laps than a barrel horse. Between school drop-offs, the never-ending laundry pile, and a ‘to-do’ list longer than a home-stretch, finding time for the arena can feel like a feat of its own.

In the barrel racing world, we’re obsessed with the clock. We want the 15.1, the 16.4, or the fastest time of the day. But sometimes, the most important ‘time’ isn’t recorded by an electric eye.

It’s the 20 minutes you spent grooming in the cross-ties. It’s the 15 minutes you spent unsaddling. It’s the decision to stay consistent and keep that bond with your horse strong, even when your ‘competition’ is just making it to bedtime.

Progress isn’t always a buckle or a 1D check; sometimes, it’s just showing up for your horse (and yourself) when life gets loud. Whether you’re hauling to a jackpot this weekend or just practicing your circles, remember: You aren’t defined by your last run, but by the heart you put into the ride.🐎🩵