Bell students July Fordham and Kallie Class competed in the National Barrel Horse Association World Championships in Perry, Georgia, in July.
“It’s very hard work, but it’s very fun,” Fordham said of making it to the event. “And it’s definitely competitive for sure.”
“It feels like you accomplished what you worked for for months,” Class said.
To qualify, the girls had to compete in barrel racing competitions to gain points and finish in the Top 10 in the “D’s.”
They said competitors can only miss two competitions if they want to qualify for the world competition.
Both girls stressed how important it is to work and practice with their horses and work out any issues they have.
They said they work with their horses every day.
“D’s” are divisions determined by times. The fastedsttimes go in the top “D,” and the rest are set in one-second intervals from the next “D.” Riders receive points based on where they finish in each division, and the Top 10 go to the world competition.
In the Labor Day Barrel Blast at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fordham finished in third in 2D with a time of 16.748 seconds and won $610 in round one. In round two, she finished in 11th place in 3D with a time of 17.34 seconds. In the final round, Fordham finished fifth in 3D with a time of 16.84 seconds and won $244
Class said the sisterhood is what she would tell everyone about barrel racing.
“The sisterhood is there for each other and it encourages each other.”