Page 181 - May 2022

BARREL RACING INDUSTRY ALLIANCE UPDATE
by Tracy Gantz
Once the recently formed Barrel Racing Industry Alliance (BRIA) develops
its action plan and puts it into effect,
barrel racing could have a centralized information port such as what Equibase provides for the racing industry. Sale catalog pages could reflect barrel performances or have links to that information. The industry might have something similar to racing’s speed index. The idea is to give barrel racing participants and enthusiasts easier ways to learn about accomplishments of the people and the horses who make up this fascinating sport.
“We’ve got some really good things in the works in terms of how we want to proceed,” said Butch Wise, BRIA chairman and past president of the American Quarter Horse Association. “We are regularly meeting. It has proven to be an extremely gratifying project because these people are doing a super job of coming together for the betterment of the industry.”
A diverse group formed BRIA in 2021. The AQHA is a charter member, along with Barrel Futurities of America, Better Barrel Races, Breeder’s Challenge, Future Fortunes, National Barrel Horse Association, West Coast Barrel Racing Associatiown, Pink Buckle/Ruby Buckle, and Women’s Pro Rodeo Association.
The American Paint Horse Association has also joined BRIA.
BRIA will soon be launching its website, Wise said. In addition to the informational part of BRIA’s mission, Wise said that there will also be an “educational component.”
Plans are being developed for a black-type pedigree standard for barrel racing horses. BRIA is also working to develop a Graded stakes system, which would give the industry a way to categorize events, similar to what occurs on the racetrack. Quarter Horse and Paint racing have Grade 1, 2, and 3 stakes races, a valuable way to rank quality in such things as a catalog page or when marketing a horse privately.
BRIA voted to adopt a standard template to follow for submitting barrel racing results. The template simplifies the process of submitting results, as it clearly defines the data needed to be recorded in a database.
“That’s one of the biggest issues that we have in this industry—data reporting,” said Wise. “We don’t care if your Derby horses are 4 year olds or 6 year olds. You’re going to set
your own rules. You provide us
the data and we’re going to
display it.”
If BRIA can streamline data reporting, not only will that help buyers and sellers of barrel horses, it will also help make the sport more accessible to fans and prospective fans.
“There are a lot of things in the conceptual stage and in the discussion stage,” said Wise. “There’s a lot of discussion that has to go on to make sure it’s going to be right.”
With the vast majority of barrel racing horses being Quarter Horses, the AQHA is “trying to facilitate the conversation,” said Wise.
“I’m very excited about the progress that’s been made,” said Wise. “I’m very excited about the cooperation that has been extended to this point. I’m very excited about the committee work that’s coming forward in terms of the data and the Graded stakes things that are being discussed.
“I’m also excited about working with a group
of people who truly have the best interest of the industry at heart, not just their own particular thing that they produce. They want to see it all grow.
“There has been discussion about coming up with a speed index system for those horses in a standard pattern and a non-traditional pattern.
Nothing is out of the conversational area. It is not a rubber stamp. It is a lot of
thoughtful introspection about what will best move the industry forward
over the next decade.”
BRIA UPDATE
A contestant competes during the Better Barrel Races Finals in Oklahoma
City, April 2021.
Jana Thomason, Speedhorse
SPEEDHORSE May 2022 179
“Nothing is out of the conversational area. It
is not a rubber stamp.
It is a lot of thoughtful introspection about what will best move the industry forward over the next decade.” - Butch Wise