Riders have a barrel of fun at Prestige race

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This article was published 22/06/2025 (347 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tight turns, dirt flying everywhere and the need to go as fast as possible rang out at the Keystone Centre Sunday afternoon. Nearly 150 competitors saddled up on their horses and took reins in hand to compete in The Prestige Barrel Race.

Spectators in turn lined the stands at noon inside the Westoba Agricultural Centre of Excellence, watching competitors adorned with cowboy hats fly by three purple and black barrels spaced out around the arena.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Kathy Johnston, who was one of the competitors. “It’s a great event. I’ve been coming every year, and it’s a big event, it attracts a lot of horses that are fast, you know, and good riders.”

Johnston ran two horses, and wore a brightly coloured shirt filled with hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, which she called her “lucky shirt.”

She said her first run, which she ran with her younger horse named Shinin Brite Nfamous, went really well for the pair.

“It’s her third jackpot, so she’s still learning, but she really took it all in stride, and she gave me a good run,” said the 65-year-old from Murillo, Ont.

Most competitors came from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but there were a few from Ontario, and one from British Columbia as well.

Organizer Charmaine Grad, who herself came from Saskatchewan, said the Keystone Centre has one of the nicest facilities in the area, which is why her family decided to start up the event here in 2020.

“There’s not many like it, so that’ll draw contestants,” Grad said of the centre. “(Competitors) will drive to come to a great facility like this. I host it here primarily because of what the Keystone Centre has to offer us.”

She said the event has become a mainstay for barrel racers in the area.

“It’s definitely one that people mark on their calendars every year, our slots are always in high demand,” she said. “There’s always people looking to get into the race.”

Johnston said there aren’t a lot of bigger events, especially where she’s from, so coming to Brandon is one of the only times she can compete on a large scale.

She said competing in the sport has always been a lot of fun.

“I just grew up with horses all my life, and I’ve always enjoyed competing,” she said. “I trained horses most of my life, and I teach a lot of people to ride, and it’s a really nice way to keep in shape. Keeps you off the couch.”

Being part of the sport can be a lot of work, she said, as working with the horses and getting out to events takes time. She added that a lot of the results come from the horses themselves.

“There’s a lot of rate and timing that goes into the run, and of course, then the horse has to figure out how to manage all the barrels with speed,” she said. “It takes a little while for them to find their legs.”

“Each horse has a different style, just like some riders have a different style.”

» alambert@brandonsun.com