Sport
6 December, 2023
From paddock to barrel racing
UP until less than a fortnight ago, Tara Anderson’s much-loved mare had never seen a barrel – yet alone raced around three of them at a rodeo, and had spent the past six years in the paddock.
Not one to shy away from a challenge or a new experience, 24 year-old Tara – from Princetown – has long been a fan of rodeos and thought she and her mare ‘Ruby Rose’ would “give barrel racing a crack” at last Saturday night’s Warrnambool Rodeo.
Despite having less than two weeks to practice (and get her mare used to the format and demands of barrel racing), Tara and Ruby Rose performed remarkably well in front of a huge crowd at the Warrnambool Rodeo last weekend.
And while they may not have stood on the podium at the end of the night, they had plenty of reasons to celebrate their achievements.
“I was absolutely thrilled with how we went, especially given it was our very first competition,” Tara said.
“I’ve been to quite a few rodeos over the years and just thought, why not enter the barrel racing, let’s just wing it – so we did and it was a lot of fun.”
Tara and Ruby Rose raced around the three barrels, in a clover leaf pattern, in 19 seconds.
Later that night, Tara’s friend Zoe Luppino entered the junior competition on Ruby Rose and ran cleanly in 18 seconds.
“So she’s already improving; which is just amazing,” Tara said.
And as for their racing future?
“Well, who knows….there’s a rodeo in Ballarat early January so we may also enter that.”