The barrel racers of Gunnison

Kimberly Parker who owns the W Cafe shows off her tattoo while riding Coco Channel July 22, 2026 at the Gunnison County Fairgrounds.

There is a group of about 20 girls and women, ages 15-68, who gather every Wednesday evening at the Gunnison County Fairgrounds with their horses to run around three 55-gallon barrels in a race against the clock.

Barrel racing dates back to the 1920s, when women equestrians, who were excluded from traditional rodeo events, sought to demonstrate their horsemanship skills.

This club, made up of women from all walks of life, doesn't have a name, but once a week from May through October, they dedicate their time to gathering their tack, loading their horses into a trailer, and driving to the fairgrounds where they set up the course with barrels and timers and drag the dirt with an ATV. 

Once they're ready to race... the clock starts when the horse and rider pass the electronic timers at full gallop and finishes after they round three barrels and cross the timers in the opposite direction. The announcer, Vicci, shouts 27.3 seconds for one racer, 29.7 seconds for the next, and 17.7 seconds for another as the group lets out a cheer.

Hannah Sanderson Buffalo on Chutie leans around a barrel July 8, 2026 at the Gunnison County Fairgrounds.

One of the racers, Margo Anderson, a banker in Gunnison, breaks and trains her own horses and has been barrel racing for six years. She races two horses, Lola and Charger. Margo says racing has become part of her lifestyle, not just a hobby. She says, “I enjoy the connection I have with my horses while racing.”

Another racer, Katy Walck works at the Gunnison Senior Center and races on her horse BB. Katy fell in love with barrel racing when, as an eleven-year-old, she watched the barrel racers during the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. Katy says her daughter Pamela, who was the 2000 Cattlemen's Days Queen, is her inspiration.

It's a lot of work, but they do it for the camaraderie, the competition and the love of their animals. Trudy Vader of the long-time local ranching family has been riding since she was ten years old and is the leader of the racing group. Trudy races on her horse Hello Poppet. Trudy says that she organizes the group and races the barrels as a commitment to continue the legacy of barrel racing in Gunnison.

Kirstin Gallien said, “It’s the partnership with the horse." There isn’t much to just riding the animal around the objects. But to do it with speed and willingness from the equine partner takes a bit more. Then add the electric eye, hopes of improving one’s personal best, and the nerves/excitement from horse and rider, and barrel racing becomes an ongoing challenge and joy."

Kirstin Gallien and Mystic leaves dust in her trail as she races down the home stretch toward the finish October 28, 2026 at the Gunnison County Fairgrounds.

Carly Herrick reflected on riding and said, "I have been on a horse since I could hold my head up. I started in a local town barrel riding club. I have barrel raced most of my life. In my 20s, I married, had two children, and didn’t do much rodeo. In 2012, I got back into it slowly. I moved to Gunnison in 2021 and started barrel racing again. The horses that I have had all my life were partners. It is so much more than just turning three barrels: it's a unity between horse and rider, it's a dance, it's a rush." It takes time and patience to move as one. I thank God every day for my partner Snicks and the support from my husband and friends here in our little barrel group."

Margo Anderson carries a barrel that her and her horse Lola knocked over while racing August 26, 2026 at the Gunnison County Fairgrounds.