Contestants from eight states expected; event could be largest in center’s 10-year history
In a venue known for large gatherings of horses, riders and spectators, this could be one of the biggest in a decade. The Iowa Equestrian Center is hosting the Cowgirl Tuff Barrel Bash-Cedar Rapids this weekend, June 25-27.
The center is part of the Kirkwood Community College campus, located on 76th Avenue SW. Contestants and spectators are expected from Iowa and at least seven other states. This is a Midwest qualifying event for a North American barrel racing championship set for Kansas City, MO this fall.
Weekend barrel racing events begin with warm-ups Friday at noon. Programs start at 8 a.m. Saturday. Key barrel race events are at noon Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
The Iowa Equestrian Center staff believes this weekend’s show could rank as one of the largest single events in the 10-year history of the facility. Contestants and other attendees are already confirmed from Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as all around Iowa.
Equestrian Center Director Patrick Klatt says the interest and participation in the Barrel Bash has been remarkable.
“We are sold out of stalls for the racers and in an overflow mode for the participants. Our normal capacity for permanent stalls is 210. This weekend we have sold out 284! This has to be one of the biggest events we have ever hosted,” Klatt observed. “Barrel racing is an exciting, fast-paced equestrian sport and the level of participation and interest we have seen surely bears that out.”
A national website devoted to barrel racing describes the competition as “a timed event, with margins of victory often decided by thousandths of a second. Riders guide their horses around a series of barrels set up in a triangular array. The competitors guide their horses in a cloverleaf pattern around the barrels as quickly and closely as possible without knocking any barrels over.”
Additional information on events and services at the Iowa Equestrian Center is available on the Kirkwood Community College website: