SaltWire E-Edition

Barrel racing and pole bending action this weekend

Waugh River Stables near Tatamagouche hosting large MBRA sanctioned event

RICHARD MACKENZIE THE NEWS richard.mackenzie @saltwire.com

Horse enthusiasts from all over the Maritimes will be descending on Waugh River Stables this weekend for exciting barrel racing and pole bending action.

It’s the third year for the Maritime Barrel Racing Association (MBRA) sanctioned event, the Audrey Court and Bob Eaton Memorial Jackpot.

“It’s in memory of my dad Bob Eaton and my spouse Aubrey Court, who passed away from cancer,” said Heather Morrison, who trains young riders at the stables, located about 10 minutes from Tatamagouche.

Morison said there are numerous age and calibre divisions for competitors, and she expects about 70 to 80 horses to compete in the two-day competition on July 2 and 3.

“(Horses) along with the riders and their families who come,” she said about the numbers, adding participants set up camp right on the large grounds. “We just put them between the buildings.”

Morrison said spectators are welcome to take in the action, which will start at 9 a.m. and run until 5 or 6 p.m. on the two days.

Signage will be put out to help people find the stable off Highway 311 and Gil Sutherland Road, and refreshments and snacks will be available.

Morrison pointed to an area where a pen was being constructed, saying it’s an example of putting the safety of horses and people as a top priority during a busy competition.

“So we have a little holding area for the horses to go into the arena … safety is a big focus for us,” Morrison said. “You want to keep them (the horses) separated, comfortable. Some horses get really hot going in (to race) because they know they’re going to run.”

Her experience in the sport goes back 30 years, to when she was a youngster racing.

“When I was a kid, my dad used to have a beef farm and we always had our ponies,” she said. “So ever since I was a kid, I would be racing barrels and poles.”

That experience tells her Scotsburn’s Audrey MacLeod has the talent to make her mark in the sport.

“She is trying to do the best she can,” Morrison said of the 15-year-old, who will turn 16 next month and helps out at the stables.

“This will be my second summer racing,” MacLeod said. “I just like spending time around the horses, riding.”

“She is trying to get to the worlds,” Morrison partner Nick Randle said of MacLeod, joining the conversation from doing the work on the holding pen fences. “She is very competitive.”

He added that MacLeod has connected with a couple of horses at the stable.

“She is very good to them, works well with them,” Randle said. “Other horses we have here, which are barrel horses, have that certain speed while others don’t. She has found the ones she likes which have the speed she is looking for.”

“The fastest ones,” Morrison interjected, adding to the point. “And she is very dedicated.”

MacLeod will be one of the local competitors with others from around the area, including River John and Truro.

Like so many other activities, Morrison said barrel racing and pole bending racing are starting to pick up steam once again after a couple of years impacted by COVID.

“People are getting back into it again now that exhibitions are starting to open, be planned,” she said. “For two years, everything was shut down, but this year, we’re back in full swing.”

Full swing at the stable includes more competitions and training as well as hosting youth groups for a day at the facility, which, along with the stables and competition grounds, includes a large lounge—all in a picturesque setting near the Waughs River.

For more on the Waugh River Stables, check out their Facebook page. For more on MBRA, visit their website at maritimebarrelracing.ca.

Opinion

en-ca

2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281625308993346

SaltWire Network