Moving on up!

Today the site has moved to a new url http://www.barrelracerinfo.com/. This will enable the site to grow in many ways. Thanks to all of you who have visited here at Blogspot and become followers. Bookmark the new url http://www.barrelracerinfo.com/ and be patient as we continue to work on the design. Today an interview with Gordon Branham of Branham Farm is posted so go on over and check it out!

Weekend Events

The Labor Day weekend is upon us and many of us are asking what happened to summer 2009??? It seems to have flown by. There are many barrel racing events taking place locally that can fill this holiday weekend for you. In Kentucky there is an IBRA show on 9/4 at Shepardsville and on 9/6 at Smiths Grove. For details visit IBRA's website at http://www.ibra.us/. NBHA will be sanctioning shows on 9/5 and 9/6 at Falmouth, Ky. You can visit http://www.nbha.com/ for more information. IPRA will be sanctioning a rodeo in Isom, Ky on 9/4 and 9/5. This is a great rodeo. For anyone looking to turn cans in Tennessee IBRA will host events at McEwen and Friendship on 9/5 and you can visit the IBRA website for details. Volunteer Riding Association is hosting a 4-D race on 9/5 in Clinton, Tn. Checkout http://www.barrelhorseworld.com/ go to the events list for more details. We are headed to Clinton, Tn. and will report on Sunday with winners and hopefully some pictures of the action. Dont miss our interview with Gordon Branham next week when we discuss his outstanding facility and the upcoming Youth Barrel Bash. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Hotshot...the decades top barrel horse

The latest issue of Barrel Horse news details the last 10 years from a statistical perspective. The top sires, dams, maternal sires, riders and the leading horses. As one looks at the list of horses Nate Shilabar "Hotshot" tops the list...easily. It is amazing to think he has won over a half million dollars, the majority of which was won with one of his current owners, the Steinhoff's in the saddle. The Steinhoffs certainly have an eye for a good horse as another former mount of theirs, Dial A Red Rooster is also in the top 10.

But what makes "Hotshot" the great horse that he is? Hotshots sire lands number 12 on the list of top sires but that is mostly because of Hotshot's success he only has one other horse listed as a performer. Talent Lady is the top dam with Hotshot as the only money earning offspring. So what part of the Hotshot equation made him the great horse he is today? Was it the trainer? The rider? Is there something within the horse himself that caused him to excel? It will be interesting to follow the Hotshot story as he has now been cloned. This is a controversial issue and is yet to prove that clones can be as successful performers as the originals.

Such a great horse can only be the result of many things going right and the luck of things not going wrong. Trainers, riders, genetics and heart all play a role in what makes a good horse great...it seems it all went well for Hotshot.