Barrel racing was popular on northern Vancouver Island for years, but when the rodeos started to disappear, the sport started to drop off.
Now a local woman has been bringing it back for veteran riders and a new generation.
It took a few years for word to get around, but Lindsey Innes has revived a barrel-racing hotbed on the island.
“My mom used to have a barrel racing club,” Innes explained.
“I never ever imagined it being like this. I just wanted to race in the winter for something to do.”
Barrel racing, for the uninitiated, is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider must run a cloverleaf pattern around a set of barrels in the fastest time.
It is typically a women’s sport, though both genders compete at amateur and youth levels.
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Innes said developing a hub for the sport in the community has helped its popularity explode.
“The opportunity to stay on the island and compete year-round has made us better competitors for it,” she said.
“It’s becoming less and less affordable to travel off the island because of the price of ferry and fuel.”
The buzz has been building on social media, and recent events have seen up to 140 participants — up from the dozens they were drawing not long ago.
Sponsors have also been signing up.
“Over the last two-and-a-half years, we’re almost at $100,000 just for the Innes Arena series for winnings that we’ve paid out to competitors.”
The success has made Innes Arena in Campbell River a weekend destination for barrel racers almost year-round
“It’s really good for the small area we live in, Vancouver Island has really grown,” said barrel racer Leslie Pederson.
“We do a winter series, fall series and spring series,” Innes added.
“We’re catching up to the mainland … and it’s so exciting to see.”