10/01/2026
Good Morning & Happy October 1st! 🍂
I just wanted to take a moment to say a BIG thank you once again to everyone who helped make the Petaluma Riding & Driving Club Barrel Races possible this year. We truly could not have done it without all of you!
I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge something that was especially meaningful to me this year — the incredible growth I got to witness in our local youth barrel racers. 💜
At this year’s barrel races at Petaluma Riding & Driving Club, we tried something a little different, which brought up a lot of questions — including, “Why can’t we?”
This year, we offered the Open Barrel Racing class with additional added prize money, made possible by our wonderful prize-money sponsors.
We also offered a Youth class, but it was offered as a carry-over from the Open class, meaning our youth riders got one opportunity to make their run count.
We were incredibly fortunate to have a team of Youth Prize Money Sponsors who made it possible to add $250 to the Youth class at each race and $500 added at the final race.
From the first race to the fourth and final race, it was pretty amazing to watch these young riders grow.
We watched them become:
✨ More confident
✨ More focused
✨ More driven
✨ More determined
✨ And, yes… faster!
Getting only one run made every single run count. These young riders had to learn to stay focused, trust themselves, trust their horses, and give it everything they had when they entered that arena.
And perhaps the really neat part is seeing these same youth riders take what they learned at Petaluma and carry it out into the larger barrel racing community — entering other barrel races, gaining experience, continuing to improve, and excelling in their barrel racing and horsemanship careers.
That is what makes all of this so rewarding.
Watching young riders grow — not just as barrel racers, but as confident horsemen and horsewomen — is something pretty special.
Congratulations to all of our youth riders! 🐴💜
And once again, THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, volunteers, supporters, families, and everyone who helped make the 2026 Petaluma Riding & Driving Club Barrel Race season such a success.
We appreciate every single one of you! 💜
