You go ahead!

Nice run. Shame about the, uh, landing.

Daang

What a nasty fall...

Ow...

...barrel racing isn't safe.

Especially if you ride like some of these girls. Sorry...not all of these falls are the rider's fault, but some definitely are.

Ugh...

This is why you don't tie kids to the saddle when they ride!

Her feet were tied to the stirrups so that when the horse went down, she was nearly crushed. If the kid can't stay on without that, they aren't ready to race.

Aww...

...look at this little cowgirl and her pony go. She rides better than many adult racers I've seen!

(As a note, having a horse decide to do that around a jump standard because she's forgotten she ain't at the rodeo...in an English saddle...is kind of...scary?)

Ears!

Running ears! ;)

Nope!

No, I won't go through that gate!

This is pretty bad, dangerous gate sourness. Horse could probably use more cross training. He ran fine, but he really didn't want to...

Ow, ow, ow...

I think the going is a bit too deep here?

This is...

...insane. Possibly not good for the horses if done wrong, but...

...definitely insane.

Do this wrong and you might have everyone in the dirt!

Ow...

...especially the horse that just slipped and fell right on the cowgirl. Some of these women deserved it, some didn't ;).

(Deserved it as in if you're starfishing and then slide off your horse...)

I'm going to...

...show off my amazing barrel run and make everyone dizzy with Go Pro...

What could possibly go...

...wrong.

Brake Failure!

Slam! This is why barrel racers use "harsher" bits...

Let's change...

...rodeo events right in the middle.

Well sat, cowgirl.

Something definitely happened here, because the horse was very calm right up to that point. Insect bite, maybe?

Thud!

Barrel racers at, well, not their best.

Reins?

Who needs them?

Not this barrel racer!

This is...

...why you be aware of when the horse can see you. Right at the end.

(Also, a good barrel run for her first time and thank you for the helmet, parents).

Hey there, Cowgirl

This is about what it looks like, apparently. Horse is all "Wait, why can't I GO yet...why can't I RUN" at the start there.

Talk About...

...cowgirling it up and getting back on the horse.

That's...

...what I call a well trained horse.

Coming in to the second barrel, the rider drops a rein. Because they're split reins, she has no chance to regain it. She intentionally drops the second rein (which might otherwise pull the horse off course) and just...finishes the pattern without them. Given how many barrel racers seem to use the reins to stay on...impressive.

Ow...

...this is why your little girl should be wearing a helmet when barrel racing. (This is actually a pretty typical barrel fall and the same mud that caused it probably saved the girl serious injury. Something similar happened to me once jumping.