Hannah Elliott has a need for speed. “I like going fast, and the turning. It’s very fun with your horse, and just following through what they like to do,” said Elliott. The 13-year-old from the Staffa area in Perth County has been riding horses since she could walk, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that she got serious about barrel racing. “I kind of like seeing it online. I’m like, oh yeah, that’s cool. So, I just started it, because it was really fun,” she said. With her horse “Elly”, Elliott has spent the past two years running barrel races across Southern Ontario, on the National Barrel Horse Association circuit. They’ve been perfecting their bond to go fast, and it’s paid off with a top 10 finish in the Southern Ontario district, earning the 13-year-old rider and her horse a spot at the Youth and Teen World Barrel Racing Championships in Georgia earlier this month. “It was very crazy. Georgia was very hot. And, basically, it’s a lot bigger than your regular show. So, it was pretty scary,” said Elliott, who is just entering Grade 9 this fall. While her parents support her driving her to competitions every other weekend for the past two years, Elliot has taken this challenge on largely on her own. Training several hours a day, four or five times a week. Enough to fine-tune Elly’s athleticism, but not enough to tire her out. “It takes a lot of try, and you kind of just go for it, and see where you end up,” she said. She loves barrel racing enough; she wants to make it her career. The fastest riders can earn thousands of dollars in prize money and endorsements, going to competitions across North America. “A barrel racer’s ultimate goal is the National Finals Rodeo, which is in Vegas. They pay very good on that circuit. It all depends on you and your fastest runs. If you’re not fast, you’re not going to get paid that much, so you gotta work really hard to get there,” said Elliott. If the past few years are any indication, Elliott is well on her way to being a rising star on the North American barrel racing scene. “It started off as fun, but now, not so much. I’m trying to get out there,” she said.
