Barrel racing marks 10th year at Round-Up

"It was like, 'Wow, it's really happening,'"?she said.

Barrel racing hadn't been part of Round-Up in nearly 40 years, since it made a brief appearance in the 1960s as an exhibition. When the event made its long-awaited return in 2000, it did so as an official Women's Professional Rodeo Association sanctioned event.

This year will mark the 10th running of barrel racing at the Round-Up. Local competitors express as much enthusiasm today as they did nearly a decade ago.

"I do it because it's Pendleton,"?said Julie Williams, an Athena resident who's competed every year since 2000. "This being the 10th year, I can't believe - I can't believe it's been 10 years."

By the time her turn arrived that first year, Culham said she felt good about her ride, which was fast enough to earn her a spot in Saturday's show. Then the long-time barrel racer came back for the finals, staring at a packed house. The enormity of the moment set in.

"That's probably when I?actually wanted to throw up,"?she said.

Culham placed 11th that year, then landed in the top five the next year.

The idea required some vetting before it became official. Williams remembers receiving a call from Round-Up organizer Jack Shaw, who asked her what she thought of "running barrels"?at the Round-Up. He asked how she would do it. Eventually, the idea became reality.

"I was so excited, because I didn't think that I would ever probably see it in my lifetime,"?Williams said.

Williams and Culham both participated in a handful of test runs in the stadium, exploring the possibility at first. Williams said she knew they wouldn't be able to make turns on the stadium's grass field, posing too much risk to the horses. The end result spread the first two barrels 288 feet apart on the dirt track, more than three times larger than a standard barrel racing course. But Williams liked the modified setup from the start, she said.

"It was exciting, thrilling - we knew it was going to be one heck of a horse race,"?she said. "Different, as Pendleton always is."

Of course, there were skeptics.

"I think a lot of people said, 'Geesh, a horse will never run that far,'"?said Garry Zollman, Round-Up president at the time.

Zollman said Round-Up officials had been approached before about adding barrel racing to its regular agenda. When the rodeo finally presented its plan to WPRA shortly before 2000, it was well-received, he said.

The marathon course demands a different training regimen for horses and riders alike, Williams said. Endurance becomes much more of a factor than the traditional sprint of a shorter race, she said. Williams practices on her own field to prepare each year.

A few circuit riders shy away from the Round-Up because of its unusual conditions. But for Williams and Culham, the risk is more than worth the reward.

Williams hasn't missed barrel racing in Round-Up since 2000. Culham's name has appeared in the field most years. And both said they'll keep riding at Round-Up as long as they're able.

Culham's first ride in 2000 inspired her to write a poem after the experience. In it, she evokes imagery of a "soldier marching to the frontline,"?her heart silencing the crowd.

Williams recalls her first ride at Round-Up vividly. It still stands out among an almost 50-year career in barrel racing, she said.

Said Williams:?"It's probably the most exciting feeling I've ever had."