Dear Producer:
Barrel Horse News and Equi-Stat staff members are reaching out to encourage all barrel racing producers to submit at
least 80 percent of registered horse names (or “official” names in the case of grade horses) with all event results in 2009
from this point forward.
Statistics are vital to the growth of the barrel racing industry. For instance, Equi-Stat’s statisticians researched and
recorded $43,352,152 in cutting earnings in 2007 and $13,948,387 for barrel racing. However, they also ran a report on
“unknown and barn names” and found that an astounding $16 million-plus in barrel racing dollars could not be linked to
registered names. Once barrel racers become accustomed to entering Open races using registered names, in the future
Equi-Stat will be able to assign these millions in unknown earnings to the right horses. Barrel racing is already second to
cutting despite incomplete data and with our vast numbers could even surpass cutting to become the largest paying
western discipline tracked by Equi-Stat. We believe this will add credibility and professionalism to barrel racing and help
attract prospective sponsors and international players to our wonderful sport.
For those who aren’t familiar, improving our data can also benefit your events. Barrel Horse News gets all Divisional,
Futurity and Derby results and reports through Equi-Stat and those statistics are used to publish our Annual Horse and
Rider Statistical issue in March, our Annual Owner and Breeder Statistical issue in April and our Annual 10-Year Barrel
Racing Statistics each September. Top events are also ranked in these issues. Events with complete data will obviously
rank better on the charts. We are in danger of losing some open shows that have been entered in the past and will perhaps
have to limit the statistical reports to futurity and derby money only. Over the past several months we have worked to
create awareness on this issue and now we need your help for the final push to make the use of registered and official
names standard entry practice.
We would love to have you as out partner in this effort. While some producers are changing their entry forms to note
"Horse’s Registered Name (HRN)," or (NR) for not registered, others have even actually changed their software like Gene
Moore with Charlie Horse Ranch Timing System and BRN4D. Others still use an Excel database that when standardized
for Equi-Stat allows direct digital entry into the system. You can contact Equi-Stat for further information on the
format. Sending the results to Equi-Stat in this format with registered names will allow us to enter every single race they
get, no matter how small.
I would also like to thank everyone who has taken the time over the years to enforce the use of registered names. It makes
reporting on events much easier and improves the accuracy of our articles.
Thank you for your time and please do not hesitate to contact Equi-Stat directly with questions on submitting a show or
concerns about the process.
Regards,
Bonnie Wheatley
