On a Dime

On a Dime

The rules of barrel racing, the only female-dominated rodeo sport, are simple. It’s the execution that’s hard.

Professional barrel racer Justine Byrd, 28, whips her horse Rip-Tide around a barrel while practicing on a ranch in east El Paso. Byrd, who played professional ice hockey in Germany before a leg injury ended her career, claims to compete as much for the horses’ enjoyment as her own: “I think a big part of it is that it’s good for our horses. They’re athletes, after all, and they want to do their jobs. They get just as much a thrill from competing as we do, so you’ve got to give them the opportunity.”