Insider Scoop on Barrel Racing Memberships – Your Burning Questions Answered!

Barrel racers have taken note of the Equine Sports Alliance’s new membership program. But what are the memberships, and what do they mean for competitors?

Everyone has a membership to something, whether it’s a Netflix membership, a gym membership, a USTRC membership or any other service that provides us with value. So, why not have a barrel racing membership with the Equine Sports Alliance if you’re a barrel racer in Texas? If you attend more than ten Wild West Promotions barrel races a year, it’s definitely a membership to consider.

The Equine Sports Alliance (ESA) was founded in 2023 and is working to improve all aspects of the barrel racing industry. In 2024, they launched membership options for barrel racers competing at the events in Texas. Since memberships are a newer thing in the world of barrel racing, there is some confusion around how the membership levels work, what each level provides, how to use the membership and what it means for the sport of barrel racing.

Steven Hayes of the Equine Sports Alliance broke down the program and gave a 101 course on barrel racing memberships within the ESA. The memberships are straightforward and provide several benefits for barrel racers to take advantage of.

Barrel Racing Membership 101

There are three different tiers to choose from to fit your needs and budget. For the ESA, they have set up a Basic Membership for $100, a Premium Membership for $300 and an Elite Membership for $500. Of course, with each membership level, contestants and members will receive different perks.

• Basic: The basic is exactly what it sounds like and is a no-frills membership that allows barrel racers to compete at Wild West Promotion events and ESA sidepots. Contestants with a basic membership will be eligible for the leaderboard that allows contestants to win end-of-year prizes. All memberships still require riders to pay entry fees. The membership is not an automatic entry or coverage of fees.
• Premium: Now, you’re starting to get some added perks. The primary upgrade with this membership up from the basic is a designated window for entry and a NextGen Rodeo subscription. The designated window for entry allows barrel racers to get their hands on exhibitions before other barrel racers. The NextGen Rodeo subscription is a $99.99/year subscription that allows you to enter, see live updates, view results, see stats and much more. Barrel racers with this membership also receive a 10% discount on entry fees. The discount is not available to use on sidepots and will reduce the amount of money in the jackpot since the payout is 75%-80%, depending on the race.
• Elite: The package that has it all. With this membership, barrel racers get a designated entry window (not separate from the Premium members at this time), a NextGen Rodeo subscription, 20% off entry fees and free Basic memberships for immediate family members. The discounted entry fees do still reduce the jackpot and can’t be used on sidepots. The 20% discount is only available for the Elite member and excludes Basic memberships added to this membership.
• Weekend Pass: Barrel racers can buy a weekend pass for $30 to compete at the events. The weekend pass simply allows you to compete, and you are still required to pay entry fees. This is a great option for barrel racers traveling from out of state and aren’t interested in competing at the (minimum) $20,000 added Wild West Promotions and Equine Sports Alliance Finals or winning year-end leaderboard prizes. To compete at any Wild West Promotion or Equine Sports Alliance event, competitors must be a member—the weekend pass is your “membership” for the weekend.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to the money that comes from memberships?

The money from memberships funds the leaderboards/year-end prizes, the races, and production and allows the Equine Sports Alliance to add more races and added money.

When and where are the finals?

There are two finals races that members are able to attend. The Equine Sports Alliance Finals, with a minimum $20,000 added, is held in October at Circle T Arena in Hamilton, Texas. The Wild West Promotions Finals, with a minimum of $20,000 added, will be held in December.

What are leaderboards?

The leaderboards are another term for the point system used to determine year-end awards.

What are the different leaderboards?

There are three different leaderboards - high-point horse, high-point rider and one for divisions that will have a leader in each division.

Why do the leaderboards matter?

The leaderboard tracks all contestants, horses and points. At the conclusion of the season, barrel racers and horses that top the leaderboards will win prizes and money.

Are contestants able to earn points at other events?

Yes, contestants who are members and enter a race hosted by an affiliate or an alliance partner will earn points at those races.

If a contestant enters a high-stakes race as a member, do they get a discount on the entry fee?

Yes, as long as the high-stakes race is run separately and is not a sidepot, contestants can take advantage of the discount on the entry fee. However, if that entry fee goes into the jackpot, the jackpot will be impacted by the discount.

Women’s Rodeo World Championship Partnership

Contestants vying for a position to attend the $750,000 added event held in Fort Worth in May can bypass the Women’s Rodeo World Championship leaderboard by utilizing sidepot packages offered by the Equine Sports Alliance and the World Champions Rodeo Alliance. Barrel racers can pay $100 (retail $175) to enter the sidepot and get two nominations - a nomination to the open and to the sidepot. With the option to enter as a Pro or Challenger, riders can qualify for the Women’s Rodeo World Championship through the Equine Sports Alliance leaderboard. The highest point-earning riders in both the Pro and Challenger will receive a direct pass to the qualifier round at the Women’s Rodeo World Championship.

Equine Sports Alliance was created to support jackpot competitors and equine event production companies. Our goal is to help elevate the amount of participation and collect quality performance data on equine competitors and their riders. Why are we focused on data? Until now, the only consistent data point measured has been money won. We believe this is not a true indicator of value, thus we are focused on providing additional data points such as Split Times in barrels, to increase our members’ ability to successfully market and research equine athletes. In 2024, ESA will host a number of events in a series format. These events will have a combination of added and guaranteed money formats to increase the payout to competitors. October 2024 at Circle T Arena in Hamilton, Texas, ESA will host the Finals.