BORN TO RIDE

WALLA WALLA - For nearly 50 years, horse-loving women in the Walla Walla Valley have had a place to call their own.

In 1962, the Valley Girls Barrel Racing Association was created to bring together the best barrel racers of all ages in the area. Many of them hail from the Touchet Valley, including Kelli Currin and her daughter Shayla, who have been active in the barrel racing and rodeo scenes.

The Currins live in Dayton.

Kelli has been racing since she was young and brought up her daughter in the same way. Shayla, now 12, has been competing in barrel racing since she was six years old.

"I've always had a passion for it," Kelli said.

Last week, Kelli and a small group of Valley Girls were trotting back and forth at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds horse arena and practicing guiding their horses around three barrels in a clover-shaped pattern. Sometimes they went through fast, and sometimes rode softly and gently around the barrels.

It was a pretty warm day for December, and the riders wore light jackets and fleece headbands to keep their ears warm.

Kelli said the club practices at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds once a week and about two or three times a week at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Dayton. She said it's beneficial to practice in Walla Walla where one of the largest barrel races in the country is held - the Annual Barrel Daze competition. This year will be the 34th Barrel Daze, and Kelli said barrel racers will travel from as far as Texas, Arizona and Idaho to compete.

"It's very competitive and prestigious," Kelli said, mostly because the prize pools can be as big as $16,000.

In addition to Barrel Daze, the club members compete in races all year to earn points. The racers with the fastest times around the barrels earn points in each competition.

The club's competition year ends and begins each October. And each year, the points are added up and awards are given to club members in different divisions - junior, senior, honors, open, novice and overall.

Kelli won the novice (horse) division last year and Shayla won the junior division.

For Kelli, being part of the club and participating in the races are a great way to bring up the younger colts she breeds as a profession.

"I use the races as a place to get my colts experienced," she said.

For the Currins, breeding horses runs in the family.

Kelli said her grandfather bred a great horse named Biankus and Biankus' son, Captain Biankus, was a qualifier in the 1990 and 1991 National Finals Rodeo, a four-time Columbia Circuit winner, a futurity winner and was the 1991 champion at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo. Currin continues to breed horses from the Biankus line.

Futurity is a first race for a horse or a race for horses five and younger.

The barrel training also prepares the colts for Kelli's rodeo season, in which she competes yearly. She said her primary goal is to do well at professional rodeos.

To be in the club, the rider must live within 50 miles of Walla Walla. Membership dues are $20 per year. Also, members must obtain a $50 donation to help put on Barrel Daze each year. Currently, there are more than 70 club members, including seven from Dayton, five from Waitsburg, four from Prescott and Starbuck and one from Dixie.

Kelli enters horses in about 35 barrel races each year, when she's not riding rodeo.

With having to pay entry fees and office fees, it can get expensive when riders start competing with seven different horses, she said.

But younger riders just trying to gain some experience can enter races and pay just the office fees and receive their points. This saves them money up front, but means they won't get any prize money. In addition to money, highquality saddles and harnesses are given to winners at the competitions.

Not only does the barrel racing club help Kelli train her younger horses for rodeo competition, she said the club and competitions teach the young girls important life lessons.

"It's hard and time consuming," she said of barrel racing. "But it's great for them, having the girls learn how to take care of animals. And it gives them something to be good at."

In addition to the tremendous responsibility of caring for a horse and training it to barrel race, Kelli said on the good days of racing, it provides the girls with a sense of accomplishment. On the bad days, when they may not place well in a competition, she said it humbles them and teaches them good sportsmanship.

"It teaches them how to deal with life," Kelli said.

And she really enjoys watching the young horses she breeds grow into well-trained, barrel-racing horses.

"It's fun to see the babies doing well," she said with a laugh.

Last week, Shayla and her good friend Tommie Hoyecki, who lives in the Tucannon area, were being instructed by Kelli on how to improve their racing skills. Shayla, who has been successful in barrel racing just like her mother, was featured in American Girl Magazine in 2010.

Shayla said the best part about racing is the speed and excitement.

Hoyecki said the best part is being with her best friends, having fun and learning a lot.

"If you like doing it, it's fun and easy," Shayla said. "People think it's hard, but you know you can do it."

And both girls, who have been racing since the age of six, aren't going to stop anytime soon.

"I'll do it for the rest of my life," Hoyecki said. "Until we're too old and can't get on anymore."