Barrels of fun, western style

~ 16-year-old Dusty Gilder finds barrel racing both exciting and lucrative.

Dusty Gilder will be doing what he enjoys the most this weekend, and he will be doing it in his backyard for a change.

The 16-year-old from Whitewater, Mo., will be competing in a barrel racing event tonight and Saturday at Flickerwood Arena in Jackson.

The local stop is one of the few for the home-schooled Gilder, who competes throughout the country in a fast-growing sport.

"My life is probably 100 percent horses right now," Gilder said. "It is something I enjoy doing, and the money is good, too."

That is a combination that would put a smile to any teenager's face. Gilder comes off a season in which he was the No. 1 money winner in the open division in the National Barrel Horse Association. Gilder earned almost $80,000 in the 2005 calendar year, including close to $20,000 in one event in Fort Smith, Ark.

GIlder finished in the top 10 in the two biggest events of the season, the NBHA Youth World in Jackson, Miss., and the NBHA Open World in Augusta, Ga.

Gilder's Dad, Danny, was involved in the sport when he was young, although it was more of a local sport at the time. Dusty began competing in the fall of 2000.

"A lot of kids start earlier than I did, but we were involved a lot in trail rides," Dusty Gilder said. "We liked to be out on the trails. Barrel racing is something I grew to really enjoy. I like the speed of it."

Barrel racing involves one rider -- it is a more popular rodeo sport among women than men -- racing his horse around three 55-gallon barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. The sport is timed to the thousandth of a second to determine the order of finish.

One of the keys to success in barrel racing, according to Gilder, is the relationship between the horse and rider.

"You have to be able to connect with the horse," Gilder said. "You really have to get your timing down with the horse."

Gilder rides several different horses throughout the year but has quite a repoire with 11-year-old Jets Easy Honor, who was the No. 2 horse in earnings in the open division last year.

In events such as the one in Fort Smith, there are age limits for the horses. So, Gilder rode 4-year-old Non Stop Koko Motion to his biggest payday.

The Gilders are on the road several weekends a month, 12 months a year for most of the season.

"You get a little tired of it now and then, but it is something I enjoy doing and see myself doing for many more years," Gilder said.

In many of the open events, Gilder is competing against riders 10 to 15 years older than him.

"It's something we do together as a family," Gilder said. "I reached one of my goals by being the Missouri state champion in 2004. One of my goals now is to win the NBHA Finals in Fort Smith."

It's easy to see one reason Gilder has that race as a goal. He finished second in that event last year. The winner pocketed $40,000.