By Pat McNamara
The north arena and bleachers of the Santa Cruz County Fair and Rodeo Grounds in Sonoita was a bustling place on Memorial Day weekend. Families had gathered to support their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, daughters and a son or two scurry around horseback on finely tuned, equine athletes over three days of barrel racing in a competition sponsored by the Southern Arizona Barrel Racers Association.
More than 90 contestants with their horses competed in the various age and ability categories, making for a successful event.
One contestant was Amber Bustamante, a California resident competing in the event with her horse, Borracho The Drunk.
“I grew up in gymkhana (speed games on horseback) and rodeo queen stuff and I had kids, then stopped,” she said. “In 2012 I got back into it (barrel racing) and started over from scratch.” Bustamante said that the therapeutic support and supplements for horses had greatly progressed in the interim, spurring her to start her own supplement business, NutriSana EQ.
Bustamante’s Memorial Day visit to Sonoita was a successful one, as she’d been able to cover her expenses, with quite a bit left over, from her and Borracho’s winnings. She said she competes all over the Southwest but tries to make it to Sonoita to compete whenever she can. “Everybody’s friendlier out here!” she explained.
Elgin resident and horse trainer Michelle Heredia was also at the event, competing with her horse, Royally Hot CD, and a client’s horse, Shots On A Train.
“I did OK, won some money, paid for my weekend with a little change left over,” Heredia said. “I’ve been at this since I was 13 and I’m 51 now and been on my own (as a trainer) for 25 years.”
Heredia is in the process of building a barn and is currently taking outside horses for training. For more information, call her at 951-751-2122.
Both Heredia and Bustamante complimented the grounds at the Sonoita venue, saying that the footing, warm-up arenas and the lights are excellent compared with the many other facilities they have competed in.
As an aside, this reporter often competed in barrel racing as a teenager — just after the Ice Age melted, and when timers were sundials. Horses and riders have come a long way since then, and today’s facilities, horse quality and rider talent are truly humbling.