Book Review

Sharon Camarillo.  Barrel Racing For Fun and Fast Times – Winning Tips for Horse and Rider. Skyhorse Publishing,  2010.  156 pp.

Sharon Camarillo’s most recent book, Barrel Racing For Fun and Fast Times is a combination of short read motivational essays and 140 tips to help the barrel racer improve his or her performance.   Camarillo has used 10 chapters to combine a lifetime of tips to help both the beginner and advanced barrel racer succeed.    The tips are broken down into short sections of 300 words or less making for a quick reference and easy read.  This writing style allows Camarillo to educate and empower her readers as they improve their horsemanship and barrel racing through her helpful tips.

Sharon has collaborated with an accomplished performance horse team to bring many proven tips to this book.  Her team consists of experienced vets, professional trainers, riders and educators.     The team states “Our collective goal is to share winning formulas that help inspire riders to establish working relationships with their equine partners and provide horsemanship techniques that contribute to safe, successful, and rewarding influences on the horses they ride in whatever disciplines they choose.” They have succeeded in achieving their goal, through this book.

Barrel Racing For Fun and Fast Times

Through chapters ranging from barrel horse care, tack, conditioning, building a foundation, exercises, strategies for competition, problems solving and gaining that winning edge, Sharon is able to inspire and encourage better horsemanship through words.   Each chapter starts with an important quote and is followed by an essay that will leave you reflecting on your own experiences or planning for changes in the future.   In Chapter 4 Sharon states “Each run is a learning opportunity, a chance to evaluate strengths and weaknesses, and a chance to learn a lesson that makes the next run better than the last.  Winning runs are not answers to prayers; they don’t come by luck or fate. Winning runs are created through preparation, practice, and experience and come when the opportunity to excel presents itself”.  Sharons wisdom and experience through her lifelong journey of horsemanship shine through on the pages of this well written book.

Barrel Racing for Fun and Fast Times is an excellent resource for barrel racers at any level of experience or competition.  Beginners to professional barrel racers will find this book useful and should use it as a constant source of reference as their skill levels advance.    A wonderful reminder of the basics, but at a higher level, it provides important insights and often reminds us of why we are on this journey.  Camarillo states at the beginning of the Competition Strategy chapter that: “Excellence in performance begins with a vision of where you want to go, then establishing goals to get there”.

Barrel Racing for Fun and Fast times offers page upon page of insight and is a beautiful book you will be happy to leave on your coffee table.   Short messages ready and waiting for every day reading and self improvement, complimented with gorgeous photography and photo art throughout, make it a book every barrel racer should acquire.

You can find this book in stores near you or online at www.sharoncamarillo.com

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