Sophomore Montana Head has been taking on the challenging sport of barrel racing ever since she was little. Her long-term goal is to one-day display her talents at a barrel racing show. At a show or rodeo event, a rider and a horse compete in an attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. To achieve this goal, she has been working hard every day.

When she was younger, her dad always took Head to former Sahbra Farms in Streetsboro, for horseback riding. After taking some lessons, Head instantly knew she loved horses. As time went on, she began to develop bonds with every horse she rode. 

“When you grow a bond, it’s an amazing feeling,” she said. These bonds motivated her to continue and eventually try barrel racing.

Mid-laughter, Head described her very first experience with barrel racing. She recalled that her horse was very fast and energetic. When the horse would get excited it would buck, and as soon as she began to ride, that is exactly what the horse did. 

“Even though it was hard to stay on, I had a lot of fun trying,” she said.  

One of Head’s biggest riding achievements has been gaining a horse’s trust. 

“Gaining a horse’s trust is really hard, especially if it had a rough past,” Head said. Being able to earn that trust is very rewarding, she added. “You know you trust the animal, and the animal trusts you.” 

Ever since that day, she has been practicing and building up her confidence to one day show. 

Not only is Head a great barrel racer, “She is a team player; she always wants everyone she plays with to be involved” said former volleyball teammate, sophomore Reanne Barzal. 

Friends also described Head as very charismatic and outgoing.

“Her personality stands out to me the most,” Barzal said. “She never fails to cheer people up when they’re down.”