Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
CLOVIS — The Curry County Events Center is going to be busy with barrels this weekend, as racers from across the country are set to compete in this weekend’s multi-level Double Dash.
Producer Angie Moore, a 1994 graduate of Portales High School, loves the weekend as a chance to come home from her present home in Canyon, even though she’s pretty busy throughout the two-day event. More than 400 barrel racers are expected.
“I grew up running barrels,” Moore said, “and I was a junior rodeo secretary for a couple of years. I got an idea for how to produce events. This is our ninth year in Clovis, and we’ve been putting on races for the last 14 years.”
Admission is free for either day at the events center, with Saturday’s schedule including a 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. practice followed by races until roughly 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. Sunday will be straight races from 9 a.m. to late evening.
The Double Dash moniker refers to two separate races, and a chance to double up on prize money regardless of whether you run one race or two.
The Saturday and Sunday races, Moore explained, are each their own competition with prize money drawn from entry fees. But all times are compiled into a two-day competition, so a rider could run just one day and see two prizes if their time is good enough.
The race is Open 5D format. The fastest time wins the 1D competition, and a half-second is added for the next prize groups. A separate 15-and-under race will follow a 3D format.
Sunday will also feature what Moore called a “run for Vegas,” a 16-and-under that serves as a qualifier for the upcoming Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of Thursday, Moore said, there were 73 racers entered in that competition. Because the Double Dash event represents one of just 20 qualifiers, there are racers coming from as far away as Minnesota and Arkansas.
