Lacie Bond Barrel racing has been a major part of Lacie Bond’s life the past six years. She has multiple state championships and has placed in the top 5 at several national events with as many as 700 competitors. She will also be competing in her second world event the last week of July in Jackson Mississippi. On the Fourth of July weekend at the Southern States Triple Crown in Perry, Lacie Bond reached another level in her young barrel racing career when she and her bother’s horse Satinka won a spot on Team USA.

Team USA youth consist of the top 25 youth riders (18 years of age and younger) throughout the United States who have won spots on the team at national level events. Over the past several months, the best youth riders in the country have been competing against each other at national shows for the opportunity to become one of the 25 Team USA youth members. These riders will represent the United States in multinational barrel racing events which will consist of riders from the United States, Canada, Germany and other countries.

Since her summer vacation began, Lacie Bond has been on the road running barrels trying to qualify for the team. She entered both the Champion of Champions barrel race in Perry Ga. and the All American Youth in Jackson Mississippi. In both races she ran top 10 times but knocked-over barrels kept her off the team. This past July 4th weekend, she traveled to Perry Ga. again and entered the Southern States Triple Crown. In Race 2 she competed against close to 800 riders and placed 19th overall with a time that was less than 2 tenths off of the winning time. This run put her ahead of the other youth riders that had been invited to compete for the one team spot that was being awarded that weekend. She received official notification after the last run was made in Race 3 on Sunday that she was a official Youth Team USA member and would represent her country in barrel racing.

Lacie Bond would like to thank her family members for supporting her, especially her brother who always gives those last minute tunes on his horse she rides, and acknowledge that she could not have won a spot if it were not for her brother’s horse Satinka. She also wants to give a big thanks to her sponsors (Marty & Anita Tabb with Bushwater Hay Farms in Colquitt, Payton Animal Hospital in Blakely, Kevin Coleman & International Paint, Wesley White with Woodmen of the World and Kate McGill Hattaway) for stepping up to the plate and taking on a large part of the entry fees that were paid at these events. Lacie Bond plans to proudly represent her sponsors, community and country in the North American Barrel Racing Challenge as a member of Team USA. For more information please check out the North American Barrel Racing Challenge web site at www.northamericanbarrelracingchallenge. com.