Posts tagged “2026”

Barrel Racing at the Calgary Stampede

I had a chance to shoot the rodeo midweek for a little while. I was happy to catch the barrel racing as it’s one of my favorite events to photograph. With the rider and her horse leaning hard into the barrel turns, the dirt flies and the images can be amazing. When they make the last turn and takeoff for the finish line, there are few long shutter, motion blur opportunities that I enjoy more.

A cowgirl in a red shirt and cowboy hat riding a brown horse at high speed on a sandy surface.

Above Carlee Otero from Perrin, Texas sprints towards her winning time of 16.79 seconds on Day 6 of the 2026 Calgary Stampede Rodeo.

A rider in a cowboy hat competes on a light-colored horse during a rodeo event, kicking up dust on a dirt track.

Katelyn Scott from Odessa, Texas corners around the second barrel on her way to a 17.05 second run.

A rider on a brown horse competes in barrel racing, making a tight turn around a barrel marked with the Calgary Herald logo on a sandy track.
A rider in a turquoise shirt speeds on a chestnut horse across a sandy arena, captured in motion.

Jordan Driver from Garden City, Texas coming off the barrel in the first image and then racing to close out her run on Wednesday, July 8th in the image above.

A rodeo participant riding a horse around a barrel, showcasing western horsemanship skills.

Blake Molle from Chauvin, Alberta kicks her boot and stirrup over the barrel on a tight turn.

A cowboy riding a horse at full speed across a sandy arena.

July 10, 2026 | Categories: Alberta, long exposure, motion blur, Rodeo, Sports | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments