California horsewoman and barrel racing clinician Sharon Camarillo has designed a lot of saddles for years for the barrel racing industry.

What goes into designing a good barrel racing saddle? 

"I never believe in just a saddle for barrel racing, even though, you know, we need a lighter weight saddle, but we still need a saddle that's a good tool that gives us good balance because barrel racing, as we know, is a high rate of speed event with three change of turns, and I'd like to ride two hands on my reins up into those turns and go to the horn on the back side. I want my feet underneath me, don't particularly like a real free swinging stirrup. I want my saddle, like I said, to be a tool to keep my feet underneath my pelvis so I can maintain balance, whether it's in a straight line approach or in the collection and position for the turn."

"Probably most important is that the saddle does that, I like a straighter swell so I don't get too far forward, and the cannel in today's world is a pretty stock four-inch cannel that helps you stay up when you leave those barrels, keeps your pelvis over that center of gravity, but that saddle's got to fit those horses." 

California horsewoman Sharon Camarillo.