She may not be old enough to drive, and her horse is almost as old as she is, but that doesn’t keep Hannah Burrell from driving hard for the finish.
The 14-year-old from Didsbury is the youngest pro barrel racer in Canada. She turned pro this year and has raced in Canadian Pro Rodeo Association (CPRA) events in Medicine Hat, Stavely, Camrose and Bonnyville.
She was at the 60th annual Water Valley Stampede watching her dad compete June 1 in the team-roping and wild-cow milking events during the Foothills Cowboy Association-sanctioned rodeo.
She was more interested in talking about her horse than her accomplishments.
“It’s difficult for me right now because I got a new horse and we aren’t quite clicking yet,” she said of Beaver, her 13-year-old steed. “I’m having a bit of trouble with him turning barrels. But we’re getting better and better, for sure.”
And barrel racing in the pro ranks is a whole new experience as well.
“It’s run a lot different,” Burrell observed. “But it’s nice, for sure.”
