In barrel racing the term “level playing field” can mean two things. The first is the literal interpretation of running an event in an arena that is kept flat and not full of waves, holes and ruts. The second is to take away both the luck of the draw in relation to your run and the big drag, and to give every competitor an equal opportunity by providing the same quality footing throughout the event. At the Southern Rebel Barrel Futurity held December 28 – 30, 2006 the playing field was leveled in every sense of the term through the use of a new drag, the TR3 Pro Kiser Edition from Absolute Innovations.
“I heard a lot about this new drag from my son Anthony” said C. D. “Jack” Giacobone, owner and producer of the 22-year-old Southern Rebel Futurity. “We were taking a risk, trying something for the first time, but the tool turned out to be better than anyone imagined.” It took Jack one pass around the arena to see the difference. “It was amazing. I’ve operated the other tool so many times that the advantages of the TR3 Pro stood out immediately. It was like comparing your old Chevy to a Ferrari, there’s that much difference.” Jack immediately decided to take a bold move and planned to run the three day event with drags between every five horses, but no “big drag” after every fifty runs. “Since the TR3 Pro rips and levels on every pass, there was no need to keep stopping the event for twenty minutes or more to do a deep drag.”
The benefits of the TR3 Pro played out in other ways as well. With over 1300 runs, it cut more than six hours of waiting time. “It was the difference between ending at midnight instead of three a.m. on Friday and wrapping it up at nine instead of midnight on Saturday,” according to Giacobone. Gone as well was the time difference caused by drawing a slot either just before or just after the big drag. Event officials reported times were much closer than expected and attributed the difference to the consistent quality of the footing. The fastest run in the 22-year history of the event, a 13.7, was turned in by Lance Graves on one of the first runs. The next fastest was also run by Graves near the end of the event, attesting to the consistency of the footing.
“This TR3 Pro will change the way we do barrel racing,” stated Jack Giacobone. “It will be faster, fairer, and safer for horse and rider as well as more exciting for the spectator.” Other barrel racing event owners agreed and by the end of the weekend the TR3 Pro was signed up as the Official tool of the 2007 Champion of Champions, the Winter Classic and the Southern Rebel Futurity. Details and photos of the TR3 Pro can be found at http://www.tr3pro.com or you can request pricing and a brochure by calling 877-788-7253.
