Craig Brooks with his winning quarter-horse SO Perksamericanrose. TMP/ D. Hunter

One of those that braved the cold weather and made the long trip from northeast Georgia was Craig Brooks.

Coming into the Murfreesboro event of the International Barrel Racing Association, Brooks had never won the top class of the competition, the futurities until Sunday.

After Saturday’s competition, Brooks was in eighth place with his horse, SO Perksamericanrose running a time of 16.304.

During a typical barrel-racing event, each entry goes around a course that includes three barrels in which the horse and rider has to go around in the fastest time without knocking one down.

Depending on the class, a penalty for putting one on the ground varies from five seconds in the futurity or in other classes it is an automatic no time.

On Sunday, Brooks was the third rider to go out and ran a time of 15.773. It was one of the few under 16 second runs of the weekend.

He then waited and waited as 35 other entries tried to break his time. The wait paid off as nobody was able to break his mark.

It was enough to win the second go-round. By the way, both runs were averaged together for a time of 32.007 and Brooks’ time held up as he took his first ever overall Futurity win.

“It’s a good place to be, waiting to start with instead having to go out and outrun somebody,” Brooks said of waiting nervously for the rest of the entries. “I like being in that position.”

It was a great thrill for him, and it was more special when he had a surprise viewer on Saturday.

His parents surprised him on Saturday by showing up to watch him and his horse work together to conquer the course.

During his first go on Saturday, his dad wrote down all of the times of the other participates. That night Craig looked over the times and made the necessary adjustments for Sunday.

Brooks and his horse have a special relationship that stretches back all the way to February 2010, when he bought her.

“She likes to be asked to do something and not being told what to do,” Brooks said of his tremendous relationship with his horse. 

Back home in Gainesville, Ga., at his Twin Oaks Farm, Brooks trains 10 to 15 quarter horses including some three year olds that he is getting ready for future contests. He and his wife also have a four-month old son.

“I get up ride horses, put them up, go to bed and then do it all over again the next day,” Brooks said of his normal day. He also tries to get his riding done early so he can spend time with his newborn son.

His busy winter indoor schedule continues with another event in a couple of weeks. The next IBRA event is in March at Lewisburg, Ohio.