Young Barrel Racer Lexi HeckerHas Big Plans For The Future
From the moment Lexi Hecker received her first horse at age 10, she knew she wanted to compete in barrel racing — a sport in which riders navigate three carefully positioned barrels in a cloverleaf pattern as fast as they can.
“The girl we bought the horse from had been doing it, and she started teaching me the basics,” recalled Lexi, who will turn 14 in June. “My mother also barrel raced when she was younger. I tried reining, but it didn’t give me the adrenaline rush that barrel racing does. Barrel racing is faster. It’s a lot more thrilling, and the crowds make everything better, which can make a lot of difference on the road. They make a lot of noise, and it’s very exhilarating.”
Lexi competes in the Open class (all ages) as well as the Youth class (ages 18 and under) in competitions throughout Florida and Georgia, although she plans to travel farther away in the near future. The barrel racing circuit takes place in local arenas across the nation and throughout the world.
The National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) Youth World Championships bills itself as the largest barrel race in the world and showcases horses and riders from 36 states, Canada, Italy, Panama, Brazil, France, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Australia. Riders must qualify on a local level by competing at NBHA-sanctioned shows, NBHA national shows, super shows or state show events before becoming eligible for the championships. The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) also hosts barrel racing events and will take place in Las Vegas this December. Riders and horses from around the globe will compete.
Lexi’s horses are Nonstop Nick and B.B. Dreamer, although she has nicknamed them Clutch and Superman, respectively.
“After we bought them about a year ago, the names Superman and Clutch seemed to fit them better, but it’s really bad luck to change the names after you buy the horses,” she said.
The Hecker family owns a number of horses, but not all of the horses do barrel racing. “We have eight in total,” Lexi said. “Two are prospects, one is in training, there are the two that I race, and the others are for fun.”
Lexi, who attends Western Pines Middle School, said most of her non-racing peers don’t get it. “My friends don’t understand the hard work and practice,” she said. “My horses and I spend many hours a week practicing, and a couple weekends a month competing. It’s what I love to do, and if you and your horses don’t have the correct bond, you will never make a good team. My family supports me and makes huge sacrifices to support my passion. My friends are more interested in football, etc… They don’t understand why I can’t hang out with them.”
Lexi is nonetheless grateful that she is able to attend a school that offers a unique pre-med program. At Western Pines, she is in her third year of the program, which gains her one high school credit. Her long-term goals include earning a degree in equestrian veterinary medicine in order to continue helping the animals she loves.
School and its accompanying homework inevitably take their toll on practice time, but Lexi finds herself practicing at home and at local arenas. Some youth competitions are also held at night.
“Before the race begins, there are exhibitions, and they do those with plastic barrels, because some horses like to shoulder in and hit the barrels, so the plastic is better for the rider’s knees,” Lexi explained. “But, when the race starts, it’s metal barrels. Metal hurts more.”
But like any good athlete, pain is secondary for Lexi. “My dream is to make it to the National Finals Rodeo and compete with the best women in the world in the sport of barrel racing,” she said.
