Fundraising barrel race for farmer’s mental health coming to Erin

~ The event will take place on May 30, at Charlie Hill Equine on Fourth Line in Orton ~

ERIN ― A new event is harnessing a popular rodeo activity to raise funds for farmers’ mental health.

Planned for May 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Farmer’s Dash Fundraiser Barrel Race is a new community event taking place at Charlie Hill Equestrian on 6090 Fourth Line in Orton, west of Hillsburgh.

The event is the brainchild of 19-year-old rodeo competitor and university student, Sienna Sovereign, who said she was inspired to create the fundraiser because working in agriculture is incredibly demanding and isolating, not to mention many farmers face significant stress, financial pressure and long hours- all factors which impact mental health.

“Hosting the event in Erin will help bring together members of the local agriculture and equine communities while also attracting competitors and visitors from across Ontario who will travel to attend this barrel race,” said Sovereign, in a presentation to Erin council Thursday afternoon.

If you’re unfamiliar with barrel racing, it’s a popular rodeo event where a horse and its rider run around a set formation of barrels as fast as they can.

The Farmer’s Dash will feature both open and youth barrel racing categories, which will see riders race their horses around a clover leaf pattern of barrels in a timed event.

There will also be pole-bending, where six poles are set straight up, and then riders must ride up one side, weave down the other, weave back up, then home on the other side as fast as possible

“Barrel racing is a very popular discipline within western riding and events like this typically bring together competitors from all over Ontario,” said Sovereign.

The event will end with a “fun race” called the Dash for Cash, which will see participants ride up the track in a straight line, around a barrel, and back to the start.

There will also be a presentation from Jenn Hazeleger, an Erin-based barrel racing coach and barrel racer under the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WRPA), who will host a barrel breakdown during the lunch break to help spectators understand the sport’s complexity.

Other event components include a silent auction with items from local businesses, a food truck, and an ice cream bike.

“These additional elements will help us raise funds while also involving a wider support in the community,” said Sovereign.

Heavily involved in the agriculture and equine industries, Sovereign said the topic of farmers’ mental health is a personal one for her.

Her grandfather, Richard, was a seventh-generation farmer who Sovereign said sold his last farm in 2018 after facing pressure from those who wanted to buy his land and experiencing anxiety about not being there for his wife, Helen, if something were to happen to him.

Before that, her great-grandfather, Earl, was forced to sell his 55-acre family farm to make way for the construction of the Highway 403 Queen Elizabeth Highway Interchange.

“I wanted to create an event that would bring the equine and agricultural communities together while supporting the people who work so hard to support the province,” said Sovereign.

All funds from the event will go towards the Farmer Wellness Initiative and Agriculture Wellness Ontario, which both offer free, 24/7 and confidential mental health and crisis support, as well as counselling services specifically for farmers and agricultural families across Ontario.

Sovereign previously hosted another event called the Brain Power Barrel Race two years ago in Clinton, with all proceeds going towards the Brain Tumour Foundation and a local family in the rodeo community, whose daughter had a brain tumour at the time.

“That experience inspired me to continue using the fun of barrel racing and the rodeo community to try and support important causes,” said Sovereign.

With an overall fundraising goal of $7,500, Sovereign said $5,000 has been raised to date.

More information is available here.

By Isabel Buckmaster, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, EloraFergusToday.com