Have you ever heard of the equestrian sport of barrel racing? Whether you have or haven’t, this October, the largest barrel race in European history will arrive in Malta and YOU will have the opportunity to attend this exciting new event! The event will be held at the Malta Fairs & Convention Centre, a state-of-the-art facility which will be transformed into a barrel racing arena with all the necessary facilities, reimagined specifically for this special event! Mark your calendars between the 13-16 of October to make sure you don’t miss it! 

Watch the space for a full program being released very soon with times and activities for each day.

Unfamiliar with barrel racing? No problem! If you, your children, friends or family enjoy looking at beautiful horses, this is the perfect event to see hundreds of them! Barrel racing is one of the most prominent equestrian sports in the United States. Love for the sport grew from the love of horses and has grown quickly throughout the world in the past decade. It is an honor to host some of the most exceptional horses and riders from across the globe here in Malta. We hope you will join us in welcoming our guests by attending the Golden Buckle Barrel Race!

Barrel racing–a fast-paced timed event–challenges the paired team of horse and rider to run a clover-leaf pattern around 3 barrels as fast as they can. It’s an event that keeps you on the edge of your seat much like horse racing. The sport’s top riders are so close in their times that an electronic timing device calculates their times to the thousandth of a second! The anticipation arises until they announce the time. When a “New Leader” occurs, the energy through the stadium is electric! You will want to make sure you have a seat reserved so you don’t miss it!

Curious to learn more about horses or barrel racing? We can help you! The Golden Buckle organization and its producers strive to globalize and elevate the sport of barrel racing by creating events and opportunities never seen before in the industry. This includes educating more people about the sport. There will be several knowledgeable people onsite at the Golden Buckle Barrel Race that would be happy to answer your equine or barrel racing questions.

Throughout the event, you will watch competitors of all ages competing in their specified categories–Junior, Youth, Ladies and Open Barrel Racing–PLUS another timed-event called Pole Bending just as a bonus to make your experience even more fun!

We haven’t even gotten to the most exciting part of the event yet!

The GOLDEN BUCKLE CUP–a race against nations! During the 2021 Golden Buckle Barrel Race, Team Europe and Team USA faced off on the last day of the event–8 of the best Europeans versus 8 of the best Americans. The fastest group determined which country would house the Golden Buckle Cup for one year. In 2022, the teams will rematch. The Americans, after flying thousands of miles to compete for the cup once again, will be sure to show up with a vengeance to take the Cup home. Make sure you’re there on the final day to cheer for your favorite team and see if the Americans can take the win in 2022!

Whether you are just learning about barrel racing or you are a professional in the equestrian industry, the Golden Buckle Barrel Race has much to offer you. Come enjoy food, entertainment, beautiful horses and talented riders! Sit back, relax, pick a few favorites and cheer them on! We hope to see everyone at the Malta Fairs & Convention Centre in October 13-16th!