TLDR:
– The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) has partnered with Alan Woodbury on a new timing device called BY A NOSE.
– BY A NOSE was developed specifically for professional barrel racing and aims to provide a more accurate timing system for the sport.
– Woodbury conducted extensive research and gathered data on barrel racing runs, eventually designing a tripod and canister system that can accurately start and stop the time of differing heights of horses’ noses.
WPRA Announces New Partnership With Revolutionary Technology
The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) has announced a new partnership with Alan Woodbury on a revolutionary timing device named BY A NOSE. This new technology aims to provide a more accurate and reliable timing system for professional barrel racing, addressing a need that has been recognized within the sport for some time.
BY A NOSE was developed by Woodbury, an experienced entrepreneur, successful horse breeder, and now inventor. Woodbury, who has been involved in the barrel racing world for over 40 years, recognized the need for a more accurate timing system and began researching and gathering data to address the issue. He then hired an individual who analyzed film to determine race winners in the horse racing industry, which is where the term “by a nose” originates.
Woodbury and his hired associate filmed over 700 barrel racing runs at major rodeos nationwide, using state-of-the-art technology to analyze the timer heights and horse nose heights at the start and finish of each run. With this extensive data, Woodbury designed a tripod that would always be a standard height and cannot be adjusted. He then developed a “canister” to sit on top of the tripod that accurately starts and stops the time regardless of the height or position of the horse’s nose.
The Montana Circuit Director, Dillon McPherson, expressed excitement about the BY A NOSE timers and their impact on the sport. The WPRA has agreed to distribute over 50 timers to be used at professional rodeos across the country, with plans for an additional 100 units to be available for purchase in March 2024.
This partnership between the WPRA and Woodbury highlights the commitment to advancing technology in the sport of barrel racing and improving the accuracy and fairness of timing systems. The introduction of BY A NOSE signals a significant development in professional rodeo and has generated excitement among contestants, spectators, and industry professionals.