MOSES LAKE — The Columbia Basin Barrel Racing Club will host its third classic race of the year early next month, with the Patriot Fall Classic Race coming to the Ardell Pavilion at the Grant County Fairgrounds.  

“The first (fall race) fell on 9/11, and (current CBBRC President) Laurie Coombs, it was her vision that brought the Patriot Race to that order,” said Brayden Bise, newsletter and website officer with the CBBRC. “It’s like our regular classic races, but it’s patriotic-themed. It’s in memory of 9/11 and fallen soldiers.” 

The race is a doubleheader format, beginning at 10 a.m. Sept. 7 in Moses Lake. The second race will follow 30 minutes after completion of the first race.  

The first race has a minimum of $1,400 in added money, while the second race has a minimum of $500 in added money. 

“For the open division of the first race, there is a buckle that will go to the fastest time,” Bise said. “Throughout the day there is a best-dressed award; our racers are going to have a hat on, they’re going to be in their best long sleeve, jeans — the whole kit and caboodle. We have some really cool ones.” 

Time-only races will be held from 7 to 9 a.m. before the first race and after the conclusion of the second race. 

The CBBRC runs four classic races per year — one in June, one in July, one in August and one in October — on top of weekly club races held during the spring and summer. 

“They’re ran differently from our club races — they're bigger, there’s more money into them, they’re more open-oriented than club-oriented,” Bise said. “Our classic (races), anybody from around can come race at them. We’ve had NFR people that have made it to Vegas, they’ve came and ran in our races.” 

The CBBRC’s classic races range from 100-200 contestants, with the key contributing factor in attendance depending on other events around the area.  

“Some of the NFR people that we get, they’ll be traveling rodeo to rodeo on their way to Vegas in December,” Bise said. “If they happen to be in this part of the state at a rodeo, they’ll hop in our (race) to keep an exercise, keep in the loop. It just kind of varies on what else is going on around the area.” 

Club members assist in putting on the race while being rewarded with duty points, which go toward the club’s year-end awards. 

“It’ll be like barrel setting when a barrel gets hit, or when we rake every five runs, we pull the barrels and the tractor goes out and runs over everything and cleans up the dirt, then the barrels get set back up,” Bise said. 

    Cassie Berryman carries a Patriot Day flag at last year’s Columbia Basin Barrel Racing Club Patriot Fall Classic Race in Moses Lake.