It sounds easy enough — just don’t tip over the barrels.

For most riders competing in a barrel racing competition, weaving themselves and their horses through a cloverleaf pattern, it’s not that simple.

“As fast as some people go, it’s easier said than done,” said Amanda Reverts, ISU Rodeo Club publicity chairwoman.

Riders are timed, and each barrel knocked over is a five-second penalty, said Amanda Eason, ISU Rodeo Club secretary.

If the pattern is broken, the rider is disqualified.

With no Veishea festival being held this spring, many clubs, like the ISU Rodeo Club, have had to get creative in order to raise money and awareness for their organizations.

“The Rodeo Club used to set up a mechanical bull during Veishea, and it was a good fund raiser for us,” said A.J. Benjamin, ISU Rodeo Club member. “Seeing that there will not be a Veishea this year, our backs were kind of up against the wall, so we came up with the idea to have a barrel racing competition along with mutton busting and the mechanical bull.”

The club chose to feature a barrel racing competition because it does not require steers or bulls and insurance costs are less expensive than having a full-scale rodeo, Benjamin said.

“We are trying to keep it simple for the first year and build a spectator base — ultimately, we would like to eventually expand it to a full-scale rodeo,” he said.

The club’s primary goal is to try and make the city of Ames and ISU students more aware of the sport of rodeo and the club, Eason said.

“We want to tell the community we are still out here and functioning,” said Eason, who serves as the 2005 ISU Rodeo Club Queen.

Benjamin said the club hopes the competition will provide it with the resources it needs to host its annual fall collegiate rodeo.

The barrel racing competition provides an opportunity for men, women and children of all ages to compete in an extremely challenging and competitive event, Eason said.

In order to be competitive in barrel racing, it is essential for the rider and their horse to have really good communication to avoid knocking a barrel over, said Travis Fink, ISU Rodeo Club vice president.

The barrel racing competition is scheduled for Saturday at the ISU Rodeo Grounds, which is two miles south of campus on State Avenue.

Registration is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and the competition is at 11 a.m.