# What is a fast time for pole bending?



## kittersrox

What is a fast time for pole bending? I just competed in a show today, and I ran 14 seconds doing poles, and I won the class. I'm really excited, as I've only practiced poles once this year, and I did so well.  Thank you!


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## crimson88

Are you sure you ran that time? The record for fastest pole bending run was in 2009 and recorded a 19.579 sec.


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## kittersrox

Really? Hm..Maybe the timer was messed up, because other people were getting 16.


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## kittersrox

Okay, I think I figured out why my time was 14 seconds. At the show, when we start the pattern we don't ride all the way down past the poles then turn at the last pole, and weave down, turn around, and weave back. Instead, we just weave down, and weave back. Perhaps that's why my time was 14 seconds?


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## Tennessee

kittersrox said:


> Okay, I think I figured out why my time was 14 seconds. At the show, when we start the pattern we don't ride all the way down past the poles then turn at the last pole, and weave down, turn around, and weave back. Instead, we just weave down, and weave back. Perhaps that's why my time was 14 seconds?


 
Yup. That's a good possibility. Was this a 4H show by chance? I know some 4H shows run poles like that.


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## wild_spot

That's how we do it in Australia. Qualifying time for state is 12 secs. I once ran 10.18 on my good horse.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kmdstar

I wish we ran poles like that up here!  but times totally depend on the size of the arena, so you can't say a blank statement like "18 second is a good time" because without knowing the size of the arena you ran in/will be running in...you can't know what a good time would be.


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## Iseul

Our good times (that place) are normally in the 19-22 second range.
I was under that impression that poles were up, weave, weave, back and just weaving up and back was stakes..? That's what we go by anyway, we don't normally include both a stakes and a poles class though, it's usually one or the other.

And all the arena's I've been too (10 maybe) in the past year and this year, have all been the same size. The poles are set up (I think) 21? (that sounds huge..lol) or 12 feet apart consistently. But the point is that we use the standard pattern (I don't know the size, i wont lie haha) with every arena, even if it leaves us having to do a much tighter turn on both ends.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Horsesdontlie

That time is good. On the California Gymkhana Association rating system you have FC, A, AA, AAA, AAA+ With FC being the slowest and AAA+ being the fastest. According to our timesheet you ran a AA time. Which is Average. It was a consistent run at a good pace. 

Click here to see our rating Matrix

EDIT : The Event I have heard as Poles 1, and California Poles.


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## kittersrox

Tennessee said:


> Yup. That's a good possibility. Was this a 4H show by chance? I know some 4H shows run poles like that.


Yes, it was a 4H show. Also, the poles were 21 feet apart.


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## BarrelRacer86

kmdstar said:


> I wish we ran poles like that up here!  but times totally depend on the size of the arena, so you can't say a blank statement like "18 second is a good time" because without knowing the size of the arena you ran in/will be running in...you can't know what a good time would be.


I think poles is always set up the same 21' apart
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bubba13

"Real," standard pole bending is always the same pattern. 21 feet from the timer to the first pole, and 21 feet in between poles. The only variable that would affect time *should* be footing, but some arenas are small and squash the timer too close to the first pole, messing up the time and shortening the pattern. 

Then, of course, you run down, weave six poles up and back, and run home. The record time, as someone else said, is in the mid-19 second range. Anything below a 21 second, however, is very, very good.


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## kittersrox

Thank you for answering everyone!


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## Fiinx

It really depends where you are at...people set the timers in different places. Like the NBHA shows times usually run lower. Where in 4H they are slower because the time is set back more. A 20/21 for NBHA is usually a common fast time. Where other places it is a 23... 

I can believe that what crimson88 said about the 19 second pole run is true.


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