A different kind of race

Riding mower drivers maneuver around barrels during Boxelder Bug Days

MINNEOTA -- Barrel racing is a sport that takes speed, coordination and skill. However, for the contestants driving riding mowers through the Silver Spur Saddle Club Arena this weekend, speed wasn't as much of a factor.

After driving a garden tractor through a barrel-racing pattern, Nevaeh Schreiber cruised back across the arena, finishing with a time of just over 40 seconds.

"They're a lot slower, and the turns are a lot wider," she said of driving the tractor. "There's a lot more quick thinking when it comes to horses."

On Sunday afternoon, the Silver Spur Saddle Club added lawn mower barrel racing to its annual Boxelder Bug Days events. A total of around 18 people, including some saddle club members, gathered to ride mowers instead of horses in the arena.

The event had adult and youth divisions for both garden tractor and zero turn mowers. Alexa Swedzinski drove her own riding mower to the arena to compete in the barrel races.

"I debated taking my bagger off, but then I said, nah," Swedzinski said, as people started to gather at the arena.

In order to be used in the competition, lawn mowers had to have the blades removed. Part of the challenge for some of the race participants was getting familiar with the mowers at the event. In the lead-up to the races, Alexa Swedzinski gave pointers on maneuvering her zero turn mower to youth competitor Harry Swedzinski. With the bagger still on the mower, Alexa said, "You have to watch that side. It's a little wider on that side."

Harry and fellow competitor Bryson Javers said it was fun racing the lawn mowers. They said it wasn't too hard to do.

"If you know how to mow a lawn, it's pretty much the same thing," Swedzinski said.

"I think the zero turn is a lot easier than a garden tractor," at maneuvering, Alexa Swedzinski said.

Racers did a good job steering tight circles around the barrels in the arena, but the lawn mowers didn't move nearly as fast as a horse. Most of Sunday's contestants completed the race in around 30 to 40 seconds.

"That's as fast as you could go," Harry Swedzinski said.

Javers also tried doing the race pattern while riding a hoverboard-style scooter instead of a mower, and ended up having one of the better times in event, at 35 seconds.

"It's a lot easier to steer," he said.