Nellie Miller knows the difference seconds makes between a buckle and prize money or going home empty handed. Complicating matters is working with a living, breathing animal and how that equipment supports the connection between the two of you.

For decades she has trained and competed to become a World Barrel Racing Champion and winner of the barrel racing championship at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December 2017. Today, she has joined the Cowboy Tack Pro-Rider team with an exclusive line of bits, suitable for competitors and everyday riders alike.

“Barrel racing is high speed and high stakes, but often that requires us to slow down to build trust and get a relationship right,” says Nellie. 

Nellie’s style of training barrel horses focuses on theories to get the horse to turn the barrel on their own. She worked with Cowboy Tack to develop a new line of bits that would fit correctly, to get an immediate response, and help the horse know what she wants from them.