About CBRA
Built on a hard lesson. Driven by a bigger purpose.
Cowbelle is a barrel racing association for young cowgirls, founded to instill kindness, integrity and grit in the riders who will carry this sport forward. We are based in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, and a producer anywhere can sanction a show with us.
Kind Cowgirls
Our Story
Founded 2026
Southwest Virginia & Northeast Tennessee
Cowbelle was born out of a difficult experience and a desire to create something better for the next generation of cowgirls.
While serving as a secretary at an event, Clarissa Gosnell witnessed an adult cowgirl handle a disappointing situation without kindness or grace. The moment left an impression on her. She knew she wanted something different for her own daughters. She wanted them to learn how to handle disappointment with character, treat others with kindness, and understand that winning isn’t the only measure of success.
She also knew she didn’t want her daughters growing up in an environment where those values were missing.
What started as a desire to raise her own girls differently grew into something much bigger: a place where young cowgirls can grow in faith, kindness, grit, integrity, and community.
Cowbelle gives girls the opportunity to learn the sport, build confidence in themselves and their horses, develop meaningful friendships, and work toward year-end awards while earning a little money along the way.
But the mission reaches far beyond competition.
It’s about shaping character. It’s about teaching girls how to win with humility, lose with grace, encourage one another, and stand firm in their values — even when things don’t go their way.
The goal is bigger than raising good competitors. It’s about intentionally discipling the next generation to become strong, kind, faith-filled young women who will carry those values into the future.
What we stand for
Four words, in this order
At the end of the day the money won is irrelevant and buckles get tarnished. Being a good person, and carrying good character with you, gets noticed long beyond the arena. That is our hope.
- Kindness
We lift each other up.
Gates get opened, saddles get carried, and the girl who tipped a barrel hears something encouraging before she leaves the arena.
- Grit
We keep showing up.
Bad runs, green horses, long hauls, rainy Saturdays. Grit is the quiet decision to come back next weekend and try it again.
- Integrity
We do what’s right.
Honest times, honest entries, honest horsemanship — and respect for every rider, judge and helper on the grounds, during the show and long after it.
- Community
We’re in this together.
Families, coaches, arena partners and sponsors who believe a barrel race is a pretty good place to grow up.
What Sanctioning Means
Every show belongs to the producer running it. Six things travel with Cowbelle.
- ClassesThe same six, everywhereLead Line through 13-14. Wherever you haul, your rider knows which class is hers.
- EntriesOne place to enterRiders enter through Cowbelle, whoever is producing. We keep the list and hand the producer a copy before the gate opens.
- SafetyA helmet on every riderThe rule book requires one in every division, whatever the producer's own policy is.
- PointsEvery run countsHer times come back to Cowbelle and go toward the year-end standings, whoever put the show on.
- AwardsOne finals, every divisionThe season ends at the finals, where the year-end awards are handed out and Lead Line has its own, same as everybody else.
- CharacterThe part nobody scoresKindness, grit and integrity are the standard at a Cowbelle show — from the riders, and from the adults at the rail.
Divisions
Lead Line
Walk-trot pattern on a lead rope with a parent or handler. They pay an entry like everyone else, run for the money like everyone else, and have their own awards at the finals.
6 & under
First runs off the lead rope. Riders may walk, trot or lope the pattern at whatever pace keeps horse and rider confident.
7-8
Riding the pattern alone and starting to ask for speed.
9-10
Full-speed competition, run against the clock.
11-12
Seasoned riders running for time.
13-14
Our oldest riders, and the ones the youngest watch. We ask them to set the tone. (Belle Buddies mentoring program coming soon.)
Who Runs It
Cowbelle is one person and a lot of paperwork.
Clarissa Gosnell
Owner
Clarissa keeps the points and the standings, schedules the sanctioned shows, and works out the year-end awards and the finals. If you have asked Cowbelle a question, she is the one who answered it.
Come see for yourself
Bring her to one show. That is all it takes.
Come watch a class, meet a few families and decide afterward. Admission is set by whoever is producing the show, but somebody will always explain the pattern to you.