Barrel racing was originally designed for cowboys' wives and children to keep them from getting bored while waiting for their men to finish taking part in other sports competitions, says An.

Zhang Hao, 40, got into barrel racing in 2010 after doing endurance horse riding for three years.

Zhang, a private business owner in Beijing, used to love English riding gear, but he began to grow interested in barrel racing after his friends got into the sport.

"I'm taken with the cowboy image, and I believe eight out of 10 barrel racers get involved because of it," Zhang says.

He spent a year learning the sport and now considers himself pretty good.

Barrel racing has become a part of his life. He rides his own horse almost every day and takes part in six to eight domestic competitions every year. His record is 16.4 seconds.

He says he owns too many cowboy clothes to count. Each outfit costs 2,000-3,000 yuan.

A cowboy hat, pants, a shirt and boots are required when practicing the sport, and there are specific rules for attire. But riders can choose the colors they like.

Yang Yonggang, who owns a cowboy shirt manufacturing business, says: "The attire is based on cowboy clothing." He currently sells 400 cowboy shirts to clubs a year.

"Around 10 percent of riders are particular about their race outfits and they want to look great," says Yang.

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn

Luan Shu contributed to the story.