Barrel racing, cowboy cool gaining popularity in China

Most Chinese barrel racers are people around 30, each with an annual salary of more than 300,000 yuan, says Chu.

In group training, it usually takes riders three to six months before they can join barrel racing competitions if they can manage five to 10 sessions per week, says Chu.

Training costs 3,000-5,000 yuan per month, depending on the type of horse. The domestic breeds cost less.

It took Zhang Jing, who has been riding for six years, about six months to get familiar with barrel racing.

She completed her first event in 22 seconds, soon after she did three training sessions each lasting 45 minutes.

Zhang's record stands at 15.1 seconds. She joined professional competitions last year.

"My goal is to get my time below 15 seconds," she says.

Riders in China are usually divided into three levels－15-16, 16-17 and 17-18 seconds－to encourage participation, says Chu.

The key is to steer clear of the barrel. One bump into them causes five seconds to be added to the score or even spells the end of the game.

Contrary to trends in the US, where barrel racing is mostly enjoyed by women, male racers greatly outnumber female participants in China.