About Paul Humphrey

Paul Humphrey is a 10-time European barrel racing champion and a veteran barrel horse trainer, widely recognized for helping riders and horses master the critical first barrel.

Paul began his career training reining horses, but his passion for speed and precision led him to barrel racing. Based in Pilot Point, Texas, Paul travels extensively, conducting clinics across the United States and internationally. He has played a pivotal role in exporting and training top barrel horses for competition in Italy, where his expertise continues to make a significant impact.

“Barrel racing is not a tug-of-war event, and it’s not about switching bits every time you enter the arena,” Paul explains. “It’s about teaching the horse to use their body correctly around the barrel. That includes the face, shoulders, ribs, hips, hind legs, front legs, and the rider’s hands, feet, and seat. It’s about understanding how to work together as a team.”

Paul’s deep knowledge and innovative techniques are captured in his educational DVD, Breaking the Mold with Paul, which has helped countless riders improve their performance.

Paul’s journey began in the rodeo world, introduced by his mother, Sue, who got him into barrel racing at age ten. His early training at Play Days and horse shows laid the foundation for his success. In his twenties, Paul expanded his horizons to Italy, where he spent several years training and competing. During this time, he won every major barrel racing event in the country and helped popularize the sport by selling and competing with American barrel horses.

“Running barrels in Italy is a unique experience,” Paul recalls. “The sport is the same, but the conditions are vastly different. They often set up arenas inside warehouses, hauling in dirt over concrete floors. There aren’t any jackpots—just big fairs with 2,000 to 3,000 spectators. The energy and support from the crowds are incredible.”

Despite the challenges, Paul values his time in Italy for the opportunities and memories it provided. “It’s an experience I’ll never forget,” he says.

Whether training in the U.S. or abroad, Paul Humphrey remains dedicated to helping riders and horses achieve their full potential through innovative techniques, hands-on coaching, and a lifetime of experience.

FROM HORSETRAINER.com:

Barrel Horse trainer Paul Humphrey discusses the importance of being able to move a barrel horse's shoulders and how it effects the completion of the turn.

Paul Humphrey is known for creating barrel horses that are soft and easy to ride. He attributes much of that to having control over the horse's entire body. One area that Paul thinks most barrel racers can work on is control of the horse's shoulders which in turn, improves control of the horse's hind end.

"Many horses don't know how to move their front end," Paul said, "and your average barrel racer thinks that moving the front end means moving the horse over. What I want is that if I ask the horse to bring its nose then I want everything to follow; I want the shoulders to follow and the back end to plant like it's supposed to. If they don't know how to move the front end, then the back end will move around. If you get the front end to work, then it's easy to get their back end to work."