Stallion Showcase 2025 | By a Nose Timers Improve Accuracy in Barrel Racing 

After a lifetime in the horse industry, Alan Woodbury knows that the first horse that crosses the finish line on the race track is the clear winner – even if he wins “by a nose.” The same should be true for barrel racing. However, single-beam timers may not always reflect the horse whose nose crossed the timeline first.  

Barrel horses range vastly in height and size. The single-beam laser may be tripped by their nose, chest, or knee, depending on several factors. Woodbury noticed the discrepancy while hauling and setting up timers for several years at high school rodeos. “It’s not accurate at all,” he said.  

The timers currently in use were meant to replace flaggers, which ironically flag off of the nose. 

With the sport of rodeo growing on every possible front – purse, media, horsepower, and prestige – Woodbury felt that the method of timing ought to reflect up-to-date technology. After all, the current timing technology is over four decades old.   

Before Woodbury could present a solution, he first needed to gather evidence.  

Woodbury conducted research on 700 barrel runs. “I hired a young man who had been a cameraman at the racetrack and understood what we were looking for in establishing nose height. He filmed horses and stuck it all in the software. We did all the research in the big Texas slacks,” he said. Woodbury established not only the nose height of each individual horse, but an average nose height range.  

“The range is from 34-54 inches,” he said. “So, when you have a 20-inch nose height difference, you can see how inaccurate single-beam technology is.” 

He invented By A Nose timers with four laser beams instead of one, each placed at 36, 42, 48, and 54 inches.  

His timers also address inaccuracy due to timer height and weather conditions. They developed their own non-adjustable tripod, set to the height of their research. “That tripod will not blow over,” said Woodbury. It is also not affected by sunlight, as traditional timers are, which could result in no time being recorded. 

As every barrel racer knows the old adage, “You only get so many runs on each horse,” accurate timing and avoiding re-runs is paramount. Take into consideration horses running on lasix, and a re-run is simply not feasible for many.  

Furthermore, with increasing prize money up for grabs – as much as the $4.1 million minimum payout at the Pink Buckle event in October, where the timers were used – any technology that provides fairness is met with enthusiasm.  

“I’ve never met a barrel racer that is not for this,” said Shaun Maher, Woodbury’s grandson who serves as technical support and management for By A Nose.  

Woodbury was diagnosed with leukemia in February of 2024. This led to his decision to sell By A Nose to 4M Equine Ranch, an industry-leading breeding and competition facility located in Decatur, Texas.  

Darrell Martin, owner of 4M Equine, was at Woodbury’s to purchase horses at the time. “He had it sitting in his living room. I asked, ‘What is that?’ It was a big, yellow monstrosity. He went through it with me, and I was really impressed by it. [Woodbury said,] ‘I’m getting to the point where I can’t push things out anymore. It might be a good way to pass the torch.'” 

Martin, a father to a barrel racer himself, said, “It’s definitely time for an upgrade. Especially with the way the industry has grown and the money that’s on the line now.”  

While the company is owned by 4M Equine Ranch, Woodbury and his grandchildren are very involved in the operations. “Shaun is the manager and his sister Sydney is his coworker. I’m just in the background, looking as an advisor from time to time,” said Woodbury. While Shaun was brought on three years ago, Sydney is relatively new to the company.  

At the time, Maher said, they thought they were close to manufacturing. However, the researching, legal patenting, processing, and production took years.  

“It was difficult to get the electronics and software companies on the same page, but we finally got that done and it’s in production,” said Woodbury. The metal and structure of the timers is manufactured at Steffes, LLC. in Dickinson, North Dakota. From there, they are shipped to Minneapolis for the electronics portion. The software team is in St. Paul.  

In addition to being a full-time rodeo announcer, Maher ensures each step of the process within By A Nose goes smoothly, from timer production to the barrel race. Not only do the timers provide accurate times to the crow’s nest, they connect with any big screen or scoreboard used at most rodeos.  

Though By A Nose timers ran into inevitable technological bugs during the startup process, their software team assured Maher that was simply part of launching new technology. “Now, if anyone calls and says, ‘We’re seeing a bug,’ I notify the software team and they send a new update through the phone app. All people have to do is turn the timer on and click ‘Update’ on their phone,” said Maher. This option allows the timers to continually have the ability to improve over time with simple updates that anyone with a smart phone can coordinate.  

In September, the first 50 units were sent to the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association to be divvied out among directors and producers at various events. All circuits are in possession of the timers, and the WPRA has endorsed them. They have already been used at the Montana Circuit Finals and Badlands Circuit Finals, among many other professional rodeos.  

Meanwhile, Martin is intent upon continued improvements. One flaw with timers is that they are tripped by anything that moves in front of them, whether a tractor, horse, or human. They hope to perfect the technology of a camera which deciphers a horse crossing the timeline versus anything else. “We’re putting the patents on that right now,” he said.  

Another upgrade Martin is heading up is an additional two eyes which serve for backup timing. “If a timer doesn’t go off – and we’ve never had it not – or interruption or the camera doesn’t go off… there’s actually going to be six eyes on it.” These two improvements were implemented for the first time at the WPRA Finals in November.  

Since purchasing By A Nose, Martin has invested a half million dollars into continued technological improvements for the product. “I’m optimistic about the future and all the things we’re doing to make it better.” In an act of support for the entire professional barrel racing industry, 4M Equine recently pledged to pay for the entry fees for future barrel racing circuit finalists in all 12 circuits.  

In 2023, Alan Woodbury was awarded by the WPRA with the Outstanding Service and Dedication Award. His insistence upon “NFR yellow” and blue for the timers reflected his hope that they would be used at the NFR in the future. 

By A Nose is simply motivated by fairness and the betterment of the sport. Maher said, “The money needs to go home with the right trailers every weekend, in all rodeo events.”  

In October, By A Nose timers became available to the public to purchase. More information can be found at their website, http://www.byanose.com.