Kicking up a cloud of dust, a horse thunders into the arena, skillfully guided by its rider. The horse and rider act as one as they make tight turns around pink barrels. They finish their race, and in the stands, families, friends and strangers cheer.
They have all come together for more than just a weekend of barrel racing. They’ve come for something bigger. Much bigger.
Under the bright lights of Gordyville USA, an indoor arena in Gifford located on Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative lines, is an annual weekend-long spectacle of speed, precision and fundraising for cancer patients.
The event, Race for a Cure — Barrel Race, is a labor of love created by Leslie Holcomb, her husband Bayne and a tight-knit horse-riding community that believes in doing good from the saddle. Originally created to raise breast cancer awareness, it has expanded to directly help cancer patients.
The reason behind the Holcombs’ decision to start the annual event was deeply personal. “My husband and I have both suffered losses in our families from this disease,” Leslie shares.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HALEY JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HALEY JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HALEY JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HALEY JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HALEY JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHYRace for a Cure — Barrel Race is an annual fundraising event that aims to help cancer patients. Hundreds of horses and riders competed in the 2024 event.
It is a reality many people face. In fact, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be nearly 317,000 newly diagnosed cases of invasive breast cancer in the U.S. in 2025. It also estimates approximately 2 million new cancer cases are diagnosed annually.
The Race for a Cure — Barrel Race event started about nine years ago as a Thursday night warm-up show before the Illinois National Barrel Horse Association State Championships, which is held at Gordyville USA every year.
“The first year, we ran 100 horses, and we were ecstatic,” Leslie recalls. Proceeds raised were then donated to a mobile mammogram unit out of Evansville, Ind. In the years that followed, the event grew.
“It got to where the Thursday night show was bigger than the state show, so we decided to break it off and make it its own thing,” Leslie explains.
That was three years ago, and that “thing” has turned into a massive event with hundreds of horses, hundreds more people and thousands of dollars raised — all for individuals fighting for their lives.
Prior to their first reinvented Race for a Cure event three years ago, held at King City Saddle Club in Mount Vernon, they discovered that their good friend Rikki, who Leslie describes as a single mom, a nurse and a hard worker, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“My husband looked at me and said, ‘We need to help her.’ And that was it,” Leslie says. Help, they did. The event that year raised $15,000, which went to Rikki to help with expenses in hopes of giving her one less thing to worry about.
The turnout from the event that year exceeded the Holcombs’ expectations. They knew Race for a Cure had already outgrown the facility and contacted Gordyville USA to host their future events.
The 2024 event was Lisa Banga-Graham’s first big show as general manager of Gordyville USA after the facility was sold in May 2024.
“It was just so emotional,” Lisa recalls. “I think I cried more that weekend than I had my whole life, because the stories that you heard, the hope that you saw and just the family feeling that came together. … It was just very emotional, and we are extremely honored to host it.”
Funds raised from last year’s event went to a woman named Tori — another cancer fighter, who showed up to the arena despite losing her hair and the heavy toll of treatment. At the time, she wasn’t aware the event was being held in her honor.
“When she turned the corner and saw everything, she just cried. We all did,” Leslie remembers. “She just couldn’t believe everybody was doing that for her.”
For many, just being around their horse family is spiritually healing. Rikki couldn’t ride, but her son did. Tori couldn’t ride, but a friend rode her horse on her behalf.
“People in the horse world, especially Illinois barrel racers, are close,” Leslie says. “They’re kind. They’re generous. They’re quick to help. They’re very tight-knit. If you beat them, they cheer for you. It’s like a big family.”
Lisa emphasizes that point, saying that in the horse industry, everyone knows each other, their horses and their backgrounds. She notes that people are “one call away” from potentially facing a health challenge, which makes supporting each other all the more important. “Maybe this will help take their mind off of what they’re facing for just a little bit,” she adds.
Race for a Cure — Barrel Race returns to Gordyville USA May 23-25. The event has grown beyond anything Leslie or Bayne imagined. This year, they’re helping not one, but two women.
Leslie and Lisa describe the event for the casual observer as a “super show,” meaning it is an elite-level, multi-day event featuring barrel racing that caters to different skill levels and ages. Sanctioned by multiple barrel racing associations, including the International Barrel Racing Association and Better Barrel Races, it draws competitors from across the region. “People are going to see top-notch horses and riders,” says Lisa.
In addition to the horses, there will be silent auctions, vendor booths, pink T-shirts with sponsor logos, raffles with buckets of gear — and often a grand prize, like a custom saddle.
In a powerful new addition, this year’s race will also include two $1,000 college scholarships, provided with funds raised by last year’s recipient, Tori, and her father.
On Saturday night, the dust will settle
just long enough for a dance with a band, where people will pass the hat — or cowboy boot — to raise a little more money for the cause. It’s intended to be a fun, social event that also does some good. Then, there will be an informal church service on Sunday morning.
“We keep zero dollars [from] this show, and all the help is volunteer,” Leslie says. “Nobody makes a dime. It’s just something that we all do, and we’re all proud to do it.”
The annual event isn’t just about barrel racing — it’s about lifting someone up with support that goes way beyond the arena. It’s about giving someone the fuel — emotional, spiritual, and yes, financial — to keep going. For one weekend a year, despite the obstacles life throws, people show up for each other in a barn full of horses, dust and hope.
LEARN MORE
Race for a Cure — Barrel Race
May 23-25, 2025
Gordyville USA
2205 County Road 3000 North, Gifford
Admission: free
For more information or for a full schedule of events, search for Race for a Cure — Barrel Race on Facebook.
