where we began

Xtreme Barrel Racing started in 1993; the first year that the Blackhawk Arena opened in Salina Utah.

 

In 1990 Danna Burns-Shaw (5th Generation Owner of Burns Saddlery) had a dream and an idea of putting together an indoor equestrian center and multi-purpose event center in her small hometown of Salina, Utah. Danna put together a group of civic-volunteers. They found the funding, land, design, engineers, contractors, etc. and worked years getting the Blackhawk Arena built. For 15 years the Shaw family along with many other families ran the arena as volunteers. During that time they added 2 additional phases to the project, which included a covered outdoor arena, warm up area, and hundreds of covered stalls. When the Blackhawk Arena opened in 1993, the Shaws started to produce different types of equestrian events to showcase the new arena. Destiny, one of Danna’s daughters, was 12 years old and loved barrel racing. She had been competing since she was 7 years old and had a real passion for the sport. 

 

 

since the first race

Utah was the home of many great barrel racers and barrel races. The Shaws attended many events with their children and learned the important things necessary to put on barrel races...great ground, big payouts, nice prizes, quick efficiently run races, with a fun, happy, helpful environment! Working with other producers around the region, the Shaws started the XBA which included a multiple race series and a big finals. 

 

Destiny always helped her parents, and competed at the XBA’s. Her younger sister, Tegan, also started riding and competing; it was a true family business. Scott, Danna’s husband, and his Dad, Wayland, worked the ground, Danna organized and announced the events and their 3 children helped with all the many tasks. Destiny and Dru Crane got married and started their family in the early 2000’s. Dru started helping at the races by preparing the ground along with their son, Rylan, while Destiny worked the office taking entries and making payouts. Xtreme soon gained a reputation of producing the best ground; which has always been their top priority! Xtreme has had 4 generations of expert groundsmen! Unfortunately days before the first Xtreme Million in 2020, the patriarch of the Shaw family, and grounds team expert, Wayland Shaw, passed away at the age of 82.

 

Over the past 28 years Xtreme has awarded millions of dollars in prize money and awards! Their goal has always been to put big lifetime earnings behind the horse’s and contestant’s names!

 

 

Family owned and operated

Burns Events has always been family owned and operated. Destiny Shaw-Crane is President/Integrator, and oversees all operations, with the help of her family Dru, Rylan and Jacy. Tegan and Tommy Peck along with their sons, Chandler and Elijah, are the first people you will see when you pull into an Xtreme event. Everyone loves the Pecks!

 

 

Keeping it real

Danna still has enthusiasm for the sport of barrel racing. She is a fan of every racer and has been the voice of Xtreme from the very first race in 1993; announcing hundreds of events since then. In 2020, a multi-decade long dream became a reality when the Xtreme Family held the first Xtreme Million Finals. Contestants were awarded over a million dollars in cash and over 100k in awards made in the USA making it the largest payout in divisional barrel racing history! These world-class events would not be possible without all of the help from the amazing Xtreme Team and the generous Xtreme Sponsors. 

 

Xtreme Barrel Racing was the pilot program for the remarkable online entry system SaddleBook, founded in 2018 by Paul Hanson. SaddleBook allows the contestants to do everything themselves online. This system has revolutionized the online entry system in barrel racing. Xtreme is honored and privileged to have consulted with Paul on this amazing system. 

 

Xtreme Million Finals is an annual event held in June, at the Blackhawk Arena in Salina, Utah. The small town where it all started in the early 1990’s!