Sharon Camarillo of Acampo stands beside a pink trailer that was hauled to Reno last week and given away in a drawing at the Sharon Camarillo Pink Classic barrel-racing event. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Local cowgirl Sharon Camarillo paints Reno pink

After having been inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1997 and into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2006, former barrel-racing legend Sharon Camarillo felt so blessed that she wanted to give something back to the community.

The longtime Lockeford resident found a worthy cause — supporting breast cancer.

"I myself am not a breast cancer survivor, but I know so many women who have been affected by it and also have family and friends who have suffered from it," Camarillo said.

"I felt compelled to do something."

Her idea came in the form of a Logan Coach Horse Trailer that was painted pink and served as the centerpiece of the Sharon Camarillo Pink Classic barrel racing event in Reno, Nev., last weekend.

The $18,000, 13-foot-long horse trailer was provided by Wyatt and Carol Gibbs, owners of the Trailer Specialist in Lockeford. The graphics and lettering was done by Vision Signs of Lockeford.

The trailer was given away in a drawing in which contestants earned tickets for placing in the top 10 in each of the three go-arounds in the barrel-racing competition.

Angie McGarva of Spring Creek, Nev., a former Camarillo Classic champion, won the drawing and free use of the pink trailer for one year with the option of purchasing it.

Camarillo also donated a pair of tickets to the opening night of the National Finals Rodeo that will be held in Las Vegas the week of Dec. 6-13.

Camarillo said 134 riders from eight states as well as a rider from Venezuela competed for $40,000 in prizes and another $40,000 in cash.

The top local rider was Shella Dewhurst of Clements, who rode her horse Top Time Dude to a seventh-place finish with a time of 54.323 seconds, just one second off the winning time. Dewhurst also finished second in the Appreciation Barrel Race.

"The magic of this year's theme helped unite the camaraderie of the contestants for a common cause in helping fight all cancers, not just breast cancer," Camarillo said.