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SPONSORS
EVENTS
Weekend Schedule
Town Events
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Team Penning
Draft Horse Futurity
Rodeo Queen Contest
Demolition Derby
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Parade
AWARDS
Gerry Holmes Award
Casey Brown Memorial Award
Horseman's Hall of Fame
LINKS
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Home of
Miss Rodeo
Canada 2006
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Website Created By:
Christine
Winter
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How
to Watch a Rodeo
BAREBACK RIDING
A wild eight-second ride on a bucking horse, without a saddle,
reins or stirrups!
This event was designed as a rodeo attraction as it is well known that no
range cowboy would ever attempt to break a horse with only a "suitcase
handle" for a hand hold.
This riding handle is the top part of a leather "riggin" which is placed
around the horse's middle just behind his shoulders. Riders hold
onto this handle with a single hand, encased in a specially-designed
leather glove.
The rider cannot touch himself, the equipment or the horse with his free
hand.
Points are awarded for the bucking pattern and power of the horse, as well
as the rider's strength, control and spurring action.
The horse and rider can each accumulate up to 50 points over the
eight-second ride.
STEER WRESTLING
Steer wrestling, often called "bull-dogging", is one of the few rodeo
events which allows a contestant to use a helper, known as a "hazer".
A horned steer leaves the chute and trips a barrier line, which signals
the cowboy and hazer to race to each side of the steer. A broken
barrier adds 10 seconds to the time.
With the hazer paralleling the steer to keep it running straight, the
steer wrestler leans off his horse at top speed and reaches for a firm
grip on the steer's horns.
Once on the ground, the wrestler must plant his feet, bring the steer to a
stop and wrestle it to the ground.
The time stops when the steer is on it's side with all four feet pointed
in the same direction.
LADIES BARREL
RACING
the name of this event is derived from the brightly coloured barrels
around which the cowgirls race their horses in a cloverleaf pattern.
Barrel racers are allowed a running start into the arena. Electronic
timers record elapsed time between leaving the starting line and crossing
the finish line. At full speed, the barrel racers rein their horses in,
spin around the first barrel and sprint to the second one. Repeating
the spin around the second barrel, they spur their horse back to speed and
angle toward the last barrel at the end of the arena. Once the third
turn is complete, horse and rider begin the full speed charge to the
finish line. Tipping over a barrel with cost the rider a 5-second
penalty. Watch for these highly conditioned, spirited horses with
their brightly clothed riders in the most prominent of ladies' rodeo
events.
JUNIOR GIRLS'
BARREL RACING
Junior girls' barrel racers compete under the same rules and regulations
as the ladies' barrel racers. The girls must be 15 years old or
younger to compete in this junior event. However, they may also
compete in the ladies' barrel racing if they so wish. don't be
fooled by the size or age of these junior contestants, as they often stop
the watch at equal to or better times than the ladies in the senior event.
CALF
ROPING
Calf roping evolved directly from work on the range and ranch when
calved had to be roped for branding. In a rodeo competition, the
roper is joined by a highly conditioned horse in a team effort of
split-second timing
Calves get a head start into the arena and must trip a barrier string
before the horse and cowboy can begin the chase. If the cowboy
breaks the barrier by leaving the roping box too soon, he is assessed a
10-second penalty
The roper must catch the calf with a 25 foot lariat, dismount, run down
the rope that is being kept taut by the horse, drop the calf to the
ground, tie three of the calf's legs with a six-foot piggin' string and
throw up his hands to signal the end of his run
The calf must stay tied for five second after the roper has remounted his
horse and loosened the rope. If the calf gets up prior to the
five-second time limit, the roper is disqualified.
SADDLE BRONC
The saddle bronc event is the oldest event in rodeo. The modern day
saddle bronc competition resulted from the need to "break" or tame wild
horses to be used as saddle horses on the range
The competitor used an approved saddle with stirrups and a six-foot
braided rein, which he holds with one hand only
Riders are disqualified if they touch themselves, the horse or equipment
with their free hand
A rhythm established with the horse's bucking pattern requires close
coordination between lifting the rein and spurring with dull rounded spurs
Two riding judges combine scores to mark each horse up to 50 points for
bucking ability and each cowboy up to points for riding skill and style
TEAM ROPING
In this event, two cowboys work together, much as they did on the range,
where it took two men to rope and hold a large steer for doctoring.
The roping steer is given a head start by means of a barrier.
The "header" must avoid breaking the barrier as he begins his attempt to
rope the steer's horns and turn the steer away from his partner, the
"heeler". The heeler must rope both the steer's hind legs.
Team ropers use long loose ropes and must dally (wrap around the saddle
horn) their ropes after they catch.
The time stops after both horses are facing the steer with ropes secured
on both ends.
There is a 10-second penalty for breaking the barrier, and a 5-second
penalty if the heeler catches only one leg.
BULL RIDING
Bull riding is one of the most dangerous events in the rodeo, often the
one with the most entries, and without question, the favorite event of the
spectators.
Bulls are considered harder to ride than bucking horses because of their
violance and unpredictability. They have the tendency to leap and
abruptly spin left or right with no let-up in bucking power. Some
bulls also look for the cowboy after the ride, intent on inflicting a
dangerous hook.
Bull rider are only allowed to hold on with one hand and will be
disqualified for touching themselves or the bull with their free hand.
Riders insert their gloved hand into a hand hold, while a chute helper
pulls he loose bull rope tight.
The bull is judged for bucking ability and the cowboy for how well he
maintains control during the ride.
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