It's an exciting eight second joust between man and horse, nothing quite equals the classic pose of horse and rider pitched high in the air, six legs off the ground. For the contestant, bareback riding as an event is a grueling combination of strenuous athletic training, riding skill, balance, stamina, and pure nerve.
Things to look for:
The key to winning in bareback riding is timing the rider's motion with the bronc's bucking action. As the horse bucks high in the air, the rider - jerks his knees, running his spurs up the bronc's shoulders.
As the horse come back down, the cowboy straightens his legs so that his spurs are again over the bronc's shoulders as its front feet hit the ground. The rider must bring his feet back to touch the horse's neck each jump.
Scoring:
Both the bronc and the rider are judged on a scale of 1 to 25, the horse on how well he bucks and the cowboy on how well he resists. The rider is disqualified for bucking off or touching the bronc or himself with his free hand before the eight seconds are up.
A race against the stop watch, Tie-down Ropin' is one of the most popular of rodeo events. It's an event of perfect coordination between the rider and horse. The skill of both the rider and horse as a team can be the difference between winning or losing.
Things to look for:
The calf races into the arena at full speed, the roper follows with his lariat whirling above his head while overtaking the calf' at full gallop. After roping the calf, the rider must dismount the horse, go to the calf, throw it, then tie three of the calf s legs together with a short piece of rope. The tie must hold for six seconds. The roper remounts the horse and slacks the rope.
As the horse come back down, the cowboy straightens his legs so that his spurs are again over the bronc's shoulders as its front feet hit the ground. The rider must bring his feet back to touch the horse's neck each jump.
Scoring:
The difference between winning and losing is so slim that the times must deal in fractions of seconds, often with big dollars at stake.
If riding on the back of an ill-tempered bull isn't enough, there's always "doggin" a steer! Most steers used in this event weigh between 650 and 700 pounds and are chased down by a rider on horseback, at about 30 miles per hour! This is an event of speed, skill and raw nerve and the event that made Bill Pickett famous.
Things to look for:
Racing to overtake the steer, the "dogger" positions his horse alongside the steer, reaches with his right hand and grabs the steer's right horn. As the horse speeds by the steer, the cowboy gets the horn in the crook of his right elbow. At the same time, his left hand passes down on the other horn while he veers off the horse to the left.
Using his weight, momentum and determination, the dogger wrestles the steer to the ground making sure that the steer is lying flat on its side with all four feet and head in the same direction.
Bull doggin's in the only event in which a cowboy is allowed help in the arena. His partner, is called the "hazer'." The Hazer watches for mistakes which happen if the steer slams on his brakes or veers away form the dogger. The hazer has to foresee these possibilities and correct them, often in a split second.
Scoring:
Is all a matter of seconds; the fastest take down wins!
Mutton busting is an event held at rodeos similar to bull riding or bronc riding, in which children ride or race sheep. The sport is about as simple as it is obscure: Take willing kids, age 6 and under, strap a hockey helmet to their heads, put them on the backs of live sheep and see how long they can hang on.
Things to look for:
The vast majority of children participating in the event fall off in less than 8 seconds. Age, height and weight restrictions on participants generally prevent injuries to the sheep, and implements such as spurs are banned from use. In most cases, children are required to wear helmets and parents are often asked to sign waivers to protect the rodeo from legal action in that event.