Rodeo Events Explained
Bareback Riding
Cowboys ride bucking horses, bare back. without saddles, only utilizing a small leather suitcase type handle called a riggin’. Judges award scores based on the rider’s control and spurring action and the horse’s bucking performance. 50 percent of the score comes from the horse, 50 percent from the rider. It’s wild, it’s fast, and it’s thrilling!
Steer Wrestling
Two cowboys, a wrestler and his hazer partner, chase down a steer. Once the wrestler catches up at nearly 30 mph, he leaps off his horse, grabs the steer by the horns, and wrestles it to the ground in seconds. Fastest time wins.
Team Roping
A true team event with precise coordination: one roper catches the steer’s horns (header), the other ropes the hind legs (heeler). Speed and accuracy determine who walks away champions.
Saddle Bronc Riding
Cowboys ride unbroke broncs with specially saddles, holding onto a single rein, attempting to keep perfect rhythm with the animal’s powerful jumps. Balance, style, and strength make all the difference. Again garnering 50 percent of the score from the animal and 50 percent from the rider’s style.
Tie-Down Roping
Riders chase calves, roping them, then quickly dismounting to tie three of the calf's legs with a smaller rope called a piggin string. The horse keeps tension on the rope, assisting the rider's speed and precision.
Barrel Racing
Rodeo’s only women’s event—fast and furious. Riders race their horses around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels. Precision turns and blistering speed determine the winner.
Bull Riding
The most intense eight seconds in sports! Cowboys hold on to fiercely bucking bulls with just one hand, while judges score the rider’s control and the bull's ferocity. It’s a equal partnership with 50 percent of the score coming from the bull and 50 percent on the riders ability
