Scored Events

Welcome back!

 

Thank you for visiting my blog, again! In order to learn about new issues and topics, we have to know what we are talking about! In this blog entry, I will be providing you with descriptions about the scored rodeo events as well as some rodeo jargon.

A typical amateur or professional rodeo operates in two parts: performance and slack. Spectators typically attend the performance because it is usually the event that is advertised. A limited number of contestants are allowed to compete in the performance so the show doesn’t run all night. All of the remaining contestants compete at a preliminary time, commonly known as slack (“Rodeo Terminology,” Prorodeo.com). The results of the entire rodeo are calculated by compiling the performance and the slack together.

Youth rodeos and some amateur rodeos have more events than the professional rodeos. In lower level rodeos there may be events such as polebending, goat tying, and breakaway roping in addition to the typical events of tie down roping, barrel racing, team roping, and steer wrestling. All of these events are timed events, meaning the fastest time wins. For this blog, I will only be describing the events that are scored, meaning the highest score wins. All of my event descriptions contain information from various articles on Prorodeo.com, the official site of professional rodeo.

I’ll start with bull riding, which tends to be the most popular event. For 8 seconds, a cowboy must stay aboard the bull without touching him with his free hand in order to get a score. The other hand is fixed into a rope which is tied around the bull right behind his front legs (“Bull Riding,” Prorodeo.com). The ride is judged on the cowboy’s ability to stay aboard the bull and may be increased with spurring or if the bull is particularly difficult to ride.

Bareback riding involves a cowboy and a horse instead of a bull. It has been compared to “riding a jackhammer with one hand” (“Bareback Riding,” Prorodeo.com). For 8 seconds, the cowboy must ride the horse without touching the horse with his free hand. The other hand is secured in a rigging, which looks like the handle on a suitcase. Riders are scored based on how difficult the horse is to ride as well as spurring technique and form.

Lastly, there is saddle bronc riding which also involves a cowboy and a horse. In this event, the cowboy is seated in a saddle and hangs on with one hand to a rope connected to the horse’s halter. If he can stay on for 8 seconds, maintain a smooth motion of spurring, and keep from touching the horse with his free hand, he will get a score (“Saddle Bronc Riding,” Prorodeo.com).

Well, I hope I have provided you with enough info to get you familiar with the scored events of rodeo. I hope to see you back here again!

 

Emily Engelhard