COWBOY UP!
LEARN HOW
TO WATCH A RODEO
Your first
plan of action is to get to the rodeo early so you can pick the best seat in
the house; having a good view of the action coming at you from both ends of the
arena is important. Seasoned spectators
realize that positioning yourself "close to the action" on the first
row of bleachers or seats is not always a wise idea. As the horses, steers, and bulls make their
way up and down the arena, side-swiping the fences, your hair and clothing may
become adorned with sticky brown or slimy green deposits that you probably
won't appreciate.
So, where
is the best seat in the house? It
probably lies center section of the first set of bleachers. The previous paragraph defines the negatives
of the lower seats and the higher seats provide good viewing but are somewhat
inconvenient for trips to the concession stand, etc. Be sure to notice if there are any light post
or fence supports that will block your view from either direction. Arm yourself with your hot dog, popcorn,
nachos and soda before the action starts and refill only at intermission, for
you cannot afford to miss a minute of the dare devil competition between these
cowboys and cowgirls as they compete their talents against that of a wild
unpredictable animal and the seconds on a timer's stop watch. There are strict rules that must be followed
in each event and to appreciate and understand what is going on, as a
spectator, you must also know these rules; therefore, I have included a listing
of each event and given you a description of it. So, "Cowboy Up" and learn all
about Rodeo!
Bareback Bronc Riding: The bareback rider holds onto the handle of a
belt that fits around the horse's midsection just behind the animal's
shoulders; this belt and handle is known as a "rigging." The cowboy's raises one arm above his head
and positions his heels over the horse's shoulders. During the ride, no part of the horse's body
may be touched by the rider's free hand .
The cowboy's heels must be in the correct position on the first jump out
of the chute; this is referred to as "marking the animal out." Each time the animal kicks, the cowboy
should spur the horse; which makes the animal kick harder and faster. Higher scores are gained by frequent spurring
because it makes the ride more difficult.
Saddle Bronc Riding: Saddle bronc riding was the actual origins of
rodeo competition. It's known as rodeo's
classic event and has been deemed by many to be the toughest event. The brutal jolting and physical stress put
upon the cowboy's body by competing in this event, as well as bareback riding
has weeded out all but the best of the best that will compete in this category
of rodeo. In this event, the rider holds onto a
thickly braided buck rein, which is attached to the halter on the horse's
head. A specialized saddle made just for
this event is used. On the first jump
out of the chute, the rider must "mark the animal out" by keeping his
heels positioned at the horse's neck, which makes the ride tougher on the
cowboy; failure to "mark" the animal out of the chute disqualifies
the rider. As is the case in the bare
back event, the saddle bronc rider must also raise one arm above his head and
not touch the horse with this free hand.
Steer Wrestling: Bull dogging was the original name for this
event and in modern days it is sometimes called "the big man's
event," for it requires brawn and strength to throw six-hundred pounds of
steak on hooves to the ground and hold it there. The cowboy, on horseback, is require to break
out of a roping box, behind a running steer, bring his horse up along the side
of the steer and jump onto the animal, catching it behind the horns. He then digs his heels into the dirt, putting
brakes on the forward motion of the animal; wrestles with the animal to get a
positioning hold on the horns and
neck so that he can throw the
animal on the ground. All four legs of
the steer must be off the ground and facing the same direction. The bull dogger is assisted by another rider
on horseback that breaks out of another roping box at the same time. This rider is known as a "hazer"
and it is his job to ride along side the steer to keep it running straight so
that the bull dogger can line his horse up with the steer and ready himself for
the jump onto the steer's back. As the
bull dogger leaves the saddle for the jump, the hazer pulls away.
Calf Roping: This was a necessary skill required by
authentic working cowboys. Their work on
ranches demanded that they be quick and agile when using a rope. In rodeo calf roping events, the cowboy, on
horse back, breaks from the roping box behind a calf that has been released
from a chute beside the box. The
cowboy's ropes the running calf; dismounts from his horse and runs down the
length of the rope to the calf. A well
trained horse will hold the rope taut as the cowboy nears the calf, picks the
calf up and throws him to the ground, where the cowboy ties three of the calf's
legs together with a thin rope called a "pigging string" (this
is the rope you see the cowboy holding in his mouth while he is in the roping
box). Don't let your mind wander to what
all has accumulated on that six foot of rope that cowboy is biting down on;
more than likely, he sends it to the "cleaners" after each use! If you believe that, I've got some swamp land
in Arizona
I'd like to sell you. Any way, the calf
must be given a head start; therefore, if the cowboy leaves the roping box too
soon and breaks the" barrier" (a small rope hooked across the
front of the box, usually identified by a white or red flag attached to it), he
is penalized by an addition of 10-seconds being added to his time. In "timed events" a tenth of a
second can mean the difference between winning and losing. In the big professional finals where big
bucks are at stake, a cowboy's or cowgirl's time is crucial.
Barrel Racing: Have you ever noticed the cowboys
and cowgirls in the background warming up their horses before their event comes
up? Have you noticed the ones that are
prancing from side to side and seemed to be filled with electricity? You are probably looking at a barrel
horse. These beautiful muscular horses
never cease to amaze me with their agility, speed, and grace of movement as
they speed around their turns, sometimes appearing to have their bodies
parallel with the ground. This event is a race against time from one end of the
arena to the other around an obstacle course consisting of three strategically
positioned barrels. The horse and rider
are required to execute sharp turns around barrels as fast as they can
run. The rider must follow a clover-leaf
pattern around each barrel and back to the starting line. Tipping a barrel is permitted, but if a
barrel is turned over, a 5-second penalty is added to the rider's time for each
barrel knocked to the ground. The
rider's time is started as the first judge they pass drops his flag, or as they
pass across the beam from the timing equipment
The judge drops another flag as they pass back by him to the starting
line. Timing equipment, as well as
individuals with stop watches evaluate the time for the runs.
Team Roping: Team roping is the only rodeo event that
involves "two" contestants working together. I bet you are thinking, "what about the
steer wrestling event - there were "two" participants in that one
too?" Yes, there were
"two" participants, but only "one" of them was a
"contestant," the other
participant was "a helper."
This roping team consist of a cowboy known as a "header"
and a cowboy known as a "heeler."
Once again,
the steer is positioned in a chute pen which is located between two roping
boxes. The cowboys, on horse back, break
out of the boxes behind the running steer.
The header ropes the horns, then wraps his rope around his saddle horn
(this rope wrap is referred to as a "dally"); the header rides
to a position in front of the steer and turns him so that the heeler can rope
the steer's heels. The heeler's rope
must be thrown with accuracy so that he ropes both the steer's hind legs. When both cowboys have made their catch, they
turn to face each other and the steer; stopping their horses and pulling
their ropes taut against the steer
from each direction, as this happens, a judge, on horseback, that has been
watching the action rides up and drops his flag for time to stop. Their time
began as they broke from the roping box.
Bull Riding: This event is a spectator favorite. That is why is has developed its own
following as a show of its own. People
crowd the arenas all over the country just to see Bull Rides. Some think you've got to be just a little bit
crazy to mount a wild bull; others think it is the epitome of courage that
makes a cowboy get on one of these mammoths.
I combine the two and simply called this cowboy a "dare
devil." What ever you call him, he
is definitely a crowd pleaser. The bull
is flanked in front of his hind legs by a leather strap being cinched tightly
around him. The bull rider places a flat braided rope around the bull, just
behind the shoulders, where it is looped and threaded through itself. The rider then wraps it securely around his
hand which is encased by a heavy leather riding glove. This rope wrap is the only grip that will
hold the rider in place, so it has to be tight.
Unfortunately, it is this same tight grip that puts the bull rider in
danger when his hand is not released when he is thrown or tries to
dismount. Riders are required to stay on
their bull for 8-seconds to receive a score, but their "riding style"
is also judged. The bull rider should
sit close to his bull rope and angle his body to allow for spurring and kicking
of the feet. One of the rider's hands
must be suspended above the bull at all times, for if the free hand touches the
bull's body at any time during the 8-seconds, the rider will be disqualified.
Pick Up Men: No, this is not a rodeo event, but these are
some very talented athletes that too often go unnoticed and unappreciated for
their efforts and talents. Cowboys
depend on their pick up men for their safety.
The pick up man helps bare back, saddle bronc riders dismount their
horses while running full speed. They
act as a shield between a bull rider and a charging bull. They rope horses and bulls who will not leave
the arena and drag them back to their pens or herd them into the pen if they
are lucky enough to have the animal cooperate.
The pick up man needs a courageous horse whose is strong in body and
spirit. These horses must possess enough
strength to pull 2000
pounds of stubborn bull or a
fighting horse down the length of an arena, and be courageous enough to stand
his ground in front of a charging bull who tries to use him for a battering
ram. In my view, a pick up man is more like the true cowboy of the old west,
because he has to be a skilled rider, quick and accurate roper, and a forceful
and knowledgeable herdsmen; and he must be one in spirit with his horse because
they must work together. The contestants
must possess only one or two of these attributes, but the pick up man must
possess them all; therefore he bears mentioning.
Now, you
know "all about" the rodeo events and contestant rules, but they are
just a part of what makes a rodeo a success.
Just like any staged event, there are some very talented people behind
the scenes and on the scene that make the whole thing happen. These people are the stock contractors,
judges, timers, stock supervisor, announcers, clowns, barrel men, specialty
acts, and, at the top of the list is the rodeo
secretary, who is the person who has to be everything to all people
and doesn't get enough praise for her talents.
Well, this
information should qualify you to be a "champion rodeo spectator" of
the greatest, wildest show on dirt. As you read through the pages of Silver Moon, you will be better equipped to
understand the heated competition going on "in the arena", and, there
is some some hot action going on "outside the arena". If your interest is peaked, you're invited to
cantor on over to Amazon.com and pick up a copy of Silver Moon. It is a great
feed for read ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
Happy
Trails!
Jetta
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