"The St-Tite Rodeo" a Saint-Tite Travel Page by amsterdam_vallon

THE RODEO categories of events

To truly appreciate a sport, one must first understand it. Here’s a simple guide that will assist you in understanding what cowboys are hoping to do and what judges are looking for.

THE FIRST RODEO is divided into three categories of events

1. The Rough-stock Events are:
a) Bareback Bronc Riding
b) Saddle Bronc Riding
c) Bull Riding

The performance of a contestant and his mount during the rough-stock events is evaluated by two rodeo professional judges. They award fifty points each: twenty-five for the rider’s performance and twenty-five points also for the mount’s quality of bucks – this determines the degree of difficulty. A good score would be around eighty points; any score higher than that would be exceptional.

2. The Timed Events are:
a) Steer Wrestling
b) Team Roping
c) Calf Roping

3. The Gymkhana / Skill Events are:
a) Barrel Racing
b) Rescue Racing
c) Exchange Rider
d) Poney Express

Speed and skill events require, as you will have guessed, ability and rapidity. Contestants are looking to complete the events in the fastest possible time, while avoiding penalties that would cost them precious seconds.

The rider holds onto the leather handle of a ringing, which is a wide belt that fits around the horse’s mid-section just behind the shoulders. The cowboy must ‘’mark the animal out’’ by positionning his heels over the horse’s shoulders on the first jump out of the chute. Each time the horse kicks, the cowboy brings his knees toward his body, keeping his heels against the horse and his toes turned out (an action called ‘’spurring’’), then stretches his legs out again. Higher scores reflect frequent ‘’spurring’’ because of the degree of difficulty.

Here’s a true fast-pace team event. Teams are made up of two riders and a horse. The first rider rides around the arena once before the second rider switches place with him in a designated zone. A pole is placed in each corner of the arena. The rider must ride around the two first poles. After riding around the second pole, the rider dismounts and leaves his place for the second rider. The switching must be completed within the designated zone – between the second and third poles. The second rider then has to ride around the fourth pole as fast as possible to complete the event and stop the time. He must have a leg on each side of the horse when riding around the last pole. To perform at this event, two essential skills are necessary : speed and agility.

Calf roping is an authentic ranch skill that originated with working cowboys. Once the calf has been roped, the cowboy dismounts and runs down the lenght of the rope to the calf. When the calf is on the ground, the cowboy ties three legs together with a six-foot pigging string. Calves must be given a head start, and if the cowboy’s horse leaves the box too soon and breaks the barrier, a 10-second penalty is added to the roper’s time. In calf roping, a tenth of a second can often make the difference between winning and losing.

This event was originally called ‘’bulldogging” and requires the cowboy to lean from a running horse onto the back of a 600-pound steer, catch it behind the horns, stop the steer’s forward momentum and wrestle it to the ground with all four of its legs and head pointing in the same direction. The bulldogger is assisted by the hazer, who rides along the steer’s right to keep the animal running straight.

His job is to protect the bull rider!!!

A little bit crazy!!!

His job is to protect the bull rider!!!

A little bit crazy!!!

Bull riders who might not weigh more than 150 pounds place a flat braided rope around a bull that weighs almost 2 000 pounds. The bull rope is placed around the animal, just behind its shoulders. It is then looped and threaded through itself and the cowboy wraps it around his riding hand with only his grip holding him in place. While there is no ‘’mark out’’ rule in bull riding, the rider relies on balance and leg strenght to make the 8-second buzzer. Look for bull riders to sit up close to their bull ropes and to turn their toes out because rides are judged on the riding style of the competitor and the bucking ability of the bull. Youngest of the seven standard rodeo events, bull riding has been voted on by sportwriters as the most dangerous sport in America. Riding bulls is particularly dangerous because a bull will often attack a rider once he is on the ground.