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Preview editionRodeo 101
Every event in plain English, and how the score works.
First rodeo? It looks like chaos from the stands, but the format is simple. There are two kinds of events: rough stock, scored by judges, and timed events, scored by the clock.
Rough stock events
| Event | What happens |
|---|---|
| Bareback riding | A rider stays on a bucking horse using only a rigging handhold, no saddle and no stirrups. |
| Saddle bronc riding | A rider stays on a bucking horse with a saddle, a single rein and stirrups, and has to keep a particular rhythm and form. |
| Bull riding | A rider stays on a bull holding a flat braided rope with one hand. It is the event most people come to see. |
How it is scored: the rider has to stay on for eight seconds. Judges score both the rider and the animal, for a maximum of 100 points. A rider who is bucked off, or who touches the animal with the free hand, gets no score.
Timed events
| Event | What happens |
|---|---|
| Tie-down roping | A rider ropes a calf, dismounts, and ties three of its legs together as fast as possible. |
| Steer wrestling | A rider jumps from a horse and wrestles a steer to the ground. |
| Team roping | Two riders work together. One ropes the head, the other ropes the hind legs. |
| Barrel racing | A rider and horse race a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels. Knocking one over adds a time penalty. |
| Breakaway roping | A rider ropes a calf, and the rope breaks away from the saddle when the loop is set. |
Who competes where
- Professional rodeo: big-name events and circuits through national organizations.
- Bull riding events are also held as stand-alone tours.
- High school and college rodeo: youth and intercollegiate associations run their own seasons and finals.
- Ranch rodeos: teams of working cowboys compete on real ranch tasks.
In the stands
- Listen to the announcer. They explain the events and tell you what to look for.
- Arrive early enough to find parking and see the opening ceremonies.
- Bring ear protection for small children, sun protection and water.
- Rodeo animals are valuable athletes. Rules differ by organization. Check the organization’s own animal welfare information if you want to know more.
Check the rulebook. Scoring, penalties and event rules differ between organizations and levels. The governing organization publishes the official rules.