Rodeo 101
A plain language guide to what you are watching in the arena. Vintage Revival Rodeo is sanctioned by the CCPRA and produced in partnership with 4 Star Rodeo, so the events below are the ones you can expect to see over the weekend.
Bull Riding
One cowboy, one hand, one rope, and roughly two thousand pounds of bull that would rather buck him off. The clock only starts when the gate opens, and the ride only counts if he stays on for eight seconds without touching himself or the bull with his free hand. Judges score both the rider and the bull.
Bareback Riding
The rider holds a small leather rigging cinched over the horse's withers with one hand and no saddle. Feet start above the horse's shoulders on the first jump out of the chute and stay in constant motion for the full eight seconds. It is one of the most physically punishing rides in the sport.
Saddle Bronc Riding
The classic rodeo image. The cowboy sits in a specialized saddle, holds a single braided rein, and tries to match the rhythm of a bucking horse for eight seconds. Style, timing, and control of the spurring stroke are what earn points.
Barrel Racing
A timed event run by cowgirls at full gallop. The rider guides her horse in a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels set in a triangle, brushing as close as possible without knocking one over. Fastest clock wins, and knocked barrels add a five second penalty.
Breakaway Roping
The fastest growing event in the sport. The cowgirl chases a calf out of the box, throws a loop over its neck, and her rope is tied to the saddle horn with a piece of string. When the calf hits the end of the rope the string breaks, the clock stops, and the fastest run wins.
Team Roping
Two riders working together against the clock. The header ropes the steer's horns, dallies to the saddle horn, and turns the steer so the heeler can rope both hind feet. When both ropes are tight and the horses face each other, time stops. A one-leg catch adds a five second penalty.
Steer Wrestling
Also called bulldogging. The cowboy rides down a steer at speed, slides off his horse onto the steer's horns, digs his heels into the dirt, and wrestles the animal flat on its side with all four legs pointing the same way. Runs are decided in fractions of a second.
Tie-Down Roping
The cowboy ropes a calf on the run, dismounts before the calf hits the end of the rope, flanks it to the ground, and ties any three legs together with a short pigging string. He throws his hands up when the tie is done and the clock stops. The tie must hold for six seconds after he remounts.