by Rynaldo Stoltz

Created on: June 22, 2009   Last Updated: July 03, 2009

The rules of steer wrestling

Steer wrestling raises the phrase "taking the bull by the horns" to a whole new level.

Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, an event originating from the 1930s, is the quickest of all rodeo events in which a horse-mounted cowboy chases alongside a steer, and wrestles the steer to the ground by twisting its horns.This is a timed event that usually lasts no longer than 5 seconds, where cowboys compete against each other. Steer wrestling can be a very daunting and challenging task, and in order to successfully wrestle a steer to the ground, a perfect balance of strength, technique, timing and speed are needed.

The cowboy, tie-down and team ropers, start out in the box. A nylon rope barrier is then placed across the box and a steer is loaded into the roping chute. The cowboy will then nod his head, signalling that the steer may be released. The cowboy then charges after the steer on his horse, accompanied by a hazer. The hazer is another mounted cowboy who gallops his horse along the right side of the steer, keeping it from veering away from the bulldogger. His job is to ride his horse slightly faster than the bulldogger. He also pishes to steer to run as straight as possible.

Once the cowboy reaches the steer, he leans over, jumps off his horse, grabs the steer by its horns, plants his feet and tosses the steer onto its side.

The most important rule of steer wrestling is that the bulldogger's horse may not break the rope barrier at the beginning of the run. The bulldogger has to wait for the steer to escape from the roping chute. Breaking this barrier rope results in a 10 second penalty to the cowboy's time.

Secondly, the steer has to be on its feet before being wrestled down. Running falls do not count. If the steer falls before the cowboy wrestles him down, he has to wait for the steer to get up.

The steer has to be flat on its side with all four legs extended in the same direction, before the official time is given. If however, the steer lands on the opposite side of where the bulldogger intends for it to fall, its called a "dog fall" and means the steer has to be picked up and re-thrown.

If the cowboy misses the steer on his drop down, he will receive a "no time"

Steer wrestling is a timed event with a simple objective:

To wrestle 500 pounds of beef to the ground.

The cowboy that wrestles his steer to the ground in the fastest time, wins.

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