Steer wrestling, also referred to as bulldogging, is the ultimate "man vs. beast" event. Even though it's the shortest event in rodeos, many fans find it the most thrilling. The cowboy has no special tools other than his strength and technique. Amazingly, most experienced bulldoggers usually completes this task in 5 seconds or less, and the top times are getting shorter and shorter every year.
This event has five players: a horned steer, the bulldogger and his horse, and a hazer and his mount. The hazer is the bulldogger's partner. It's his or her job to run slightly ahead of the steer, keeping it in a straight line so that the bulldogger can have easy access to the bovine. The object is to wrestle the steer to the ground more quickly than the other competitors do. Sounds simple, right? Hold on there, partner. There's more to it!
The steer is placed in a holding chute with a section of rope attached to its body. The bulldogger is generally on the steer's left side, and the hazer is on the animal's right side. When the bulldogger is ready, he gives a quick nod of his head, and the steer is released. The steer gets a head start, and the horses can't leave their chutes until the steer's rope releases the rope barrier that has been placed across the bulldogger's and hazer's chutes. The timer starts when the barrier is dropped.
This in itself is sometimes difficult. The horses get antsy waiting for their turn to run. They know what's expected of them, and some horses break under the pressure and run before they're supposed to, getting their team an extra 10 seconds and in effect, disqualifying them. Also, it takes a lot of training to get a horse to stay in the correct position next to the steer. Horses can run a lot faster than cattle, so the horse has to show control and maintain the right speed so that his rider can slide from the saddle right onto the steer. The same principles apply to the hazing horse.
Foundation-bred Quarter Horses are often used in bulldogging. They're usually level-headed and calm, and they have the perfect build for the event. They're muscular and quick, and they're short in stature, making it easier for the bulldogger to dismount from the horse and wind up on the steer.
Timing and training are everything in this event. You have to have a seasoned horse you can count on to get you close to the steer quickly and that will hold steady until you leave the saddle. If the horse takes off when you've only halfway dismounted, you'll end up with a mouthful of arena dirt instead of an armful of steer. If the horse outruns the steer, you won't have a chance to wrestle it to the ground.
Bringing down a steer is no easy feat, either, even if you make a perfect landing. These rodeo bovines generally weigh between 500 and 600 pounds, and even though most bulldoggers are pretty brawny, the steer outweighs them considerably. The wrestler has to grab the horns and part of the animal's head and bend it until the steer falls. The bulldogger accomplishes this by digging his boot heels in, so steer wrestlers usually wear cowboy boots with an exaggerated "cowboy wedge" heel.
Bulldogging is strictly a timed event. There are no extra points awarded for style or flair. The timer stops when the steer has been successfully wrestled. The steer's fall must be complete, with all four feet off the ground and pointing in the same direction for the fall to count. If the steer stumbles and falls on his own, the cowboy has to set him up and tackle him again or wait patiently until the animal stands on his own.
This is fast-paced competition, often referred to as "the big man's event." While many bull and bronc riders are often slim and wiry, it takes a pretty large man to bring down a full grown steer. Even so, bulldogging has the highest injury rate of any timed rodeo event, for both man and beast.
Source: Years of marriage to a rodeo cowboy.