Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event where a cowboy gallops his horse alongside a running steer, drops from the horse to the steer while grasping the animal's horns, and throws the steer to the ground. The concept is a bit complicated for most people to grasp, but the rules are quite simple.
The steer wrestler himself is only part of the team. In order to be successful, he will need to be mounted on a horse trained for the job, and will also need someone to ride on the other side of the steer, called a 'hazer.' The hazer's job is to keep the steer running straight without veering away from the wrestler. If he moves too far to the front of the steer, the animal may stop or duck away. If the hazer is not in the proper position, the wrestler may not be able to make the catch. Often, competitors take turns acting as hazers for one another. After the run, the hazer will catch the wrestler's horse before leaving the arena.
During competition, the wrestler and hazer leave from fenced areas on each side of the steer chute, called 'boxes.' The steer wrestler will be to the steer's left, the hazer to the right. A thin string, called the barrier, is stretched across the front of the box ahead of the wrestler's horse. The string will release once the steer has broken from the chute; but the wrestler must not 'break the barrier' by leaving early. The barrier simply provides the steer a head start and assures a fair contest for every competitor. Should the cowboy break the barrier as his horse leaves the box, he will be assessed a time penalty. Usually, this is a 10-second penalty; significant enough to mean the difference between a paycheck and a long drive home.
Once the steer wrestler and hazer are ready and the steer is standing still and facing forward, the wrestler will nod his head and the steer will be released from the chute. The wrestler must ride alongside the steer, drop down with his body to the left of the steer and his hands on the horns, and bring the steer to a stop while wrestling it to the ground. While the steer is running, most wrestlers drop their feet to the ground, and use momentum to bring the animal down while turning its head to one side to produce a quick throw. In order to complete the run, the steer must be on its side with all four legs facing the same direction. A fall where the animal is on its sternum or has legs underneath is not legal. The wrestler must get the animal to its feet and try again, or maneuver the steer so that it is in the proper position for the run to count. If at any point in the run the steer falls without being thrown, the animal must be allowed to rise before being thrown.
Sometimes all does not go as planned. If the bulldogger does not catch the steer, falls, or misses, he will receive a 'no time.' Some rodeos allow the contestant to remount his horse and try again within a certain time period, but this is rarely done outside of the bigger rodeos where the weekly times are recorded into an 'average.' A missed steer is missed money. The contestant who throws his steer in the shortest amount of time is the winner.