The fun and excitement a rodeo brings when it comes to town has been felt by many, especially those in rural areas where there are fewer entertainment choices. There is always so much to see and do at a rodeo. Some rodeos will have seperate concession areas that offer different food choices, merchandise tables with an array of goods from hats and shirts to flags and dog collars, mechanical bull rides and other carnival like games and even face painting or pony rides for the kids. Viewing the riding events ranks higher than all the extra attractions and really is the essence of the rodeo, with Bull Riding being the main attraction. In addition to riding angry bulls, most rodeos also feature Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding and Barrel Racing, the latter being the only one preformed on a trained or broke horse. Three rodeo riding events (Bull Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding and Bareback Riding) are referred to as rough-stock events and employ pick-up men to help keep the participants safe. Pick-up men are seasoned cowboys with well trained horses that are on hand and mounted inside the arena during rough-stock competition. There are usually two, sometimes three, pick-up men during an event. Their job includes, herding the stock out of the arena after an event, helping to free trapped or hung up competitors and picking up bronc or bareback riders by paralleling the bronc/bareback horse and allowing the rider to slide onto their horse, hence picking them up.
Bull Riding is, traditionally, the final event at most rodeos, the event that poses the most immediate danger and a crowd favorite. The main objective, for a successful ride, is for the bull rider to stay on the bull for a full count of eight seconds. The rider can only use one hand to hold on with, which is strapped to the bull with a bull-rope. The rider is not allowed to touch the bull with their free hand during the ride. If the rider does use their free hand it will result in a 'no score' or disqualification. The bull-rope is a wide long rope used, in unison with rosin, by the bull rider and is situated around the upper half of the bull's body and is tightened as much as possible around the bull riders hand. The tightness and the sticky rosin will help the rider hold on as best possible during the ride. Once the bull-rope is on the bull and the rider is ready, the chute will be pulled open by a separate person. Once the chute opens, the ride begins, most often with an angry bull, lunging and jumping with exciting twists, turns and acrobatic bucking. The rider can earn extra points for spurring the bull during a ride, however, it is not required. When the ride is over the rider will be protected from the bull by the rodeo clowns and barrel-men. They distract the bull, often putting themselves in front of dangerous two thousand pound animals, to allow the bull-rider to safely escape. Sometimes, a bullrider's hand will become trapped or hung up in the bull-rope so tightly that they, either, can't get off the bull or they can't get away from they bull. The pick-up men are on standby for just this reason and are usually effective in helping to free the hung up rider.
Saddle Bronc Riding is the classic event of the rodeo, having originated based on the training or breaking of horses on ranches. Considered to be an event of the highest difficulty, it is also just as crowd pleasing as bull riding. Bronc riding takes place on unbroke horses that try to dislodge their rider by bucking and require the use of a regulation bronc saddle, a halter and a thick lead rope. The bronc rider will sit in the saddle and hold onto the thick lead with one hand, while their other hand is the free hand and cannot be used to touch the horse or hold on in any way. If the the rider uses their free hand they are disqualified and receive a 'no-score'. Like bull riding, saddle bronc riding encompasses an objective to stay on or ride for eight seconds. The second way to be disqualified in bronc riding is to fail to ride the full eight. A bronc rider must instantly have his feet in front over the horses shoulders as the horse makes it first leap out of the chute achieving what is called a mark out. Failure to mark out as the horse leaves the chute makes the third and last type of disqualification. The rider must also coordinate his spurring action with the bucking of the bronc, having his feet forward over the horses shoulders when the horses front feet are on the ground and pulling his feet back towards the saddle when the horses rear feet are grounded. The better the riders' spurring action the better the score, but no disqualification can come from poor spurring. Bronc riders rely on the pick up men to dismount upon completion of their ride.
Bareback riding has been called the most rigorous rodeo event due to tremendous power of the horse and the jumping or bucking action that is displayed. Some bareback riders describe it as feeling like riding a jackhammer as they suffer more abuse and injuries than other rodeo competitors. Bareback riding occurs on unbroke horses, just as bronc riding, only there is no saddle or lead-rope to provide extra security. A specially made and regulated type of leather strap with a large handle on top is used to hold onto the horse during the ride. The strap is placed around the horse body and is pulled tight, just as with bull riding. Similar to saddle bronc riding, bareback riding requires the rider to mark out during the first leap from the chute, stay on for a full eight seconds and use only one hand throughout the ride. If any one of these requirements is not met then the rider is disqualified and receives a 'no-score'. Illustrating other similarities with bronc riding, good spurring action improves the score but will not result in disqualification and pick-up men are a necessity for dismounting or hang ups.
Barrel Racing is the one riding event that takes place on a well trained horse, doesn't require pick-up men or rodeo clowns and is almost exclusively a female riders' event. The objective is to run around all three barrels in a certain pattern, usually a cloverleaf pattern, without knocking any of them over. If a barrel is knocked over by the rider or her horse a certain amount of seconds is added to the riders time score as a penalty. Three barrels are set up in the arena in a triangular pattern, with two barrels placed one across from the other and the third further away and centered above the first two. The double gates located in the middle of the bucking chutes remain open throughout the barrel racing event so that the riders may enter and exit the arena during this event. The competitor prepares to approach the open gates on their mount and then take off into a gallop just before coming through the gates. The stopwatch is started at the moment the rider enters the gate. After the rider completes their tour around the barrels they must remain in a gallop and make a straight line back through the gates to end their turn. Time is only stopped at the moment the rider exits the arena at the gate. The winner of Barrel Racing is the rider with the lowest or fastest time score.
PBR. "PBR Bull Riding Dictionary." Professional Bull Riders. 1994. 14 August 2009.
http://www.pbrnow.com/about/sportinfo/dictionary.cfm
PBR. "Bull Riding Basics." Professional Bull Riders. 1994. 14 August 2009.
http://www.pbrnow.com/about/sportinfo/basics.cfm
PBR. "
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