RODEO 101

IS THIS YOUR FIRST RODEO?

If it is, you’re in for a real treat. Since the first rodeos in America in the late 1800s, folks have enjoyed the thrill of witnessing everyday ranch skills turned into high-level competition. These contests are challenging, daring feats, and tests of true grit that was required to tame the wild west. Discover what happens at the rodeo, and learn what to expect from your Red Lodge Home of Champions PRCA Rodeo Experience.

ROUGH STOCK EVENTS

In the roughstock events – bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding – a contestant’s score is equally dependent upon his performance and the animal’s performance. In order to earn a qualified score, the cowboy, while using only one hand, must stay aboard a bucking horse or bull for eight seconds. If the rider touches the animal with his free hand, he is disqualified.

In saddle bronc and bareback riding, cowboys must mark out their horses; that is, they must exit the chute with their spurs set above the horse’s shoulders and hold them there until the horse’s front feet hit the ground after its first jump. Failing to do so results in disqualification.

During the regular season, two judges each score a cowboy’s qualified ride by awarding 0 to 25 points for the animal’s performance and 0 to 25 points for the rider’s performance. The judges’ scores are combined to determine the contestant’s score. A perfect score is 100 points.

TIMED EVENTS

In the timed events – tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, breakaway roping and women’s barrel racing – a contestant’s goal is to post the fastest time in his event.

In the cattle events, calves and steers are allowed a head start. The competitor, on horseback, starts in a three‐sided fenced area called a box. The fourth side opens into the arena. A rope barrier is stretched across that opening and tied to the calf or steer. Once the calf or steer reaches the head-start point– predetermined by the size of the arena – the barrier is automatically released. If a cowboy breaks that barrier before it is released, he is assessed a 10‐second penalty.

In women’s barrel racing, a horse and rider follow a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels and then dash across the finish line. A five-second penalty is assessed for each barrel that is tipped over during the contestant’s run.

BAREBACK RIDING

A form of horseback riding without a saddle. This event requires skill, balance, and coordination, as the rider does not have any equipment to compensate for errors of balance or skill. The rider must stay on for at least 8 seconds to make a qualified ride. The horse is judged by the degree of difficulty he provides for the cowboy with a maximum of 50 points, as mentioned above. The cowboy is judged on style, control, and length of to-and-fro spur stroke with a maximum of 50 points. Total possible points of 100.

SADDLE BRONC

Saddle Bronc riding is rodeo’s classic event. It’s an 8-second contest. The cowboy must keep both feet in the stirrups, one hand on the bronc rein and one hand in the air. The cowboy’s free hand cannot touch the animal, the equipment or himself. The horse is judged by the degree of difficulty he provides for the cowboy with a maximum of 50 points, as mentioned above. The cowboy is judged on style, control, and length of to-and-fro spur stroke with a maximum of 50 points. Total possible points of 100.

BULL RIDING

A rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a 2,000+ pound bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck off the rider. In the American tradition, the rider must stay atop the bucking bull for eight seconds to count as a qualified ride. The bull is judged by the degree of difficulty he provides for the cowboy with a maximum of 50 points, as mentioned above. The cowboy is judged on style and control with a maximum of 50 points. Total possible points of 100.

TEAM ROPING

Team roping consists of two ropers; the header ropes the steer and turn the steer to allow the heeler to rope the back legs of the steer. This event requires close cooperation and timing between two skilled ropers. The quickest time wins the round.

STEER WRESTLING

Also known as Bull-Dogging… While horseback, the steer wrestler must chase a steer down the arena jump from the horse and wrestle the steer to the ground in the shortest possible time.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

The goal of this timed event is for the rider to catch the calf by throwing a loop from a rope around its neck, dismount from the horse, run to the calf, and restrain it by tying three legs together, in as short a time as possible.

BARREL RACING

This event brings the women to our rodeo. It consists of a cowgirl, her horse, three barrels and a stopwatch. The objective is to ride in a clover leaf pattern around the barrels without knocking them over and the fastest time to wins the round.

BREAKAWAY ROPING

Breakaway roping is the event comparable to the men’s tie-down roping on the cowboy side except the cowgirls are not required to dismount and tie the calf. In breakaway roping, the cowgirl has a flag tied close to the end of her rope and a nylon string tied from the rope to the saddle horn. Once the barrier is released and the calf leaves the roping chute, the cowgirl gives chase throwing the loop around the calf’s neck. When the rope grows tight after the calf is roped, the string breaks away from the saddle horn and the flag goes flying, signaling the timer to stop the clock.

MUTTON BUSTING

Rodeo’s youngest cowboys and cowgirls cinch up their jeans and climb aboard an atypical rough stock animal – sheep, also known as mutton.

Sign your 4-7 year-old up behind the Bucking Chutes Grandstand.
July 2&3 at 4:45pm
July 4th at 1:45pm
10 Mutton Busters will be drawn at random each day. Click here for Registration Form

JULY 1-4, 2024