RODEO EVENT INFO

July 3rd & 4th, 2024

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

ROUGHSTOCK EVENTS

BULL RIDING

The bull rider may use only one hand to stay aboard during the eight-second ride. If he touches the bull or himself with his free hand, he receives no score. But unlike the other rough stock contestants, bull riders are not required to mark out their animals. While spurring a bull can add to the cowboy's score, riders are commonly judged solely on their ability to stay aboard the twisting, bucking mass of muscle.

To stay aboard the bull, a rider grasps a flat braided rope, which is wrapped around the bull's chest just behind the front legs and over its withers. One end of the bull rope, called the tail, is threaded through a loop on the other end and tightened around the bull. The rider then wraps the tail around his hand, sometimes weaving it through his fingers to further secure his grip.

Bull fighters and clowns are available to assist the cowboy if needed.

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

Saddle bronc riding evolved from the task of breaking and training horses to work the cattle ranches of the Old West. Riders in this event must mark out their horses on the first jump from the chute. To properly mark out his horse, the saddle bronc rider must have both heels touching the animal above the point of its shoulders when it makes its first jump from the chute. If the rider misses his mark, he receives no score.

The saddle bronc rider has only a thick rein attached to his horse's halter. Using one hand, the cowboy tries to stay securely seated in his saddle. If he touches any part of the horse or his own body with his free hand, he is disqualified.

SADDLE BRONC

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

BAREBACK

To stay aboard the horse, a bareback rider uses a rigging made of leather and constructed to meet PRCA safety specifications. The rigging, which resembles a suitcase handle on a strap, is placed atop the horse's withers and secured with a cinch. As the bronc and rider burst from the chute, the rider must have both spurs touching the horse's shoulders until the horse's feet hit the ground after the initial move from the chute. This is called "marking out." If the cowboy fails to do this, he is disqualified.

As the bronc bucks, the rider pulls his knees up, rolling his spurs up the horse's shoulders. As the horse descends, the cowboy straightens his legs, returning his spurs over the point of the horse's shoulders in anticipation of the next jump.

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

TIMED EVENTS

LADIES BARREL RACING

The barrel pattern is fairly simple; there are three barrels set up in a triangular pattern and each rider must turn each barrel in a clover leaf pattern as fast as they can. Riders may choose to run a pattern that requires one right hand turn and two left hand turns or vice versa. The diagram below illustrates a right handed pattern, which is where the rider chooses the barrel on the right to be their first barrel.

They will then move in a straight line across the pen to barrel two, where they will make a left handed turn. From there, the rider will head straight to barrel three for another left hand turn before finally sending the horse back across the timer line.

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

As with saddle bronc riding and team roping, the roots of tie-down roping can be traced back to the working ranches of the Old West. When calves were sick or injured, cowboys had to rope and immobilize them quickly for veterinary treatment. The mounted cowboy starts from a box to the right of the chute holding the calf.
The calf receives a head start that is determined by the length of the arena. One end of a breakaway rope barrier is looped around the calf's neck and stretched across the open end of the box. When the calf reaches its advantage point, the barrier is released. If the roper breaks the barrier before the calf reaches its head start, the cowboy is assessed a 10-second penalty.

TIE DOWN CALF ROPING

The horse is trained to come to a stop as soon as the cowboy throws his loop and catches the calf. The cowboy then dismounts, sprints to the calf and throws it by hand, a maneuver called flanking. If the calf is not standing when the cowboy reaches it, he must allow the calf to get back on its feet before flanking it. After the calf is flanked, the roper ties any three legs together with a pigging string - a short, looped rope he clenches in his teeth during the run.
While the contestant is accomplishing all of that, his horse must pull back hard enough to eliminate any slack in the rope, but not so hard as to drag the calf.
When the roper finishes tying the calf, he throws his hands in the air as a signal to the judge that the run is completed. The roper then remounts his horse, rides forward to create slack in the rope and waits six seconds to see if the calf remains tied. If the calf kicks free, the roper receives no time.

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

LADIES BREAKAWAY ROPING

Ladies breakaway description-rodeo event.jpeg

Breakaway roping is a variation of calf roping where a calf is roped, but not thrown and tied. It is a rodeo event that features a calf and one mounted rider. The horse and rider wait in a box next to the chute that has a spring-loaded rope, known as the barrier, stretched in front. One end of a breakaway rope barrier is looped around the calf's neck and stretched across the open end of the box. When the calf reaches its advantage point, the barrier is released. If the roper breaks the barrier before the calf reaches its head start, the roper is assessed a 10-second penalty.

The breakaway rope is tied onto the saddle horn with a nylon string. When the loop is around the calf’s neck, the roper’s horse is pulled up so the weight of the calf will make the rope tight as it snaps off of the saddle horn, thereby helping the roper receive a time from the judge.

STEER WRESTLING

The objective of the steer wrestler, who is also known as a "bulldogger," is to use strength and technique to wrestle a steer to the ground as quickly as possible. As with tie-down and team ropers, the bulldogger starts on horseback in a box. A breakaway rope barrier is attached to the steer and stretched across the open end of the box. The steer gets a head start that is determined by the size of the arena. When the steer reaches the advantage point, the barrier is released and the bulldogger takes off in pursuit. If the bulldogger breaks the barrier before the steer reaches his head start, a 10-second penalty is assessed.

When the cowboy reaches the steer, he slides down and off the right side of his galloping horse, hooks his right arm around the steer's right horn, grasps the left horn with his left hand and, using strength and leverage, slows the animal and wrestles it to the ground. His work isn't complete until the steer is on its side with all four feet pointing the same direction. The cowboy uses a "hazer," who is another mounted cowboy who gallops his horse along the right side of the steer and keeps it from veering away from the bulldogger.

TEAM ROPING / MIXED TEAM ROPING

Team roping requires close cooperation and timing between two highly skilled ropers - a header and a heeler - and their horses. For mixed team roping events, one rider must be a woman or child under the age of 13. The event originated on ranches when cowboys needed to treat or brand large steers and the task proved too difficult for one man. Similar to tie-down ropers and steer wrestlers, team ropers start from the boxes on each side of the chute from which the steer enters the arena. The steer gets a head start determined by the length of the arena. One end of a breakaway barrier is attached to the steer and stretched across the open end of the header's box. When the steer reaches his advantage point, the barrier is released,

and the header takes off in pursuit, with the heeler trailing

slightly further behind.The ropers are assessed a 10-second

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

penalty if the header breaks the barrier before the steer completes his head start. The header ropes first and must make one of three legal catches on the steer; around both horns, around one horn and the head or around the neck. Any other catch by the header is considered illegal and the team is disqualified. After the header makes his catch, he turns the steer to the left and exposes the steer's hind legs to the heeler. The heeler then attempts to rope both hind legs. If he catches only one foot, the team is assessed a five-second penalty. After the cowboys catch the steer, the judge flags the run and the clock is stopped when there is no slack in their ropes and their horses face one another.

BUSINESSMEN'S RIBBON ROPING

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The business entered in this event must have a representative from their business plus a roper and a mugger. (At least 1 woman must be on each team). The roper will rope the calf and once the mugger has a hold on the calf, the runner shall take the ribbon off the calf’s tail and run back to the starting line to get a time. There is a 60 second time limit and the roper can throw his loops as possible as time permits. A 10 second penalty will be assessed for breaking the barrier.

No times will be given for:

Grabbing the ribbon before the mugger has a hold of the calf.
Not having the ribbon at the starting line.
Missing the calf

INDIAN RELAY

This event is one of the wildest, most colorful events in all of equine sports in the men's, women's and youth categories. This event is a long standing event at powwows and Indian rodeos, the sport of Indian relay racing is a crowd-pleasing spectacle that involves expert horsemanship, teamwork, pageantry and the potential for disaster at every turn. Teams each have their own colors and consist of one rider, three handlers and three horses. The first team lines up at the starting line. Team members hold the second and third horses for the relay team along the rail. At the signal, the mounted jockeys race the first lap around the track.

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

As the contestants complete the first lap, they cross to the rail, leap to the ground and attempt a quick leap aboard their second horse. The second and third horses are no longer standing quietly, but jumping and rearing from the excitement and noise around them. The action continues as the second lap is completed and riders vault aboard their third horse. The field plunges on to the finish, where one triumphant team takes the prize.

CONTACT US

1663 Rodeo Dr.

Lander, WY 82520

info@mysite.com

Tel: 123-456-7890

ARENA HOURS

Mon - Fri: 7am - 10pm

Saturday: 8am - 10pm

Sunday: 8am - 11pm

RODEO EVENT INFO

Wind River Country Brad Christensen

ROUGHSTOCK EVENTS

BULL RIDING

Wind River Country Brad Christensen

TIMED EVENTS

LADIES BARREL RACING

Wind River Country Brad Christensen

CONTACT US

ARENA HOURS

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen

Wind River Country
Brad Christensen