Collection: Rodeo 101
Just getting on the saddle? Here’s everything you need to know about rodeo’s main events.
Bareback riders endure more abuse, suffer more injuries and carry away more long-term damage than all other rodeo cowboys.
Barrel racing is a timed event so the contestants are racing to see who can complete the course the fastest.
Breakaway roping is a rodeo event that features a calf and one mounted cowgirl.
Bull riding, which is intentionally climbing on the back of a 2,000-pound bull, emerged from the fearless and possibly fool-hardy nature of the cowboy.
Saddle bronc riding is rodeo’s classic event, both a complement and contrast to the wilder spectacles of bareback riding and bull riding.
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.
Team roping, the only true team event in ProRodeo, requires close cooperation and timing between two highly skilled ropers - a header and a heeler - and their horses.
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.