The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo removed the mark out rule for the bareback and saddle bronc events.
“The mark out rule is a very difficult rule to understand, it’s very difficult to explain… In our opinion, disqualifying a contestant because he fails to put his rowels over the break of a horse’s shoulder, it was a no go for us,” said Cal White, the Assistant Operations Manager of FWSSR.
Fort Worth is now among a growing list of larger rodeos that have waived this rule. They have had many conversations with PRCA and stock contractors, and this decision was a long, daunting process.
“It doesn’t really change much in my officiating. The spur out has been waived, but according to the rule book, we still evaluate spurring the animal… we don’t take points away, but we do reward a guy when he does have his rowels over the break, not just the first jump, all during the eight seconds,” Butch Kirby, PRCA Pro Official said.
Ground rules for each rodeo are different and can be found on that specifics rodeo’s site or the PRCA site.