Wide Open Wyoming: July 2007

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, formed in 1936 under the name, “Cowboys’ Turtle Association” (not sure the history of that one), has over 9,000 cowboy members and supports over 650 rodeos a year. We went to one last night as part of Laramie’s Jubilee Days celebration. Each year, following the 4th of July, Laramie celebrates Wyoming’s statehood (1890). Jason and I love the rodeo. We went both Friday and Sat. night. As always, it was a good show. I’m excited to share these pictures with you, a first for me as I’ve never taken my camera to a rodeo before!
I’ll try to do my best to match the photos with the PRCA description of the event.

“Bareback Bronc Riding: A bareback rider places himself smack in the middle of a 1,200 pound twisting, bucking tornado and aims to make it through an 8 second ride without benefit of a saddle, reins or stirrups. His only handhold is on the leather and rawhide rigging placed around the horse just behind its shoulders. Judges award up to 50 points for each horse and rider. They watch for the bucking pattern and power of the horse, as well as the rider’s strength, control and spurring action. As in all rough stock events, the rider is disqualified for being bucked off or touching himself or the animal with his free hand.”

Stay on for 8 seconds and you're doing good!

Not sure how this guy ever managed to stay on!

“Steer Wrestling: In steer wrestling, rodeo’s most telling test of leverage and strength, a contestant attempts to topple a steer averaging three to five times the bulldogger’s weight. With his ‘hazer’ riding parallel to the steer to keep it running straight, the steer wrestler must catch up to the steer (which is given a head start), lean off his horse at top speed and secure a firm grip on the steer’s horns. Once on the ground, the steer wrestler plants his feet, brings the steer to a stop and wrestles it to the ground. A rodeo judge stops time when the steer is on its side with all four feet pointing in the same direction.”

Step one, jump off a perfectly good horse

Step two, apply brakes

Step three, wrestle steer to ground (sometime step three takes awhile)

Step four, victory!

Now repeat!

Steer wrestling, also known as bull dodging was invented by a black cowboy named Bill Pickett around the turn-of-the-century.

“Team Roping: Team roping is the only rodeo event where two cowboys compete as partners, sharing victory or defeat. The ‘header’ ropes the steer’s horns and rides to the left. Then the ‘heeler’ goes to work, roping both of the steer’s hind legs in one of the most difficult maneuvers in rodeo. The ropers must ‘dally’ (wrap their ropes around the saddle horn) after their head and heel catches. Time stops when both horses are facing the steer with ropes dallied. A 10-second penalty is assessed for breaking the barrier (which gives the steer a head start), as well as a five-second penalty if the heeler catches only one of the steer’s hind legs.”

“Saddle Bronc Riding: Rodeo’s classic event is an exercise in style and fitness that demands near-perfect timing. To earn a score, a saddle bronc rider must remain aboard a pitching horse for 8 seconds. And to earn a high score, he must ride with the grace and fluidity of a dancer. The cowboy uses a PRCA approved saddle with stirrups and a six foot braided rein which he holds in one hand only. Saddle bronc riders are disqualified if they touch themselves, the horse, or their equipment with their free hand. A perfect saddle bronc ride (never yet achieved) would earn the contestant 100 pts.”

I know it looks bad, but both cowboys were able to walk away (neither was "seriously" injuried!)

“Tie-Down Roping: Tie-down roping, which can be traced directly to the ranch work of catching calves for branding or medical treatment, has evolved into one of the most professional rodeo’s quickest and most exciting events. The calf gets a designated head start into the rodeo arena and must trip a barrier string before the cowboy and horse can begin their case. A cowboy who ‘breaks the barrier’ by leaving the roping box to soon is assessed a 10-second penalty. Once in the arena, the roper must ‘catch’ his calf with a lariat, dismount and run to the calf, drop the 300 pound animal by hand to the arena floor, gather three of the calf’s legs, tie them together with a six foot ‘pigging’ string and throw up his hands to signal the end of the run.”

“Women’s Barrel Racing: Barrel racing shows off a horse’s agility and speed, as well as a rider’s skill and control. Horse and rider speed around a cloverleaf pattern of three barrels, starting and finishing at the same point. Tipping over a barrel during a maneuver will cost the rider a 5 second penalty and running an incorrect pattern can lead to disqualification. Electronic timers are used to record elapsed time between start and finish within hundredths of a second.”