Arts & Entertainment
 

Real rodeo celebrities are cowboys

Contestants have challenges from bucking broncs to bulls ahead of them

by Bridget Brown
The Daily Cougar

Take away the stars, send the carnival back on the road, hang the art on the wall and eat up all of that succulent cook-off barbecue. When one really strips down the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the backbone of 72 years of tradition is the only component left standing. There wouldn't be a rodeo without the true cowboys and cowgirls, bulls and broncos, ropes and spurs that make up the rodeo's sports. Here's a rundown of the events:

Bareback bronc riding 

The most physically demanding event in the rodeo, bareback riding, takes strength to control the physical stress that is placed on the rider's arm and back. Holding on with one hand the cowboy must pull his spurs above the horse's shoulders until the animal's feet hit the ground. The rider can't touch anything else or he is disqualified. The rider is judged on his technique, and he must time the spurring with the horse's bucking action. The horse's bucking action contributes half of the total score.

Saddle bronc riding

This classic event evolved from cowboys training and breaking horses on ranches. It's like bronc riding, but the cowboy sits in a special saddle.

Bull riding

This is by far the most well-known event at the rodeo. As the cowboy scrambles to keep contact with the bull, he must stay on for eight seconds using only one hand. The rider can't touch anything with his freehand during the ride or he is disqualified, and he cannot hit the ground before the eight-second buzzer. Like bronc riding, the bulls' bucking effort accounts for half of the total score. 

Also the Xtreme Bulls competition, the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association's professional bull riding series, finishes off the rodeo's stint in Houston when it pits 30 cowboys against some of the rankest bulls.

Last year, Terry Don West put together four successful rounds to capture his first bull riding championship. He also won in the Xtreme Bull Riding category. Look out for West this year when he makes another appearance.

Barrel racing

This sport began as a friendly challenge of horsemanship skills between cowgirls. The cowgirls run barrels in a cloverleaf pattern, with quick turns at a high speed being the key to winning. If the horse deviates from the pattern then the rider is disqualified, and knocking over a barrel adds five seconds onto the score. Best time wins. 

Steer wrestling

Steer wrestling only takes three to five seconds to run. Two cowboys ride horses into the arena, trying to keep the steer in a straight pattern. The "bulldogger" (steer wrestler) slides off the right side of his horse until he reaches the steer's horns. From there he has to wrestle the steer to the ground. The clock is stopped when the steer is on its side with all four legs pointing in the same direction.

Team roping

The objective is to catch and rope a steer's hind legs, one of the most difficult maneuvers in rodeo. A steer is given a head start, the first roper (the header) waits behind a barrier. The header must catch the steer in any of three legal ways -- around one horn and the head, around both horns or around the neck. The "heeler" then must tie up the steer. Best time wins, and penalties are given if only one of the steer's hind legs is roped.

Tie-down roping

This sport is formally known as calf roping and dates back to the Old West. The calf is roped by a cowboy on horseback. The cowboy de-mounts from his horse and throws the calf to the ground. He then ties any three of its legs together. The calf must remain tied for six seconds after the rope goes slack or the rider receives no points. Fractions of seconds usually separate the contestants in this event.

Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu