XL Cover Story: South by Wild West

Look, Ma, one hand! A sports-talk guide to the rodeo

  » South by Wild West

In speech and action, rodeo is its own private Idaho. But greenhorns need not sweat it: Herein is a primer on the sport's seven major events and the lingo used.

ROUGH-STOCK EVENTS

• Saddle-bronc riding: The classic cowboy event, this wild ride originated when man first tried to tame horse and put it to work. In rodeo, the rider uses saddle, collar and a single rein, held with one hand. He is disqualified if he touches the horse, himself or equipment with his free hand (the free hand rule), or if he loses a stirrup or the rein. He is also disqualified if he doesn't "mark-out" -- have his spurs and feet above the horse's shoulders on its first buck from the chute. Rider must stay aboard for eight seconds and is judged on his style and spurring action. As with all rough-stock events, half the score is based on the cowboy's style and half on the bucking ability of the animal.

• Bareback riding: Similar to saddle-bronc, but the contestant gets no saddle, stirrups or rein -- only a leather pad with a special "suitcase" handle to hold with one hand. Thus it's considered rodeo's most physically demanding sport. The free-hand rule and mark-out rule apply, and the rider must hang on for eight seconds.

Photo by Michael Mulvey/Dallas Morning News Dirt diving is an essential skill for the bull rider.

TIMED EVENTS

• Steer wrestling: The contestant, a "bulldogger," uses a "hazer" cowboy who flanks the steer to keep it running straight, while the wrestler does his thing. The steer, which must weigh at least 450 pounds, trips a barrier when leaving the chute, alerting contestant and hazer to high-tail it. Once abreast of the steer, the bulldogger leans from his horse and grasps the steer's horns, flinging himself off and earthward. Once on the ground, the cowboy uses feet and body to stop the steer's forward motion, then unbalances the animal, levering the horns to get it to the ground. Clock stops when the steer is on its side with all four legs pointed in the same direction.

• Team roping: Also born from wrangler necessity, this event is the only human-team rodeo event. Two contestants, a "header" and a "heeler," compete together for a time score and a share of the purse -- the event's "added-money" (money put up by a rodeo committee, in addition to entry fees). Once the steer trips the barrier, the ropers give chase, with the header roping the steer around its head or horns before turning it; then the heeler moves in to rope the hind legs. The ropes are "dallied" around the rider's respective saddle horns, securing the steer. The time is registered when both horses are facing each other with no slack in the rope.

• Tie-down roping: Though it's offended animal-rights advocates for eons, this sport evolved from a need to doctor or brand a calf on the range, and the key element is a symbiotic relationship between roper and horse. The calf gets a head start, tripping a barrier. The cowboy follows, roping the calf from horseback, dismounting, then quickly handling and tying the calf's three legs with a "piggin' string" (held in his teeth) while the horse controls the animal. To indicate he is done, the roper throws his hand in the air. He then remounts, rides forward to create slack in the rope and waits six seconds for the tie to hold. Then his time is official.

• Barrel racing: The women's major sport, its roots lie in the training of stock horses, which must be able to run and turn quickly when working with cattle. It requires an intense cooperation between rider and horse. In rodeo, cowgirls compete in the arena against each other and the clock, with horse and rider racing around a cloverleaf pattern of three 44-gallon drums. Rider has a running start before the line; time is recorded from the crossing of the starting line to the finish line. Knocking over a barrel brings a time penalty, and running an incorrect pattern disqualifies the contestant.