March/April 2019 GASPARILLA ISLAND 81
a heeler try to grab the front and rear end of the
steer to wrangle and tie it up. Tie-down roping
originated during the early days of the Old West.
As ranchers roped the fast calves, they made this
chore into a competition.
Bareback bronco riding is perhaps rodeo’s
original and oldest sport. Back in the early days,
ranchers would need horses to help with
transportation from their home to town. Because
of that need, cowboys would find wild horses
and “break” or tame them for personal use.
Bareback riding is one of the most physically
demanding sports in the rodeo industry.
Bull riding is rodeo’s most dangerous event
where competitors must ride a bucking bull for
8 agonizing seconds will no more than a bull
rope in their hand. If they can’t make it for 8
seconds, they do not to get judged. In the past,
competitors wore cowboy hats. These days, they
wear protective vests and helmets for safety. A
contestant must get on the back of a 2,000-
pound animal, and if at any point his free hand
touches the bull or himself, he will receive no
score. Both the bull rider and the bull can receive
a maximum of 50 points each during each ride,
meaning they could score a total of 100 points.
Nabers said, “I guess everyone realizes they
can get hurt, but you don’t think about that, you
just get up there and ride.
Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is
an event that demonstrates strength and teamwork
between a bulldogger and hazer and their
horses. The objective is to wrestle, or “wrassle,” a
steer to the ground as quickly as possible. The cowboy
must grab a steer at 30 miles per house, and
then get it to the ground. The steer must be flat on
its back to stop the clock.
Like bull riding and saddle bronc riding, both the
performances of the rider and the bronc are
judged out of a 100 possible points. While the
bareback rider keeps one hand on the riggin’ and
one hand in the air, the judges will look at his
spurring technique and the degree to which his
toes remain turned out while he is spurring. For the
bronc, the judges will take into consideration the
bronc’s unique bucking style.
During all days of the event, live entertainment is
planned and it’s common to see the Budweiser
Clydesdales horses.
While some may question the treatment of the
animals during these competitions, organizers
assure them that the “animals are treated like gold.”
Enjoy something different, visit the rodeo. To
purchase tickets to the events visit
ArcadiaRodeo.com.
G
M
/ArcadiaRodeo.com