Wrestling a steer requires more than brute strength. The successful steer wrestler, or bulldogger, is strong, to be sure, but he also understands the principles of leverage. The steer wrestler on horseback starts behind a barrier, and begins his chase after the steer has been given a head start. If the bulldogger leaves too soon and breaks the barrier, he receives a 10-second penalty.
The steer wrestler is assisted by a hazer, another cowboy on horseback tasked with keeping the steer running in a straight line. When the bulldogger''s horse pulls even with the steer, he eases down the right side of the horse and reaches for the steer''s horns. After grasping the horns, he digs his heels into the dirt. As the steer slows, the cowboy turns the animal, lifts up on its right horn and pushes down with his left hand in an effort to tip the steer over. After the catch, the steer wrestler must either bring the steer to a stop or change the direction of the animal''s body before the throw or is disqualified. The clock stops when the steer is on his side with all four legs pointing the same direction.
Steer wrestling is often known as the ""big man's event"" and with good reason; at the 1997 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the average steer wrestler weighed in at 215 pounds.
Like bronc riding, tie down roping is an event born on the ranches of the Old West. Sick calves were roped and tied down for medical treatment. Today, success in tie down roping depends largely on the teamwork between a cowboy and his horse. The luck of the draw is also a factor. A feisty calf that runs fast or kicks hard can foil a roper''s finest effort. After the calf is given a head start, horse and rider give chase. The contestant ropes the calf, then dismounts and runs to the animal. After catching and flanking the calf, the cowboy ties any three of the animal's legs together using a ""pigging string"" he carries in his teeth until needed. If the calf is not standing when the contestant reaches it, the cowboy must allow the animal to stand, then flank it. When the cowboy completes his tie, he throws his hands in the air as a signal to the judge. He then remounts his horse and allows the rope to become slack. The run is declared invalid if the calf kicks free within six seconds.
As with any timed event, a 10-second penalty is added if the tie down roper breaks the barrier at the beginning of the run.
Though tie down roping involves the incorporation of several distinct skills, the action is incredibly fast. At the 1997 National Finals Rodeo, Jeff Chapman of Athens, Texas, roped and tied a calf in 6.8 seconds to set an arena record.
If you are going to watch breakaway calf roping, don't blink or you might miss it. In this all or nothing event, the contestant's goal is to throw the rope as fast as possible. Winning times often range in the 2-3 second zone and times are recorded in the tenths of a second. Like the calf roping, the contestant and horse start from behind a "barrier", which is a piece of equipment designed to give the calf a head start and to ensure that all contestants begin their competition run at the exact same point. If the contestant starts too soon and "breaks" the barrier, a ten-second penalty is added to the time. In a speed event like breakaway roping, that penalty can be devastating. Horse and rider pursue the calf and as soon as the contestant comes into range, throws the loop and catches the calf around the neck, while simultaneously stopping the horse. The rope is tied to the saddle with a piece of string and when the horse stops, the calf continues to run and the string breaks. The flagger drops the flag and the time stops. The only "legal" catch in the breakaway is around the calf's neck, all other catches receive a no time. Unlike the calf roping, in the breakaway roping, the rider never dismounts from the horse and does not have to "tie" the calf.
Team roping evolved into a sport when a couple of cowboys somewhere, many years ago, turned a common ranching procedure into competition. The procedure, used to secure a steer so that he could be branded or doctored, is for two cowboys to rope the front and hind ends of a steer and stretch him between their horses. Team Roping competition, now one of the six standard rodeo events, begins with a steer in a chute and ropers on horseback to either side. A run begins with the steer being released from the chute and given a head start down the arena (known as the barrier distance, about 10-15 feet), after which point the ropers may give chase.
The first roper (the header), comes up on the steer's left side and, throwing his loop, ropes the steer around the horns or neck. Next, the header secures the steer by wrapping the rope remaining in his hand around the saddle-horn (called dallying). After making his dallies, the header will then steer his horse to the left across the arena, pulling the steer behind him. It will now be the job of his partner (the heeler) to follow with the steer, approach from behind, and skillfully throw his loop so that it encircles both of the steer's hind feet. The heeler will finish the run by stopping his horse while simultaneously dallying his rope around his saddle-horn. All of the action in a team roping run usually occurs in a time span under 15 seconds (sometimes even less than five). And time is of the essence, as the team that performs their job the quickest wins the event.Time is called by an arena judge (the flag-man or flagger) who waits until both ropes are taut and each ropers' horse is facing the steer. At that instant, he will drop his flag, signalling the timekeeper to stop the clock and record the team's time. Penalties can be added to the team's total elapsed time; if a team begins chasing before the steer has traveled the length of his alloted head start (called breaking the barrier or breaking-out) ten extra seconds will be added to the team's time. If the heeler is able to rope only one hind foot, the penalty is five seconds. And, of course, if either roper misses his target, the team receives no score for the run (a no-time).