Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE RODEO
Rodeos are serious business in Alberta. In some schools, cowboy
skills are part of the sports program and are on a par with football and
hockey.
There are essentially six offi cial events in a rodeo. In the bareback rid-
ing, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding events, the cowboy must stay
on the bucking animal for eight seconds to even qualify, at which point
he is given a score based on style, rhythm and control. In bareback
and saddle bronc riding, the animal is a horse, and in all three cases
a cinch is placed around the animal's hind quarters which causes him
to buck. The bull riding event is of course the most exciting, with the
bulls weighing over 800kg.
In the calf roping event the cowboy must lasso the calf from his horse,
race to the animal and tie three of its legs. This is a timed event, and
the time includes a fi nal six seconds during which the calf must re-
main tied. Big cowboys are the usual participants in the steer wrestling
event where the cowboy slides off his horse onto the steer, grabs its
horns, twists them and throws the steer to the ground. Once again,
the fastest time wins.
The barrel racing event is the only one for cowgirls. Riders must cir-
cle three barrels in a clover-leaf pattern, and there is a fi ve-second
penalty for knocking one over. Other entertaining events and rodeo
clowns keep the crowd happy in between the offi cial events. One of
the most amusing crowd-pleasers is mutton busting, where young
cowpokes are strapped to sheep and sent fl ying around the corral.
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The taming of a bronco.
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