In the roughstock events – bareback riding,
saddle bronc riding and bull riding – a contestant’s score is equally
dependent upon his performance and the animal’s performance.
In order to earn a qualified score, the
cowboy, while using only one hand, must stay aboard a bucking horse or
bull for eight seconds. If the rider touches the animal with his free
hand, he is disqualified.
In saddle bronc and bareback riding, cowboys
must “mark out” their horses; that is, they must exit the chute with
their spurs set above the horse’s shoulders and hold them there until
the horse’s front feet hit the ground after its initial jump out of the
chute. Failing to do so results in disqualification.
During the regular season, two judges each
score a cowboy’s qualified ride by awarding 0 to 25 points for the
rider’s performance and 0 to 25 points for the animal’s performance. The
judges’ scores are then combined to determine the contestant’s score. A
perfect score is 100
points.
Cowboys at “the other end of the arena”
compete against the clock, as well as against each other.
In the timed events – calf roping, steer
wrestling, team roping and steer roping – a contestant’s goal is to post
the fastest time in his event. In steer wrestling and the roping events,
calves and steers are allowed a head start. The competitor, on
horseback, starts in a three-sided fenced area called a box. The fourth
side opens into the arena.
A rope barrier is stretched across that
opening and is tied to the calf or steer with a breakaway loop. Once the
calf or steer reaches the head-start point – predetermined by the size
of the arena – the barrier is automatically released. If a cowboy breaks
that barrier, a 10-second
penalty is added.
