Compared to riders in other events, they endure more abuse, suffer injuries in bareback riding, and carry away more long-term damage than all riders from other rodeo events. To stay aboard the horse, a bareback rider uses a rigging made of leather and constructed to meet PRCA safety specifications. The rigging resembles a suitcase handle on a strap and is placed atop…
It’s almost time for the most prestigious rodeo event in the world, the NFR Finals 2023. The event is scheduled from December 7 to 16 at the Thomas & Mack Stadium in Las Vegas. The top 15 contestants, each in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping (headers and heelers), saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding, compete for the…
Barrel racing event brings the cowgirls into the spotlight as they guide their horses through a lightning-fast cloverleaf pattern around three barrels. Barrel Racing is a fierce competition that demands a unique blend of speed and control. Cowgirls form an unbreakable bond with their horses as they race against the time. The key for cowgirls in this competition is to leave all…
In the beginning, rodeo competition was a natural extension of the daily challenges on the ranch, roping calves and breaking broncs into saddle horses. Bull riding competition, intentionally climbing on the back of a 2,000-pound bull, is a competition where risk is evident and severe injury is always possible for fearless cowboys as they try to sit astride an animal that weighs…
The Thomas and Mack Arena will again host this electrifying showdown for 2023 National Finals Rodeo, with ten rounds of action-packed, heart-pounding competition to captivate audiences. Among several rodeo events, team roping is the only true team event. It requires close cooperation and timing between two highly skilled ropers, a header, and a heeler, and their horses. Headers are responsible for making…
If we go back to saddle bronc riding and team roping, the roots of this competition can be traced to the working ranches of the Old West where, when calves were sick or injured, cowboys used to rope and immobilize them quickly for treatment. As the event matured, being a good horseman and a fast sprinter became crucial to the competitive tie-down…
