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Western and rodeo
Rodeo is a set of cowboy contests that grew out of cattle work on the ranches of Spain, Mexico and the American West. The word comes from Spanish and roughly means "round-up".
| Group | Western and rodeo |
|---|---|
| Also called | pro rodeo, stampede |
| Olympic | no |
| Governing body | Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA, USA) |
| Where it is popular | Rodeo is most popular in the western United States and Alberta, Canada, as well as Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. Brazil, Argentina, Chile and the Philippines have their own local versions. |
A rodeo is made up of several separate events. Timed events include barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling, and the fastest time wins. In the rough stock events, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding and bull riding, judges give each ride a score. Each event has its own winner, and big rodeos run over several days.
Timed events use quick, agile stock horses, most often American Quarter Horses. Bronc riding uses horses bred specially for bucking.
Riders use a western saddle with a horn, ropes and western clothing, and horses wear protective leg boots. Children and beginners need a safety helmet.
The top US event is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas every December, for the top 15 contestants in each event. In Canada, the ten-day Calgary Stampede has been held every July since 1912.
In the USA there are youth and high school rodeo associations, for example for riders aged 5 to 18. It is best to start with the safer timed events, barrels and pole bending, at a western riding school and in a helmet.
The main professional rodeo association in the USA was founded by cowboys in 1936 and was first named the Cowboys' Turtle Association.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org