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A photojournalism article where Kayla Newman highlights chute dogging, barrel racing, and bull and bronc riding, along with some of the dangers that follow.
The Rodeo
The Rodeo
By Kayla Newman
By Kayla Newman
Rodeo is a worldwide sport that shows off the contestant's working skills as a cowboy/girl. According to the AGDaily, a digital publication that reports on agricultural news, trends, and the rural lifestyle, “the first rodeo was born in 1896 in Deer Trail, Colorado when two groups of cowboys from neighboring ranches met to settle an argument over who was the best at performing everyday cowboy tasks.” A few of the events associated with the rodeo are: saddle-bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding, chute dogging, and barrel racing.
Competitors trying to stay on a Bronc and a bull. Photo by Kayla Newman
Bronc and bull riding are similar in the objective of the event. The rider's objective is to stay on the animal for over eight seconds without touching the bull or bronc with their free hand. A judge will grant a re-ride if: the rider is rubbed against the chute, the animal stumbles, or the animal's performance affects the rider's score. Zeb Anderson, a 19-year-old rider for McCaslin Rodeos says that the easiest way to accumulate points is to “make it look easy, because if that thing bucks hard and I make it look easy to ride, then I'm good to go.”
The goal of chute dogging is to pin the steer within 60 seconds. To do this, the competitor pulls the steer (a male cow that has been neutered, primarily raised for meat) past a certain point before they can attempt to wrestle it down. For it to count, the hooves must face the same direction as the head.
Competitor trying to drag steer across white line before attempting to pin it. Photo by Kayla Newman
Rider doing pattern in barrel racing. Photo by Kayla Newman
Last, but not least, is the barrel racing event. Compared to the three previously established events, barrel racing is different. In barrel racing, the rider must go as fast as they can around three barrels without knocking any over. They must also maintain a clover-shaped pattern, as well.
Rodeo is a dangerous sport. The Current Sports Medicine says that rough stock events (Bronc and bull riding) lead to 32.2 injuries per 1000 contestants. The most common places that are injured are the head, face, and shoulder. One wrong move on a ride can easily change the rider's life, but this is a risk the riders are aware of and ready for. Chris Otto is currently retired after 29 years in the rodeo lifestyle. He says, “it’s a hard life. You get banged up, you get hurt, but theirs a lot of good memories. It’s a lifestyle that, once you get it into your blood, you can't get it out.”
Rodeo is a sport anyone can understand pretty easily, unlike football or cricket. Even though it may not be easy to start competing in, anyone can enjoy it.
Sources:
Sources:
- https://nbha.com/membership/rules/competition/#:~:text=Barrels%20may%20not%20be%20weighted,of%20the%20direction%20they%20run.
- https://www.arlington.org/plan/blog/post/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-bulls-of-pbr/
- http://gayrodeohistory.org/EventDescriptions.htm
- https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/brief-history-of-rodeo-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=Some%20allege%20that%20the%20first,today%27s%20saddle%20bronc%20riding%20event.
- https://www.britannica.com/sports/rodeo-sport
- https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2007/10000/rodeo_injuries_and_prevention.13.aspx#:~:text=In%20bull%20riding%2C%20the%20incidence,are%20often%20the%20most%20alarming.
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