Rock at the Rodeo

One of the dates in this book is about opera. This date is about rodeo. We like to think that a well-rounded person has been to at least one of each!

COST

From $5.00 to $25.00 per person, plus parking. HOW TO FIND Regional rodeo associations often put on great rodeos. Call the offi ce of your county fairgrounds and ask when. County fairs often include rodeos; if not, they'll probably know who does. Visit the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association at www.prorodeo.com or call them at (719)593-8840 and ask for rodeo approvals. You can access a partial listing of rodeos and tons of rodeo-related information at http://rodeo.about.com/mlibrary.htm. For LOTS of rodeo information, try www.cowgirls.com/letsrodeo/.

BE PREPARED

Rodeos are often held outdoors in the summer, but some are held indoors and some are in the winter. So try to dress appropriately— whether it's sunscreen and shades or coats and long underwear.

THE EVENTS

Rodeo events often fall into two categories—timed events and scored events. Here's a brief description of what you'll see:

BAREBACK—A timed event where the rider tries to stay on the horse for eight seconds. When the horse is coming out of the chute, both of the rider's heels have to be in front of the horse's shoulders so the rider isn't holding on for the initial buck. The rider cannot touch the animal with his free hand during the ride or he is disqualifi ed. CALF-ROPING—As soon as the calf breaks the chute, the rider ropes the calf and jumps off his horse. When the rider ties three of the calf's legs, the clock stops.

STEER-WRESTLING—In this timed event, the rider jumps off of his horse and onto the steer, attempting to wrestle him to the ground. An important contribution comes from the "hazer," another cowboy whose job it is to make sure the steer runs straight. If the steer turns, the cowboy won't be able to grab him as he jumps from his horse. This would be like jumping out of a car that's going 30 m.p.h.

TEAM ROPING—One rider ropes the calf's head and the other ropes his back feet.

BARREL RACING—In this timed-event, the rider has to ride around three barrels that are set in a triangular pattern.

BREAK-AWAY ROPING—After the calf leaves the chute, the rider ropes the calf and lets go of her lariat. There's a ribbon on the end of her rope that's attached to her saddle. As soon as the ribbon breaks free from the saddle, the clock stops.

BULL RIDING—Get on, hold on, and fall off. In bull riding, there are two judges. One scores how well the rider does, the other scores how nasty the animal is. The rider receives a combined score, assuming he stays on for the necessary eight seconds.

CLOWNS AND PICK-UP MEN

The rodeo clown or bull fi ghter has several jobs. One is to keep the audience involved and laughing, as well as protecting the cowboy's safety and well-being. This takes intuition, skill and courage, as the clown often comes face-to-face with the fl aring nostrils of a 2,000 pound bull. The clown also encourages the livestock to twist and spin, helping the cowboy to score more points. Pick-up men are cowboys who help get the riders off of their horses. One rides alongside the bucking horse so the rider can grab on while the other pick-up man tries to release the straps. Pick-up men are some of the most skilled horsemen you can fi nd anywhere.

IS RODEO CRUEL?

The bulls, steers and horses you see at the rodeo are ridden for a maximum of eight seconds once a week. This is a fairly soft life compared to that of the poor cow who ends up as a burger at Wendy's or McDonalds. If you want to prevent cruelty to animals, your time would be well spent picketing stores that sell veal.