Mutton Bustin

This week’s blog is going to be about mutton bustin. For those viewers who have no clue what mutton bustin is, it’s for the young kids that like to hang around the rodeos. Most rodeo events are too rough for a small kid. So they have mutton bustin for the small kids so they have something to be able to compete in. The kids are all under 8 years old and weigh no more than 60 pounds.

This event can either be done out of a calf chute for roping or the bull fighters will hold the sheep while the kids get on. The kids ride sheep. They hold onto the sheep’s fur. The bull fighters will release the sheep when the rider is ready and then see who can stay on the longest.

The kids love this event because they get to feel like they are really part of the rodeo. The rodeo staff workers like this event for the fact of while the crowd is waiting for more bull rides or bronc rides it gives them something to watch. While the crowd is watching mutton bustin the rodeo staff is pushing more bulls or horses up in the chute and getting things ready to buck out.

All in all this event is a great why for a young one to get his or her foot in the rodeo circuit door. Especially if the young riders are wanting to progress and move up to rough stock in the high school rodeo level.

Barrel Racing

Barrel racing different kind of rodeo event. This event consists of a rider, horse, and three barrels. A lot of people say that barrel racing is a girls sport. That is not really the truth. There are lots of guys that also barrel race. I myself have ran NBHA (National Barrel Horse Association) for the last ten years. I have traveled the country and met a lot of good people.

How barrel racing is done is there is three barrels set up out in the arena in the shape of a triangle. They call it a clover leaf pattern the way you go around them. If you go on the wrong side of the barrel you’re disqualified. Also if you knock a barrel over it is plus 5seconds to your time. Barrel racing is only based on speed. Not points. So the fastest horse and rider wins.

The cowgirls and cowboys that compete in this have to be in good shape, right along with their horse’s too. The horses that run in these races are pure athletes. The horses have to know how fast they can go into a barrel and still be able to slid clear around it without knocking and run for the next barrel. These animals have to be conditioned and exercised regularly, just like a football team would. That way the horse can perform to its best ability.

When theses races are being timed, the timer goes clear down to a thousandth of a second. The races really do get that close to ties. That is why the phrase “Don’t stop kickin’ till the clock stops tickin’” is used so much. There is a lot of money and awards added at the big races you can win, like new trucks and trailers. Which that is one of the reasons I have done this for so many years.

Calf Roping

Calf roping is a rodeo event that involves a lot of skill by using hand eye coordination and very good distance judgment. Not only does the horse need to be in really good shape but the rider does to. The rider has to exercise his horse during the week to keep it in shape so it doesn’t hurt itself during the event by stretching ligaments or pulling muscles.

The way calf roping is done is there is a small chute for the calf to be released out of and beside that, is the box where the rider is on his horse at. When they release the calf it will run 28 feet and then the rider is allowed to take off and leave the box. This is to make sure the calf gets a head start. This event is judged by time. The rider will take off out of the box and rope the calf. As soon as the horse sees the calf has been roped the horse will slid to a stop as the rider jumps off and the horse knows to back up and keep the rope tight the whole time. The rider runs down the rope and grabs the calf and puts it on its side and uses a tie down rope to tie three of its legs together. Once he has done this he throws his hands up and that is when the time stops. All of this is being done in the matter of about 7 seconds that is what makes it so exciting to watch and to compete in because it will keep you on your toes the whole time. 

Calf roping got its start from back in the old days when cowboys would have to go round up the calves and brand them. These guys would rope the calves and jump off and brand them. They done this because most of the time the cattle were not in a fence and to brand them was the only way cattle farmers were able to tell whose was whose. The cowboys would have races to see who could do it the fastest which ended up leading making it a rodeo event and it became really popular.

Steer Wrestling

This week’s blog is going to be about Steer Wrestling, also known at bulldogging. This rodeo event is very interesting for the fact of what all it consists of. It requires strength, speed, and timing all at once. The men that do this are usually some pretty hefty boys. This is why lots of times this event is call the big man’s event.  Steer wrestling is a timed event so all the cowboys are racing against the clock to see who is the fastest.

The cowboys start out in a box behind a barrier that is put across the front of the box that they have to wait behind till the steer gets to a certain distance from the chute. The steers are put in the roping chute and released. The steer runs out through the pin, and then the rider takes off out of the box on a horse and runs up beside it. He jumps off the horse and plants his feet and grabs the horns and flips it on to the ground. When he gets the steer on the ground the time stops.

This event is so dangerous because you are jumping off of a running horse and if you slip you could run the steers horns into your stomach. Also if you foot would get stuck in the stirrup when your jumping off the horse you could get drug around the arena.

Whats going on for this year

         My blogs last year was about bull riding and different riders. This year’s topic is going to be about rodeo events, riders, rules, regulations, and what all goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see. A lot of people think that bull riding is a rodeo. That is not the truth. There are so many different events that rodeos have to offer for all different aged people. There are events for kids between 2 and 5 years old. Then they also have middle school and high school divisions, and armature division, and pro-divisions. Like (PBR) or (Worlds Toughest Rodeo). Nobody realizes how much work goes into just putting on a rodeo. There are animals that have to be hauled to the event, equipment that needs moved and set up, and all the contestants have to get there and bring their horses with them. It takes a big team just to setup. So this year I’m going to be talking about all of these things and explaining what it is.  That was a quick overview of what this year’s topic. http://www.pbr.com/

            I know a lot about this topic and can really relate to it. My brother and I have done been doing it for the last 12 years. I have been rodeoing since I was 6 years old. I have competed around the country for the last 12 years. I have done just about every rodeo event there is to try, some of which I didn’t care to much for and others that I really liked and stuck with it.