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Reno Nevada Rodeo
From the opening Cattle Drive to the Championship Finals, the Reno Rodeo has something for everyone.
Known as the Wildest , Richest Rodeo in the West, the Reno Nevada Rodeo is the third largest professionally-sanctioned
rodeo in North America, attracting the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world. This 9 day event is held primarially at the Washoe County fairgrounds,
located just North of the downtown Reno area.
General Information
The Reno Rodeo event features 9 performances every night including traditional Rodeo events such as bull riding and steer wrestling.
Attendees can also visit the carnival for a ride on the ferris wheel overlooking the Rodeo grounds or partake from a wide variety of food available
in the Rodeo food court.
Nightly performance events
Bareback
The bareback event pits the cowboy against a bucking bronc without a saddle between horse and rider. The cowboy tries to stay on for eight seconds and
scores points for his spurring technique. The cowboy is disqualified if he hangs onto the rigging with more than one hand.
Steer Wrestling
In steer wrestling, two riders chase a steer released out of a chute. One rider, the hazer, steers the animal while the wrestler, or bulldogger, must
not leave on his horse until the steer has left the chute (a barrier rope is put up that must not be broken before the steer is out of the chute).
The bulldogger then rides up to the steer and jumps on it off of his horse, wrestling it to the ground. The clock stops when the steer is on the ground
with all four feet pointing in the same direction.
Team Roping
Team roping involves a team of two riders, a "header" whose job it is to rope the horns or neck of the steer, and a "heeler" who
tries to rope the back two legs of the animal. The run is completed when the steer is secured and the roper's horses are facing each other on opposite
ends of the steer.
Saddle Bronc
The Saddle Broncs is a classic rodeo event where a cowboy tries to stay on board a bucking bronco for eight full seconds. Again, the cowboys are judged
on their riding style and spurring as well as the difficulty of the horse's bucking.
Double Mugging
Double Mugging is an event borrowed from the Paniolos of Hawaii. In this event, a team of two chase down a stock animal and try to wrestle it to the
ground. One team member is a roper and starts behind a barrier on horseback. The second team member, the mugger, can be anywhere in the arena and is
on foot. Once the roper has the animal roped, both men try to throw the stock by hand (the mugger must touch the stock first) and tie three legs, which
stops the clock.
Mutton Bustin'
One of the most enjoyable events of the rodeo is Mutton Bustin'. In this event, the cowboys are small children who try to cling to the back of a running
sheep. The children are well padded and helmeted.
Calf Roping
In calf roping, the roper chases a calf on horseback (allowing the calf a headstart out of the chute). The calf is then roped, flanked (tossed onto
its flank) and three legs are roped with a "pigging string" carried in the cowboy's teeth. The fastest time wins the event. Breaking the
rope barrier (and therefore not allowing the calf a headstart) adds a 10 second penalty to the roper's time.
Barrel Racing
Barrel Racing is a graceful, high-speed event, where women take their horses in a fast pace run around three barrels arranged in a triangular pattern
in the arena. An electronic eye detects when the run is started and when it ends. The rider with the fastest time wins.
Bull Riding
The most exciting (and dangerous) of the events is Bull Riding, and they usually save it for last. The event requires a rider to remain on the bull
for eight seconds. Although spurring is not required, judges take it into consideration. A cowboy will be disqualified for touching the animal or the
equipment with the free hand.
For more Reno Rodeo information visit the official website by clicking the link below.
Reno Rodeo's official web site
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