A fan’s guide to the National Finals Rodeo

Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997 | 12:23 p.m.

Like any sport, professional rodeo has subtle nuances that demand that spectators learn a bit about what they are watching to fully enjoy the action. The following is a brief primer on each of the 11 pro rodeo events:

All-Around Cowboy

Recognized as the "ultimate cowboy championship," the title of PRCA World Champion All-Around Cowboy is the most prestigious designation in all of professional rodeo.

The PRCA all-around champion is considered by many to be the most talented and versatile cowboy in the world. The PRCA cowboy who wins the most prize money in a year while competing in at least two events, earning a minimum of $2,000 in each, wins the all-around crown. Only prize money earned in sanctioned PRCA rodeo competition is counted.

Timed-event cowboys -- calf ropers, steer wrestlers, team ropers and steer ropers -- dominated the all-around race from 1974-84, winning all of the world all-around championships in that time period. But since that time only one timed-event contestant, Joe Beaver in 1995, has won the coveted all-around buckle.

Saddle Bronc Riding

Rodeo's "classic" event, saddle bronc riding, has roots that run deep in the history of the Old West.

Ranch hands would often gather and compete among themselves to see who could display the best style while riding wild horses. It was from this early competition that today's event was born.

Each rider must begin his ride with his feet over the bronc's shoulders to give the horse the advantage. A rider who synchronizes his spurring action with the animal's bucking efforts will receive a high score. Other factors considered in the scoring are the cowboy's control throughout the ride, the length of his spurring stroke and how hard the horse bucks.

Model spurring action begins with the rider's feet far forward on the bronc's point of shoulder, sweeping to the back of the saddle, or "cantle," as the horse bucks. The rider then snaps his feet back to the horse's neck a split second before the animal's front feet hit the ground.

Disqualification results if, prior to the buzzer which sounds after eight seconds, the rider touches the animal, himself or his equipment with his free hand, if either foot slips out of a stirrup, if he drops the bronc rein, or if he fails to have his feet in the proper "mark out" position at the beginning of the ride.

The late Casey Tibbs, perhaps the most famous professional rodeo athlete of all time, is best known for his saddle bronc riding prowess. The South Dakota cowboy won six saddle bronc riding titles, as well as two all-around titles and a bareback riding championship, between 1949-59. Tibbs is immortalized by "The Champ," a 20-foot bronze statue outside the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Bareback Riding

Bareback riding, developed in the rodeo arena many years ago, consistently produces some of the wildest action in the sport.

A bareback rider begins his ride with his feet placed above the break of the horse's shoulder. If the cowboy's feet are not in the correct position when the horse hits the ground on its first jump out of the chute, the cowboy has failed to "mark out" the horse properly and is disqualified.

Throughout the eight-second ride, the cowboy must grasp the rigging (a handhold made of leather and rawhide) with only one hand.

Optimum spurring action begins with the rider in control, his heels at the horse's neck. He then pulls his feet, toes turned outward, to the horse's withers until the cowboy's feet are nearly touching the bareback rigging.

A rider is disqualified if he touches his equipment, himself or the animal with his free hand.

The rider is judged on his control during the ride and on his spurring technique. The score also is based on the rider's "exposure" to the strength of the horse. In addition, the horse's performance accounts for half the total score.

Four-time World Champion Bareback Rider Marvin Garrett holds the record for most money earned by a bareback rider in a single year. In 1995, Garrett won $156,733 en route to the world title.

Bull Riding

Unlike the other roughstock contestants, bull riders are not required to spur. No wonder. It's usually impressive enough just to remain seated for eight seconds on an animal that may weigh more than a ton and is as quick as he is big.

Upper body control and strong legs are essential to riding bulls. The rider tries to remain forward, or "over his hand," at all times. Leaning back could cause him to be whipped forward when the bull bucks.

Judges watch for good body position and other factors, including use of the free arm and spurring action. Although not required, spurring will add points to a rider's score.

As in all the riding events, half of the score in bull riding is determined by the contestant's performance and the other half is based on the animal's efforts.

A bull rider will be disqualified for touching the animal, himself or his equipment with his free hand.

Bull riding was the subject of the feature film "Eight Seconds." The movie chronicled the life of 1987 world champion Lane Frost, who died as the result of a bull riding accident at the 1989 Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days Rodeo.

Calf Roping

Like bronc riding, calf roping is an event born on the ranches of the Old West. Sick calves were roped and tied down for medical treatment. Today, success in calf roping depends largely on the teamwork between a cowboy and his horse.

The luck of the draw is also a factor. A feisty calf that runs fast or kicks hard can foil a roper's finest effort.

After the calf is given a head start, horse and rider give chase. The contestant ropes the calf, then dismounts and runs to the animal. After catching and flanking the calf, the cowboy ties any three of the animal's legs together using a "pigging string" he carries in his teeth until needed. If the calf is not standing when the contestant reaches it, the cowboy must allow the animal to stand, then flank it.

When the cowboy completes his tie, he throws his hands in the air as a signal to the judge. He then remounts his horse and allows the rope to become slack. The run is declared invalid if the calf kicks free within six seconds.

As with any timed event, a ten-second penalty is added if the calf roper breaks the barrier at the beginning of the run.

Though calf roping involves the incorporation of several distinct skills, the action is incredibly fast. In fact, in the seventh round of the 1995 National Finals Rodeo, a run of eight seconds did not even rank among the top six runs of the evening and failed to earn a check.

Steer Wrestling

Wrestling a steer requires more than brute strength. The successful steer wrestler, or bulldogger, is strong, to be sure, but he also understands the principles of leverage.

The steer wrestler on horseback, starts behind a barrier, and begins his chase after the steer has been given a head start. If the bulldogger leaves too soon and breaks the barrier, he receives a 10-second penalty.

The steer wrestler is assisted by a hazer, another cowboy on horseback tasked with keeping the steer running in a straight line. When the bulldogger's horse pulls even with the steer, he eases down the right side of the horse and reaches for the steer's horns. After grasping the horns, he digs his heels into the dirt. As the steer slows, the cowboy turns the animal, lifts up on its right horn and pushes down with his left hand.

After the catch, the steer wrestler must either bring the steer to a stop or change the direction of the animal's body before the throw or is disqualified. The clock stops when the steer is on his side with all four legs pointing the same direction.

Steer wrestling is often known as the "big man's event" and with good reason; at the 1995 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the average steer wrestler weighed in at 223 pounds.

Team Roping (Heading)

If a team roping header isn't quick, you won't find him at the National Finals Rodeo. Headers need quickness like brain surgeons need medical training.

The slowest round-winning team roping time at the NFR in 1995 was 4.7 seconds. To win money at most professional rodeos, team roping headers must accomplish a myriad of duties in less time than it takes the average person to yawn.

First of all, headers must charge out of the box on horseback (without breaking the barrier, mind you), chase down a fast-racing steer and rope him around his protected horns, neck or "half-head" -- a partial horn-neck catch. Then the header must turn the steer to the left, giving his partner, called a heeler, a chance to rope the steer's hind feet. The run is completed when the steer is secured and the team ropers' horses are facing each other on opposite sides of the steer.

Team roping is, as its name implies, rodeo's only true team event. Last year, however, the PRCA opted to recognize team roping headers and heelers with separate world titles.

At the 1994 National Finals Rodeo, the Arizona team of header Jake Barnes and heeler Clay O'Brien Cooper, both seven-time world champions in their respective specialties, notched perhaps the finest team roping performance of all time. There, Barnes and Cooper caught 10 steers in 59.1 seconds, including a five-second penalty assessed for Cooper catching only one hind leg in the first round.

Team Roping (Heeling)

In rodeo's only true team event, two ropers -- a "header" and a "heeler" -- work together to catch a steer.

The header is the first cowboy out of the box. He may rope the steer around the head and one horn, around the neck or around both horns, which are heavily protected. As with all timed events, if the header breaks the barrier, a 10-second penalty is added to the total time.

After making his catch, the header rides to the left, taking the steer in tow. The heeler moves in and ropes both hind legs. Catching only one hind leg results in a five-second penalty. If the heeler tosses his loop before the header has changed the direction of the steer and has the animal moving forward, it's called a "crossfire" and it results in disqualification.

The clock is stopped when the slack has been taken out of both ropes and the contestants are facing each other.

Steer Roping

The art of steer roping was created on the ranges of young America as a means of treating full-grown cattle in need of medical care. Any cowboy could catch the animal with his lasso. But, with 750 pounds of ornery bovine in his rope, the cowboy had to become creative to get the animal safely to the ground and securely tied.

In modern steer roping, the only legal catch is around the horns, which are reinforced with horn wraps and rebar.

After making the catch, the steer roper tosses the slack rope over the steer's right hip and rides to the left, bringing the steer to the ground. When the steer is lying on its side and the rope is taut, the rider dismounts and runs to tie any three of the steer's legs. As in calf roping, the steer must remain tied for six seconds after the tie is complete.

Steer roping is one of professional rodeo's oldest events, but it is held only at select rodeos because of its requirement for large arenas.

The National Finals Steer Roping takes place each November at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., which is considered one of the premier equine facilities in the United States.

Wrangler Bullfighting

In rodeo's early days, clowns were entertainers first, protectors of fallen bull riders second. But in today's sport of professional rodeo, protecting bull riders from serious injury or death is no joking matter.

Clowns are dead serious about saving bull riders; and often will put their lives in jeopardy.

The men in the funny outfits have honed their skills and methods of distracting bulls, giving cowboys time to escape to the nearest fence railing or open gate.

About two decades ago, bullfighters started competing among themselves in informal bullfights, pushing each other to the edges of daredevil stunts. In 1980, Wrangler sponsored the first Wrangler Jeans ProRodeo Bullfight Tour, and the level of competition and prize money continues growing 16 years later.

The rodeo breed of bullfighting bears no resemblance to the Spanish event bearing the same name. In rodeo bullfighting, the four-legged contestants always leave the arena alive and unharmed.

In each Wrangler event, the bullfighter spends a minimum of 40 seconds in the arena with the bull. After the first 40 seconds, the bullfighter has the option to continue for another 30 seconds. Judges award points based on how well the bullfighter controls the action and how many risks he takes. He receives more points if the bull is particularly aggressive.

Bulls in the event are specially bred to be smaller, quicker and more agile than those used in bull riding. Rodeo fighting bulls can compete for years and, like their human counterparts, learn from their mistakes and improve with experience.

Rob Smets of Shamrock, Texas, has won more Wrangler world bullfighting championships than any other bullfighter. Smets has claimed the title five times in his career. His last came in 1994, despite suffering a broken neck in 1992.

Barrel Racing

Although barrel racing may look less harrowing than some other rodeo events, it certainly is not for the faint-hearted. The horsemanship skills and competitive drive in this fast and furious event make it a crowd favorite.

In barrel racing, the contestant enters the arena at full speed on a sprinting American Quarter Horse. As they start the pattern, the horse and rider trigger an electronic eye that starts the clock. Then the racer rides a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels positioned in the arena, and sprints back out of the arena, tripping the eye and stopping the clock as she leaves.

The contestant can touch or even move the barrels, but receives a five-second penalty for each barrel that is overturned. With the margin of victory measured in hundredths of seconds, knocking over one barrel spells disaster for a barrel racing competitor.

The most dominant barrel racing horse in the history of the event is "Scamper," a bay American Quarter Horse owned and ridden by Charmayne James. The horse, who carried James to 10 consecutive world championships from 1984-93, was selected in 1995 for induction into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., under the heading of timed-event horse.