National Finals Rodeo: This one is all about speed …

Friday, Dec. 3, 2004 | 10:52 a.m.

Bulldoggers compete in the game's quickest event, since its world record is 2.4 seconds.

The cowboy begins from the three-fenced box. As in tie-down roping, a breakaway rope is attached to the steer to create a head start.

If the mounted cowboy breaks a barrier before the steer reaches that head start, a 10-second penalty is assessed.

When the cowboy reaches the steer, he jumps off the right side of his horse, hooks his right arm around the steer's right horn, grasps the left horn with his left hand and, with strength and leverage, hauls the animal to the ground.

To complete the run, the cowboy must wrestle the steer to one of its sides and half all four of its hooves pointing in the same direction.

A "hazer," a cowboy on a horse, is used on the other side of the steer to keep it running straight. The hazer typically receives a quarter of the bulldogger's winnings.

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