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Last updated: Jul 07, 2023
Posted by Rookie Road Staff
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Bronc riding, a popular event at many rodeos, is a difficult sport to engage in but a very exciting one to watch. A bronc rider must stay on top of a bucking horse for eight seconds, then gets scored based on their form and grace.The sport evolved from the need for cowboys to tame wild horses, but since then, the sport has become more of a spectacle, with the horses used being bred specifically for their bucking ability.
- Description: A rodeo sport in which a rider must stay on a bucking horse for at least eight seconds.
- Founded By: Various cowboys across the USA; expanded by Earl Bascom
- Founded Date: 1869
- Governing Bodies: Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA)
- Countries: Primarily Canada, Mexico, and the USA
- Regions: Primarily North America
- Categories: Activities, Rodeo Sports, Individual Sports, Animal Sports, Outdoor Sports, Sports
History
Saddle bronc riding developed from the need for cowboys to “break” a wild horse: that is, teaching it how to carry a rider.Legend has it that in 1869, in Deer Trail, Colorado, two camps of cowboys competed to see who was better at breaking wild horses, which became the prototype for the first American “rodeo.”
The specifics of bronc riding as a sport can also be attributed to Earl Bascom, a multi-talented cowboy who also had a long rodeo career. He and his brother Weldon brought several innovations to the rodeo arenas they built across North America, among them a chute gate that forced horses to turn before stepping onto the field and the signature pattern of chaps used in bronc riding.Most importantly, Earl and Weldon devised the hornless saddle in Alberta in 1924.The horn was useful for roping, but dangerous for bronc riding, and even now, bronc riding saddles resemble those introduced by the Bascom brothers.
Notable Horses
Just as there are notable people involved in the history of saddle bronc riding, there are also notable horses.For example, the black Thoroughbred named Midnight was well-known in the early 1930s for his strong bucking ability.In the 1970s, the American horse Descent was awarded “Bucking Horse of the Year” six times.The 2000s belonged to the Canadian horse Grated Coconut, who was trained in bareback bronc riding and won Bareback Horse of the Year six times in seven years.
Equipment
There are two main versions of bronc riding: saddle and bareback. The biggest difference between these is in the equipment: bareback, as the name suggests, doesn’t have a saddle between the person and the horse. Saddle bronc horses tend to be slower and several hundred pounds heavier than horses used for bareback.
The saddle used in saddle bronc riding differs from regular saddles in that it doesn’t have a horn in the middle.This specialized saddle enhances the safety of the rider, especially if they’re bucked off.Bareback riding only permits the rider to grab onto a rigging, a cinched piece of leather attached to the horse.
Objective and Rules
In both forms of bronc riding, the rider’s goal is to hold onto the horse for eight seconds with one hand while the horse attempts to buck them off.The horse comes out of the chute from the side, and then the timer begins. If the rider gets bucked off or if their free hand touches the horse or any of the horse’s equipment, the run is disqualified.
The rider and their horse get scored separately by the judges. Each can get up to 50 points, for a total of 100. The horse is scored based on how rhythmic and elegant their bucking is, while the person riding them gets scored based on how well they can balance.Usually, high scores go hand-in-hand because if the horse is good at bucking riders off, it’s even more impressive for the rider to stay on.
Bronc Riding Events
Most rodeos feature bronc riding, so it’s not hard to find a place to watch it.Among the most popular of these rodeos is the historic Calgary Stampede, a 10-day festival held every July that attracts over a million visitors annually.Every December, on the campus of UNLV in Nevada, the PRCA hosts the National Finals Rodeo, one of the most prestigious and well-attended rodeos in the United States.Rodeos can be found throughout North America and often give out cowboy swag to go with the spectacle of bronc riding.
Helpful Links
FAQ
How does bronc riding work?
The rules of bronc riding vary between its saddle and bareback forms, but across both, the goal for the rider is to stay on a bucking horse for eight seconds while only holding on with one hand. The rider and the horse are scored separately by a panel of judges, meaning that both the horse’s elegance in bucking and the rider’s balance add up to the final score. Bareback bronc riding, which typically uses faster, leaner horses, doesn’t use a saddle.
Who created bronc riding?
It’s difficult to say who specifically created bronc riding because it has its roots directly in what cowboys needed to do to “break” (tame) wild horses. These rodeos started as informal competitions between cowboy groups after the Civil War but soon developed into events with prize money. As a spectator sport, bronc riding began gaining traction in the late 19th century, and the innovations of Earl Bascom unified the rules of the sport in the 1920s and 1930s.
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