Bronc riding
Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a
Description
Each competitor climbs onto a horse, which is held in a small pipe or wooden enclosure called a bucking chute. When the rider is ready, the gate of the bucking chute is opened and the horse bursts out and begins to buck. The rider attempts to stay on the horse for eight seconds without touching the horse with their free hand. On the first jump out of the chute, the rider must "mark the horse out". This means they must have the heels of their boots in contact with the horse above the point of the shoulders before the horse's front legs hit the ground. A rider that manages to complete a ride is scored on a scale of 0–50 and the horse is also scored on a scale of 0–50. The ride as a whole is rated as the sum of these individual scores: scores in the 80s are considered very good, and in the 90s are considered exceptional. A horse who bucks in a spectacular and effective manner will score more points than a horse who bucks in a straight line with no significant changes of direction.
History
The earliest examples of American bronc riding were believed to have been born out of breaking horses for the United States Army, most notably in Wyoming and Colorado. The first three sanctioned bronc riding championship events were held in 1901 at the Colorado Cattle and Horse Grower's Association, Denver Horse Show Association, and the Northwestern Colorado competition.[1] The following year competitions were held on September 2, 1902, at Cheyenne, Wyoming's Cheyenne Frontier Days, and in Denver, Colorado, at The Denver Horse Show Association annual event. Both of these were won by Harry Henry Brennan, known today as the "father of modern bronc riding."[2]
Bareback bronc vs. saddle bronc riding
Bareback bronc and saddle bronc styles are very different. In saddle bronc, the rider uses a specialized saddle with free-swinging stirrups and no horn. The saddle bronc rider grips a simple rein braided from cotton or polyester and attached to a leather halter worn by the horse. The rider lifts on the rein and attempts to find a rhythm with the animal by spurring forwards and backwards with their feet in a sweeping motion from shoulder to flank.
The bareback rider does not use a saddle or rein, but uses a rigging that consists of a leather and rawhide composite piece often compared to a suitcase handle attached to a surcingle and placed just behind the horse's withers. The rider leans back and spurs with an up and down motion from the horse's point of shoulder toward the rigging handle, spurring at each jump in rhythm with the motion of the horse.
Bareback bronc riding began to develop as a professional rodeo sporting event around 1900. The riding equipment used during that era varied. In some cases, the rider simply held onto the horse's mane, called a mane-hold. Others held a loose or twisted rope tied around the horse's girth, and other methods involved using multiple handhold leather riggings based on a
The horse
The bucking horse is usually a mare, but occasionally, a
The modern bronc is not a truly feral horse. Most bucking stock are specifically bred for use in rodeos, with horses having exceptional bucking ability being purchased by stock contractors and fetching a high price. Most are allowed to grow up in a natural, semi-wild condition on the open range, but also have to be gentled and tamed in order to be managed from the ground, safely loaded into trailers, vaccinated and wormed, and to load in and out of bucking chutes. They also are initially introduced to bucking work with cloth dummies attached to the saddle. Due to the rigors of travel and the short bursts of high intensity work required, most horses in a bucking string are at least 6 or 7 years old.[3]
Animal welfare issues
The event has provoked concerns among some animal welfare advocates that practices used in the event may constitute animal cruelty.
Modern rodeos in the United States are closely regulated and have responded to accusations of
There are economic incentives to keep animals healthy enough for continuing rodeo participation. Bucking horses and bulls are costly to replace: a proven bucking horse can be sold for $8000 to $10,000, making "rough stock" an investment worth caring for and keeping in good health for many years.[3] Health regulations also mandate vaccinations and blood testing of horses crossing state lines. An injured animal will not buck well and hence a cowboy cannot obtain a high score for his ride, so sick or injured animals are not run through the chutes, but instead are given appropriate veterinary care so they can be returned to their usual level of strength and power. PRCA regulations require veterinarians to be available at all rodeos to treat both bucking stock and other animals as needed.[12] The PRCA requires a veterinarian be at all sanctioned rodeos.[13]
Activists also express concern that many rodeo horses end their lives as
Over the years, some states imposed regulation upon certain techniques and tools used in rodeos.
Flank strap controversy
A "flank strap" (or, "bucking strap") is used to encourage the horse to kick out straighter and higher when it bucks. The flank strap is about 4 inches wide, covered in sheepskin or neoprene and fastens behind the widest part of the abdomen. Flank straps that hurt the horse are not allowed by rodeo rules in the United States.[12][17]
However, a bucking strap has to be an incentive, not a prod, or the horse will quickly sour and refuse to work. A horse in pain will become sullen and not buck very well,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has stated that burrs and other irritants are at times placed under the flank strap and that improperly used flank straps can cause open wounds and burns if the hair is rubbed off and the skin is chafed raw.[19] However, while the implied argument behind this claim is that pain is what makes the horse buck, in actual practice, irritants or pain generally interfere with a horse's ability to buck in an energetic and athletic fashion.[20]
See also
- Rodeo
- Bucking horse
- Bronco
- Jineteada gaucha
References
- ^ Cheyenne Daily Leader Newspaper 10/13/1902
- ^ National Cowboy Museum
- ^ a b Partian, Chris. "Diamond in the Rough." Western Horseman, July 2007, pp. 132-140
- ^ a b "PRCA Animal Welfare Booklet" (PDF). Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. p. 6. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Animal Welfare: The care and treatment of professional rodeo livestock" (PDF). Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. www.prorodeo.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "Rodeo Horses". the Horse.com. www.thehorse.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ "Animal Welfare: Animals in Rodeo". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Animal Abuse Inherent in Rodeo". SHARK. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ Renate Robey, "Horse Euthanized After Show Accident," Denver Post 16 January 1999.
- ^ Steve Lipsher, "Veterinarian Calls Rodeos Brutal to Stock," Denver Post 20 January 1991.
- ^ "Rodeo: Cruelty for a Buck". Peta.org. 16 December 2003.
- ^ a b c "PRCA Animal Welfare rules and discussion". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. June 8, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Curnutt, Jordan (2001). Animals and the Law: A Sourcebook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- ^ "Rodeo History". Long Rodeo Company. December 10, 2007. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Ty Murray Gives Retired Bucking Horses A Place To Rest". My Equine Network. December 28, 2008. Archived from the original on October 28, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Existing State Ordinances and State Laws". Buck the Rodeo. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "ProRodeo Livestock" (PDF). Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. PRCA. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Is Rodeo Bronc Riding Cruel?". Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Rodeo: Cruelty for a Buck". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Archived from the original on December 1, 2006. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "The facts about flank straps". Rodeo Tasmania. Retrieved June 17, 2019.