Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – Tie Down Roping Dec 3 – 12, 09 at Thomas & Mack
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Tie Down Roping - Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 2009
I attended the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, on assignment. The following is the fifth of seven short blogs, which will feature an event from the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
The Tie Down Roping event… ten days of the best cowboys and rope horses in the sport of rodeo. Tie Down Roping was formerly known as calf roping, an event where the cowboy and his horse work together to catch a calf. The calf is given a head start, and the cowboy and his horse start in the box behind a barrier, which is released when the calf reaches the predetermined advantage point. If the barrier is broken before this point, a ten second penalty is added to the final time.
The cowboy ropes the calf, dismounts, and runs down the rope to the calf. From there the cowboy will flank the calf, and tie three of the calf’s legs together with a short rope or ‘piggin string.’ The cowboy will throw his hands in the air to let the judge know he is done, the cowboy then remounts his horse. The cowboy rides his horse forward placing slack in the rope. The calf must then remain tied for six seconds, if the calf gets free before then; the cowboy receives a no score.
Horses in this event are very well trained… the horse will burst out of the roping box at full speed, come to complete stop as soon as the cowboy throws his rope, the horse then backs up to keep the slack out of the rope, and will continue to work on keeping the slack out of the rope until the cowboy remounts.
It is amazing to watch the horses work independently from the cowboy, and to watch the cowboy tie a calf in a blur of hands; join me for Tie Down Roping from the NFR.
Camera Wench
“Have Camera… Will Travel”
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – Saddle Bronc Riding Dec 3 – 12, 09 at Thomas & Mack
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Saddle Bronc Riding - Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 2009
I attended the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, on assignment. The following is the fourth of seven short blogs, which will feature an event from the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
The Saddle Bronc Riding event… ten days of the best cowboys and rough stock in the sport of rodeo. In Saddle Bronc Riding the cowboy rides a horse for eight seconds, with only a bronc rein to hold in one hand. A bronc rein is a thick rein which attaches to the halter of the horse. The saddle, halter, and bronc rein is what distinguishes this event from bareback riding. As in bareback riding, the cowboy must mark the horse on the first jump out of the chute, for the ride to be scored.
The cowboy’s score is comprised of points for his ride and for how well the horse performs. The cowboy can earn extra points for spurring in rhythm with the horse’s bucking action, how in control the cowboy is during the ride, and how long the length of the spur stroke is. The horse’s score is based on how hard he bucks. The spur stroke is can be defined as the point of the horse’s shoulder where the cowboy then rolls his spur back along the horse, to the back of the saddle. This motion is repeated over and over during the eight second right.
Saddle Bronc Riding is a challenging event that requires strength, skill, style, grace, and perfect timing to have a ‘fluid’ ride.
Camera Wench
“Have Camera… Will Travel”
