Today's primer presents the SADDLE BRONC RIDING and BAREBACK RIDING.
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 amongst themselves to see who displayed the most style in the breaking and training of horses.
When bronc riding first became a contest, the competition was as wild as the cowboys and horses themselves. An unbroken horse was blindfolded and snubbed to a saddlehorn or a post while the rider put his everyday saddle on the horse and climbed aboard--after many a prayer and lots of good luck. The ride didn't end until the cowboy was thrown or the horse quit bucking. Refinements have been since been made to the event as we see it today.
Many cowboys say bronc riding is the most difficult rough stock event to master because of its technical requirements. The rider and horse start their ride in a side-delivery chute. The rider uses a specially designed bronc saddle, modified to rider's size and preference. When the cowboy is ready, he nods his head, the gate is opened, and he and his horse burst into the arena. The horse bucks and the rider attempts to stay in the saddle by lifting on the thick rein attached to the bronc's halter, all the time squeezing the front of the saddle with his thighs and spurring in a front-to-back motion, timed with the horse's jumps. The spurring action must be synchronized with the horse's movements. If a rider is able to keep on the horse, the ride will be fluid and graceful, not wild and uncontrolled, a sight not to miss.
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