Here’s what to know if the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo IS your first rodeo

The cowboy dramas Yellowstone and 1883 among the hottest topics of conversation in Fort Worth.

Both Paramount Network productions deal with the cowboy life, and rodeos are a large part of the cowboy culture, well, that and chili with no beans, but that’s an argument that can be settled calmly in the bunkhouse over a game of Texas Hold’em.

Hardcore fans and novices alike will be flocking to Dickies Arena to see the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s PRORODEO Tournament. The competition begins Jan. 21 and will conclude with the championships on Feb. 5.

The field of 456 contestants is divided among seven brackets that will compete in two sessions through Feb. 1. The contestants will compete in various events, including Bareback Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Tie-Down Roping, Women’s Breakaway Roping, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding.

The athletes will be vying for a spot in the championship round by qualifying outright for one of two semifinals rounds that will take place Feb. 3-4 or reaching the semifinals through the wild card round slated for Feb. 2.

There are two contest categories in rodeo — those scored by judges and those timed by speed. Judges score Bareback Bronc Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding and Bull Riding. The events timed for speed are Cowgirls Barrel Racing, Steer Wrestling and the Roping contests, including Team Roping, Tie-Down Roping and Women’s Breakaway Roping.

For those who aren’t familiar with rodeo, here is a brief explanation of the basics of each event that will take place at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo PRORODEO, with a special thanks to MissRodeoMontana.com.

Bareback Bronc Riding

The event is judged according to the performances of both the rider and the bucking horse. It is a single-handhold, eight-second ride that starts with the cowboy’s feet held in a position over the break of the horse’s shoulders until the horse’s front feet touch the ground first jump out of the chute. “The rider earns points maintaining upper body control while moving his feet in a toes-turned-out rhythmic motion in time with the horse’s bucking action,” according to MissRodeoMontana.com

Steer Wrestling

Originally called “bull dogging,” this event requires the cowboy to move from the running horse onto the back of a 600-pound steer, while catching it behind the horns. And that’s just the first part. Then he must bring the stop the steer, and wrestle it to the ground and have its head and all four legs pointing the same way. The bulldogger is assisted by the hazer, who rides alongside the steer’s right side to ensure the animal is running straight.

Saddle Bronc Riding

Considered to be rodeo’s classic event, saddle bronc riding is judged in a similar manner to bareback bronc riding, however, there are additional paths to disqualification. What might those be, you ask? How about losing a stirrup or dropping that thickly braided rein that attached to the horse’s halter. Because of the saddle and rein, cowboys must sit on the horse differently. Also, saddle broncs are generally several hundred pounds heavier than bareback horses and tend to buck slower.

Tie-Down Roping

Also known as calf roping this event was born as a crucial ranch skill. Working cowboys needed to be able to immobilize a calf quickly in the event of injury or other distress, but eventually ranch hands would compete for bragging rights. These days, competitors must rope the calf then dismount their horse, track down the calf and tie three legs together with a six-foot pigging string. Calves are given a head start, but if the cowboy’s horse leaves the box too soon, a barrier breaks, and a costly 10-second penalty is assessed to the roper’s time.

Women’s Breakaway Roping

This timed event is comparable to men’s tie-down roping, except cowgirls are not required to dismount and tie the calf. In breakaway roping, the cowgirl has a flag tied close to the end of her rope and a nylon string tied from the rope to the saddle horn. When the rope grows tight after the calf is roped, the string breaks away from the saddle horn, and the flag goes flying, signaling the timer to stop the clock.

Barrel Racing

Think of this event as an obstacle course for cowgirls and their horses. From a fixed starting line, the cowgirl is timed as she rides her horse around three standing barrels, which sit in a cloverleaf pattern, before heading back to the starting line. Racers are allowed to make contact with a barrel, and can even tip them, but no more than that as a five-second penalty is added if a barrel is knocked to the ground.

Team Roping

This timed event is the only rodeo competition that features teammates, a header and a heeler. And, as the titles imply, each team member has a specific task, and it must be executed in a precise order. “The header ropes the horns, then dallies or wraps his rope around his saddle horn and turns the steer to the left for the other cowboy who ropes the heels,” according to MissRodeoMontana.com. Precision and timing are essential as the heeler’s loop must catch both of the steer’s hind legs. The task is complete after both ropers have made a catch, brought the animal to a halt, and their horses are facing each other.

Bull Riding

Here’s an event where your opponent weighs 10 times as much as as you. Bull riders can weigh, say, 150 pounds, while the bulls will tip the scales at 2,000 pounds. A flat braided rope is placed around the bull, just behind the front legs and up over the shoulders, and then it is looped and threaded through itself. The cowboy wraps that rope around his riding hand, with only that grip keeping him attached to the bull. At that point the rider’s only friends are his balance and his leg, core and grip strength as he tries to make that eight-second count. The rider gets no score if his other hand makes contact with the bull or himself.

For more information on the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo visit www.fwssr.com.