Rodeo History

A rodeo can be an absorbing event for a family or a group of people to go and watch. It captures the imagination and nostalgia of the cowboy era in American history and helps people reconnect with the past. The rodeo’s history is fascinating and filled with small competitions that pitted cowboy crews against each other in different ways.

The beginning of these games began in the 1700s with the Spaniards, and their ranch hands are known as vaqueros. These farms were spread out over what is now, the American Southwest when Spain owned the land. There were several events in which the ranch hands could compete.

Many of these developments are still in competition today, including roping various farm animals, riding horses and bulls, tie-down roping, team roping, and bronco riding. The early rodeos also had events like horse breaking, which could get very dangerous if one was not careful, herding, which turned into a bigger competition as the ways of the cowboy became more popular, and branding the animals.

The modern rodeo is governed by the rules and regulations set forth by IGRA. Its rule book can be found online and covers every aspect of rodeo life from association requirements to professional conduct in the arena and other places where the rodeo is being held. Many of these rules govern how the animals are treated, because of various animal rights groups and their claims that the animals are tortured. One of the main concerns with the animals is how the rodeo hands get the animals to buck so much. This happens because the animals are made to wear a flank strap which binds the testicles.

The safety of the cowboy is almost secondary to the security of the animals. Horrible injuries and death happen every year from trampling or from being thrown into the fence that separates the crowd from the arena. If this is the sport for you, make certain you have the proper training and some protection for your upper chest and stomach area. This is the place where injuries occur the most.