The objective
Rodeo celebrates ranch skills in two families of events: roughstock (staying on a bucking animal) and timed events (completing a task fastest).
Events
Roughstock: bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Timed: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing.
Scoring
In roughstock, judges score both rider and animal, and the ride must last eight seconds. Timed events add penalty seconds for broken barriers or knocked barrels.
Following the action
The arena announcer explains each event as it begins; the scoreboard shows times and scores.
Sources
By National Horse Co. Editorial Team · Checked against cited sources 2026-10-03. National Horse Co. is not affiliated with the organizations cited.