Steer Wrestling Description

Steer Wrestling Description
The event features a steer and two mounted cowboys, along with a number of supporting
characters. The steers are moved through narrow pathways leading to a chute with spring
loaded doors. A 10 foot rope is fastened around the steer's neck which is used to ensure
that the steer gets a head start. On one side of the chute is the hazer, whose job is to ride
parallel with the steer once it begins running and ensure it runs in a straight line, on the
other side of the chute the steer wrestler or bulldogger waits behind a taut rope fastened
with an easily broken string which is fastened to the rope on the steer.
When the steer wrestler is ready he calls for the steer and the chute man trips a lever
opening the doors. The suddenly freed steer breaks out running, shadowed by the hazer.
When the steer reaches the end of his rope, it pops off and simultaneously releases the
barrier for the steer wrestler. The steer wrestler attempts to catch up to the running steer,
lean over the side of the horse which is running flat out and grab the horns of the running
steer. The steer wrestler then is pulled off his horse by the slowing steer and plants his
heels into the dirt further slowing the steer and himself. He then takes one hand off the
horns, reachs down and grabs the nose of the steer pulling the steer off balance and
ultimately throwing the steer to the ground. Once all four legs are off the ground, an
official waves a flag marking the official end and a time is taken. The steer is released
and trots off.
Rules of steer wrestling include: The bulldogger's horse must not break the rope barrier in
front of it at the beginning of a run, but must wait for the animal escaping from the
adjacent chute to release the rope. Breaking the rope barrier early adds a 10 second
penalty to the bulldogger's time. If the steer stumbles or falls before the bulldogger brings
it down, he must either wait for it to rise or help it up before wrestling it to the ground. If
the bulldogger completely misses the steer on his way down, he will receive a "no time".
Scoreboard Displays:
• Contestant number is entered bottom row, left numeric display set.
• The time clock is set at 00.000. When rider leaves the chute the clock starts
counting UP in SS:THT {Seconds:Tenths/Hundreds/Thousands of
seconds}. When rider finishes the tie down and throws his hand in the air a STOP

button is pressed to stop the clock. This stops the time (example 12.456 seconds
would be [12.456].
• If a penalty occurs then the PENALTY lights illuminate and the time is adjusted
manually UP. Or there is a NO TIME penalty and the time is cleared to
00.000. Penalty times are normally 5 or 10 seconds so their should be an
automatic 5 and 10 second adjustment button on the controller.
• If a re-ride is required then the RERIDE lights illuminate and the riders number
stays the same but the time is cleared to re-start at 00.000. A rider with a re-ride
normally does not do his RERIDE until after all other riders in that rotation have
finished. The RERIDE lights need to be able to illuminate at the start of a ride to
indicate that it is a RERIDE.
• If the above time is the leading (LOWEST) time {but not a NO TIME penalty},
that becomes the leader score, the rider number and their score showing the
FASTEST time goes up into the top line. If the next rider has a FASTER time
then their rider number and time replaces the previous as the top line is always for
the rider in the lead with their score time to beat.