STEER WRESTLING

STEER WRESTLING

I. Time Limit:

There will be a thirty (30) second time limit with optional one (1)

minute time limit at state/province rodeos. There will be a mandatory

thirty (30) second time limit at the National High School Finals

Rodeo.

The judge will determine legitimate time allowed before contestant

calls for animal.

II. General Rules

1. Contestant may change horses between Go’s in Steer Wrestling.

2. Dogging Box—shall be part of the arena during dogging events.

3. Refer to page 120 for Score Line Diagram.

4. Once score line has been set in timed events it will not be changed

in that go, nor can length of box be changed.

5. Lap and Tap - No barrier to be used. If barrier judge is used to flag

the start, he shall flag the animal when animal’s nose crosses the

starting line.

6. The line judge must have a tape measure in his possession in case

the short end of the barrier is carried. The pigtail of the barrier should

not exceed 10 inches in length. A longer pigtail on a barrier will often

be carried when the barrier should have been broken. If the pigtail is

carried more than 10 feet from the pin, the barrier may be waived,

providing the contestant did not obviously beat the barrier. However,

if the contestant has obviously broken the barrier you may still

impose a beating- the-barrier penalty.

7. Should the barrier break at any point other than designated breaking

point, the decision is up to the barrier judge. If contestant obviously

beats the barrier, but the staples are pulled or barrier rope is

broken and string unbroken, barrier judge may assess a ten- second

fine. Otherwise this will not be considered a broken barrier.

8. If automatic barrier does not work but time is recorded, contestant

will get time, but there will be no penalty for broken barrier.

9. If automatic barrier fails to work and official time has not started,

contestant will get stock back if stock is qualified on in the field, therefore

entitling contestant to a rerun without penalties.

10. If automatic barrier fails to work and stock is brought back, contestant

must take same animal over during or immediately after the

same performance.

11. If barrier equipment hangs on animal and contestant tries the

animal, he accepts animal. If contestant pulls up, he will receive the

same animal back.

12. Steer belongs to contestant when he calls for it, regardless of what

happens, with the following exceptions:

a. In any timed event, if an animal escapes from the arena, the

field judge will drop flag and all watches will be stopped. Contestant

will receive original animal back with a lap-and- tap start. Time

already accumulated will be added to time used to complete the qualifying

run. If time is not recorded, the contestant will receive a 10- second

penalty for any jump or any loop used.

b. In cases of mechanical failure.

c. If in the opinion of the line judge contestant is fouled by barrier,

contestant shall get his steer back, providing contestant declares

himself by pulling up.

13. Time to be taken between two flags.

14. It shall be the arena director’s responsibility to see that contestants

compete on the stock drawn for them. In the event of a mistake, stock

drawn for must be run during that performance and only that time or

score taken.

15. This event shall not be conducted with an open catch pen gate at

any rodeo.

III. Event Rules:

1. This event is open to boys only.

2. This event should not follow girl’s pole bending event or barrel racing

in the same arena. If so, arena must be dragged before steer

wrestling event.

3. Contestant must furnish own hazer and horse.

4. Anyone jumping from the off side in the steer wrestling must notify

the rodeo secretary when entering, and if possible, the barrier should

be arranged on the off side for such contestants.

5. Hazer must be an NHSRA member or adult. They are subject to contestant

rules if acting as a hazer, a violation of rule by hazer will disqualify

the contestant they are helping.

6. Hazer must not render any assistance to contestant while contestant

is working with steer.

7. Contestant is considered working with steer when steer leaves the

box.

8. Steer must be caught from horse.

9. If contestant jumps at steer, he accepts him as sound.

10. If steer gets loose, dogger may take no more than one step to catch

steer.

11. After catching steer, wrestler must bring it to a stop or change its

direction and twist it down.

12. If steer is accidentally knocked down or thrown down before being

brought to a stop or is thrown by wrestler putting animal’s horns into

the ground, it must be let up to all four feet and then thrown.

13. Steer will be considered thrown down only when it is lying flat on

its side, or on its back with all four feet and head straight.

14. Wrestler must have hand on steer when flagged.

15. Contestant and hazer must use the same horse they leave chute

with.

16. Hazer will be allowed to catch dogger’s horse.

17. If dogger misses or loses steer, flag judge must ask dogger if he

wishes another jump. Dogger must reply at once.

18. Dogger is entitled to as many jumps as he wants in the thirty (30)

second/one minute time limit. At the National High School Finals

Rodeo only, dogger is entitled to only one jump in the first two gorounds.

A jump will be considered to have taken place if the steer

wrestler has dismounted his horse.

19. Contestant is required to turn steer’s head so that he can get up.

20. A steer falling in the opposite direction the steer wrestler is

attempting to throw him (dog fall) the contestant may choose to turn

the steer’s head to correspond with the leg position to make this a

legal fall.

21. In case the field judge flags out a wrestler that still legally has one

or more jumps coming, the judge may give the same steer back, lap

and tap, plus time already lapsed and any barrier penalties. If time

was not recorded, the contestant will receive a 10- second penalty for

any jump used. Contestant to only get to use remaining jump.

IV. Scoring and Penalties:

1. In order for time to be considered official, barrier flag must operate.

2. Timed event judge will not flag contestant out until time is recorded.

3. Judge is to flag time, then flag contestant out if run is not legal.

4. There will be a ten second penalty assessed for breaking the barrier.

5. Contestant will be disqualified for any abusive treatment of steer or

his horse.

6. Any violation of any rule by hazer will disqualify the contestant

they are helping.

7. Hazer must not render any assistance to contestant while contestant

is working with steer. Failure to observe this rule will receive no

time.

8. If hazer bats steer, or contestant’s horse, contestant will receive no

time.

9. A ten second penalty will be assessed in any case in which barrier

judge rules that dogger’s feet touch the ground before flag line is

crossed.

10. If any part of the pusher breaks the plain of the chute gate before

the steer releases the barrier, the contestant receives a no time.

11. No rattling of chute. A timed event contestant may not have someone

rattle the chute for him. This applies in both the performance and

the slack. The contestant and/or person rattling the chute shall be disqualified.

12. Contestant will be disqualified if he attempts in any way to tamper

with steers or chute.

13. Time should be taken with the average of two (2) times at all

Rodeos.

V. Reruns:

1. In any timed event if an animal escapes from the arena, flag will be

dropped and watches stopped. Contestant will get animal back with

lap and tap start, and time already spent will be added to time used

in qualifying plus barrier penalties, if any.

2. No rerun will be given due to faulty or broken equipment furnished

by contestant.

3. If the judge sees he has made an error in flagging, he must declare

a rerun before the contestant leaves the arena.

4. A steer must be rerun before it is used by another contestant. Fresh

steers may be added to the herd after they have been bulldogged from

horseback and thrown down. It is the responsibility of the steer

wrestlers to throw the cattle, at a time mutually agreed upon with the

stock contractor.

5. If fresh steers are missed in the steer wrestling, any steer missed in

competition must be thrown down immediately following the performance

or section of slack in which the steer was drawn. Such steer

shall be thrown down by a person appointed by the Steer Wrestling

Event Director. Each steer missed in competition is to be thrown no

more than one time.

6. When both the digital clocks malfunction and no time was recorded

from digital watches, if stock was qualified on in the field, contestant

will be given a rerun at a time designated by the Judges and the

Arena Director, plus any barrier penalties. If barrier penalties, then

lap and tap start.

7. In steer wrestling, if an animal fails to break the neck rope and time

is officially started by the contestant, that animal belongs to the contestant.

However, if time is started by the animal and the steer

wrestler and hazer remain behind the plain of the barrier for approx74

imately 10 seconds that animal should be considered a sulking animal

and replaced using the misdraw procedure.

VI. Officials:

1. There shall be two or more timers, a field flag judge, and a barrier

judge.

2. A field flag judge must ask contestant if he wants a second jump.

Once a contestant has been flagged out, he will receive no stock back.

3. Barrier judge is responsible to change barrier string whenever it

may have been weakened, or on request of next contestant.

4. Barrier judge shall keep a record of the length of the barrier trip

rope each performance to assure the same start for contestants each

performance.

5. Barrier equipment must be inspected by the judge before each

timed event. If equipment is faulty, it must be replaced.

6. Barrier judge shall be sure that nobody can stand close enough to

barrier or barrier equipment to tamper with same.

7. Height of barrier in timed events shall be from 32” to 36” measured

at the center of the box.

8. The fairness of catch and throw will be left to the judges, and their

decision will be final.

9. Field flagger is required to watch contestant and steer until animal

is turned loose.

VII. Optional Rules:

Electric timers are optional.