A ranch rodeo is a traditional type of

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

in which teams of

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

s or cowgirls from different

ranch A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

es compete against each other in events based on the type of work they do every day. Ranch rodeos differ from the more common PRCA-style rodeos in several ways. For starters, the contestants are not professional rodeo cowboys; instead, they are usually full-time ranch hands who compete in annual ranch rodeos for fun and for bragging rights. The events in ranch rodeos are more similar to the tasks commonly performed on a ranch, and the equipment and tack used are the same as those used during everyday ranch work. Instead of competing as individuals, the contestants in ranch rodeos compete as a team representing the ranch they work for. Though there are often individual awards such as "Top Hand" and "Top Horse," the main prize is for the top overall ranch team. Sanctioning bodies include the

Working Ranch Cowboys Association The Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) was established in 1995 in Amarillo, Texas, United States as a professional association for ranch owners, foremen, and cowboys. One of their stated goals was to keep the western heritage, ideals, and wo ...

, which sponsors the World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo, Texas; and the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association, which sponsors the WSRRA National Finals in Winnemucca, Nevada.

Competitive events

Most ranch rodeos consist entirely of timed events, with the goal being to complete the assigned task in the shortest possible time. Common ranch rodeo events include: * Calf

branding Branding may refer to: Physical markings * Making a mark, typically by charring: ** Wood branding, permanently marking, by way of heat, typically of wood (also applied to plastic, cork, leather, etc.) ** Livestock branding, the marking of animals ...

- Teams have to find and rope specific calves (identified by a number they are randomly assigned) out of a larger herd of cattle, bring the calves to the branding area, and "brand" them by marking the calves with chalk. * Steer doctoring (or ranch vet) - Similar to calf branding, except the cattle are older and larger, and the event simulates bringing a sick animal in from the herd for veterinary care. *

Team penning Team penning is a western equestrian sport that evolved from the common ranch work of separating cattle into pens for branding, doctoring, or transport. Today it is a fast-paced event that gives a team of three riders on horseback from 60 to 90 s ...

- Teams of three riders must sort out a few specific cattle (each identified by a specific number marking) from a larger herd, and move those cattle into a small pen at the other end of the arena. * Wild horse race - Teams must saddle a wild horse and ride it across the finish line at the far end of the arena. *

Wild cow milking Wild cow milking is a rodeo event seen at mainstream and ranch rodeos. A team-based competition, the goal is to catch and milk a "wild" cow (a semi-feral animal that is not used to being milked by people, usually of a beef cattle breed) in as shor ...

- Teams rope a wild cow and hand-milk it into an empty soda bottle. One team member then runs the bottle across the finish line on foot, and pours out a small amount of milk for the judges to prove they accomplished the task.

References

{{Reflist Cowboy culture Ranches Rodeos