Saddle bronc riding has long been considered the “premiere” rodeo event and has roots dating back to the first ranchers. Back in the old days, saddle bronc riding was a form of breaking in and training the new horses for their work on the land but now, it’s quite possibly the toughest of all rodeo events because it’s such a technical event. Much like bull riding, the cowboy holds onto a rope tied around the horse’s halter and must ride with the horse for eight seconds to qualify as a legal run. The first act in saddle bronc riding is known as the “mark out” where the cowboy’s feet must touch the horse’s shoulders on the initial jump. If the cowboy fails to make this happen, he is disqualified from the run. Another similarity between bull riding and saddle bronc riding is the scoring where half of the score is devoted to how the cowboy maintains himself while on the horse with the other half coming from how much of a fight the horse is able to give the cowboy.
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