TOUGH ENOUGH RODEO

FLAG TEAM

The Tough Enough Rodeo Flag Team is our pride and joy. These women and men are very special to us and our rodeo. They are very dedicated and work very hard to be their best. The flag team consists of 4 people.  It takes a lot of time and effort to put on the show that these women and men do. We would like to give a great big thanks to each and every one of them for working so hard to put on an great flag ceremony.

BULL RIDING

It sounds simple-hang on tight with your legs and don't touch yourself or the animal with your free hand. Bull riding, long considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world, but it is anything But simple. The cowboy must hold on with one hand for eight seconds. His feet don't have to be in any particular position nor does he have to move his legs in a required pattern. But bulls are difficult to ride because of a much looser hide. The cowboy holds onto a flat braided bull rope that has been wrapped around the bull behind his shoulder. The rider then wraps the rope around one hand. During his ride, he keeps his body close to his hand and his legs slightly forward with his toes turned out and his heels "dug in" to the bull's side. If he is to get bucked off he must get his hand free before it becomes "hung up" and even if he gets off safely he must get out of the arena and let me tell you that bull usually is in no mood to be friendly. If the cowboy was to ride out his eight seconds he will be awarded points for both the bull's quality of performance and his own. This is the heart stopper of the rodeo and the most dangerous event for both cowboy and our staff.

BARREL RACING

This is a timed event requiring tight turns and short burst of speed. The contestant rides their Horse around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern, The barrel racer has two choices of courses, either of which will create the cloverleaf, one pattern starts to the left and the other starts to the right. They will be riding so fast that their times will be separated by only thousandths of a second. Barrel racing is the second most popular event in the rodeo and with good reason. It is colorful, fast and showcases superb horsemanship. Most of the horses used in this event are quarter horses and they enjoy the challenge of running full speed from the starting line around each of the three barrels and back to the start line. The fastest time goes home with the prize. If the racer tips a barrel they will penalized 5 tenths of a point for each barrel that is tipped over. If a racer runs off course they will be automatically disqualified. There is NO second chances in the barrel racing event.

POLE BENDING

Pole Bending is a display of equestrian skill that works much like a slalom race in skiing. The horse and rider compete for the fastest time running through a linear pattern of six 6-foot high poles. A five-second penalty is assessed for knocking down a pole. The fastest time wins.

CHUTE DOGGIN'

The steer is contained in a chute and the contestant is allowed to get a hold on the steer before the chute is opened. When the chute is opened the contestant must allow the steer to cross a line a few feet in front of the chute; after crossing the line the steer must be thrown so that all four feet face the same direction. The contestant doing this in the least amount of time is the winner.

MUTTON BUSTIN'

You would think the smaller the animal the easier to ride, but you have to remember the rider is smaller too. These little brave cowboys and cowgirls are all heart and you can't help but get excited watching this event. In this event the riders are between the ages of 4-8 weighing less then 50 lbs. Placed in the regular chute gate, where the rodeo staff will get him or her roped up and ready to go. The little rider must do everything possible to hold on for 6 seconds with the staff running behind trying to keep up and catch them if they fall. In this 6 seconds begins what the big cowboys say is a love and fear you can never live without. These brave little cowboys and cowgirls need our support, so don't forget to get up and give a great big cheer for a job well done.

CALF RIDING

The general rules are really the same as for bull riding except that the rider has to stay on the calf for six seconds instead of eight. The rider is 'strapped down' onto the calf by one hand with a bull rope. The free hand must be kept raised at all times and mustn't touch any part of the calf or himself until the end of the ride. The rider doesn't have to spur, but may pick up extra points if he does so. It can be pretty difficult to spur when you're concentrating really hard on just staying on board!

KID'S GAMES

Kid's games are one of the most favorite parts of our rodeo. They get to go in the arena, win prizes and get dirty. We like to have all different age groups from 0- 100 out there and have them do all sorts of silly things. You just never know what's going to be next. We like to do a lot of different games, like chase the chicken, catch the calf's tail, tug of war (boys against girls), sack races, boot race, and drive the parent. We will be doing games for all ages, so parents, don't think you're off the hook just yet. We love having all the kids down and they love winning something and being in the spotlight. We hope ya'll enjoy our fun time and hope ya'll come on in and participate.