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Saddle
bronc riding requires the balance of a gymnast, the timing of
a springboard diver, and the grace of a dancer—all aboard
a 1,200 pound pitching, twisting bronc.
Considered rodeo’s “classic”
event, saddle bronc riding evolved from the ranch work of breaking
and training horses. Many cowboys say bronc riding is the most
difficult roughstock event to master because of its technical
requirements.
Spurring action must be synchronized
with the horse’s movements. If a rider is able to “keep
in time” with the horse, the ride will be fluid and graceful,
not wild and uncontrolled.
A saddle bronc rider’s feet
must touch the horse’s shoulders on the first jump out of
the chute.
This is called a “mark-out,” and a contestant who
fails to have his feet in place at the beginning of the ride is
said to have “missed his mark” and is disqualified.
He will receive a “no score” for the round.
The rider, gripping a thick rein
attached to the horse’s halter as his only means of securing
himself to the animal, attempts to place his feet over the horse’s
shoulders a split second before the animal’s front feet
strike the ground.
As the horse bucks, the rider bends
his knees and finishes his spurring stroke with his spurs near
the “cantle,” the back of the saddle, then snaps his
feet back to the horse’s shoulders as the animal’s
front feet hit the ground.
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