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Bull Riding
Bull riding is a competitive event in which a rider
tries to ride a
bucking bull for eight seconds. If the rider makes the eight
second time, he will receive a score for his riding skills and the bull will
receive a score for its bucking skills. The two scores are added together with
the highest total score being the winner. While bull riding is competed in by
men far more commonly than women, there are women bull riders. A brief overview
of some of the differences in the rules for men's and women's bull riding can be
found at the end of this article.
Bull Riding Ropes
In bull riding competition the contestant rides the
bull bareback. He is allowed the use of a "bull rope," a flat, braided rope that
circles the bull around the chest, just behind the front legs. The rope has a
handle braided into it that the rider holds on to. After the rope is wrapped around
the bull one end of the
bull rope (the "tail") is threaded through a loop on the
other end. The rider then wraps the tail around their hand, sometimes weaving it
through their fingers. The idea is that when the rider opens their hand at the
end of the ride or when they are bucked off, the bull rope will fall off on its
own. A bell is attached to the bottom of the bull rope to act as
extra weight to help ensure it falls off freely.
Scoring
If a bull rider makes a qualified ride on a bull for
eight seconds he and the bull are eligible to receive a score from the judges.
There are two judges, and at the end of a qualified ride their scores are added
together to arrive at the total score. Each judge can score the bull from 1–25 points
(for a total of 50 points possible for the bull) and
the rider from 1–25 points (for a total of 50 points possible for the
rider). Therefore, the total number of points possible that can be awarded is
100.
Bull Riding - The Difference Between Men And Women
The rules for bull riding for men and women are
different. Below is a brief overview of some of the differences.
- Men must make a qualified ride on a bull for eight seconds before being
eligible for a score from the judges.
- Women must make a qualified ride on a bull for six seconds before
being eligible for a score from the judges.
- Men are allowed to hold onto the bull rope with one hand only.
- Women are allowed to hold onto the bull rope with one hand or two hands, but how she starts is how
she must finish. In other words, if a woman starts a ride with one hand
she must finish with the same one hand. If she starts the ride with two hands she
must finish with two hands.
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