Rodeo Lingo: Terms to Describe Competition

All sports have there own set of unique lingo that those who participate in the sport, fans of the sport and broadcasters often use to describe the events that occur at the activity. Rodeo is like all other sports in that it has its own set of terms to describe what takes place during all of the other events. Rodeo is more than a sport it tends to be a lifestyle and a culture for those who compete. There are many terms related to each event in rodeo, understanding these terms can make a spectator's rodeo experience more understandable and enjoyable. Some of the many terms related to the events sanctioned or co-sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, PRCA, are defined below.

General Terms

Short Go: a final go-round in which only a specific number of competitors from the entire rodeo compete, positions in the short go are determined by the times from the other rounds of competition

Draw: the process and list of animals that are randomly selected on which each competitor will ride or rope in competition, it also refers to the order in which contestants compete in the timed events and barrel race

Luck of the Draw: Referring to the luck related to the quality of the stock drawn for each competitor

Timed Events

Get Out: How far the stock should move out of the shoot before the competitor should let their horse move so that they do not break the barrier, often described by competitors as a part of the stock

Pusher: A pusher is the person; usually another competitors that get in the roping shoot with the competitors stock and push the animal

Lap and Tap: If a calf or steer escapes the arena during competition the competitor gets the same animal once captured placed in the chute and they once again get to compete on the stock but their time is added to the time from when competition started until stock originally left the arena

Tie Down Roping

Going One Time: when a competitor only places one full lap around the calf's legs when tying the calf

Calf Roping: Another name for the event used almost exclusively prior to the last several years

Saddle Bronc Riding

Lift and Charge: when a competitor lifts on their hack rein and charges forward with their feet when riding a saddle bronc

Steer Wrestling

Bull Dogging: Another name of the event of steer wrestling, used mostly by participants and fans, not commonly used in writing, on programs or by rodeo officials

Team Roping

Legging Up: To catch only one leg when heeling a steer, catching only one leg results in a five second penalty

Panty Hose: When a healer ropes the steer high and deep around the steer's hind legs so that the rope is around the steer hips as though it is wearing panty hose

Barrel Racing

Point Barrel: The third and last barrel in the cloverleaf barrel pattern

Steer Roping

Steer Tripping: Another formally used name for the event of steer roping