Rodeo Steer Wrestling Terminology and Facts

Steer wrestling is an event that is competed in by high school, college amateur and professional rodeo competitors. For younger competitors, some associations have chute-dogging events. The easiest way to understand the lingo and the actual steps of the event is to start by looking at the steer wrestling also known as the bull dogging in a step-by-step manner.

The event begins by the competitor backing their dogging horse in the box on the right side of the chute and their hazer backs their horse in on the left side of the chute. The chute is opened when the steer wrestler nods their head. The barrier is the rope that is strung in front of the steer wrestler, which is attached to the steer and measures if the competitor gives the steer a long enough head start.

This set head start is called the score and if the competitor breaks the barrier they receive a ten second penalty. Once the steer is let out of the chute and starts to run down the arena the hazer, who is there to help the dogger get to their steer, herds the steer toward the steer wrestler. When the steer gets close to the steer wrestler and they then jump onto the steer from their horse.

When the steer wrestler jumps their horse is running at the same speed or slightly faster than the steer and the steer is running at full speed. Once the competitor has a hold of the steer by it head and horns they progress to attempt to change the direction of the steer. After they have changed the direction they continue by throwing the steer, which is laying the steer on their side. The flagger signals for the timers to stop the competitor's time once all four of the steer's legs have left the ground. If the steer falls with all of it's legs under it this is known as "dog falling." If the steer falls but the competitor does not change the direction of the steer it is called "Callahan."

In a chute-dogging event there the competitor holds on to a steer in a bucking chute. Once the chute is opened the competitor continues to throw the steer by mugging them by foot, it is basically all the aspects of the steer-wrestling event without the horse and the dismount from the horse.

This event is not harmful to the steer or the horses. The worst that happens to a steer is the occasional broken horn. Many steer wrestlers get injured because of the impact once they jump their steer and impact the ground with their feet.