2017 Qualifiers - Steer Wrestling

In steer wrestling, the objective is to use strength and technique to wrestle a steer to the ground as quickly as possible. The bulldogger starts on horseback. The steer gets a head start that is determined by the size of the arena. When the steer reaches the advantage point, the barrier is released and the bulldogger takes off in pursuit. If the bulldogger breaks the barrier before the steer reaches his head start, a 10-second penalty is assessed.

When the cowboy reaches the steer, he slides down and off the right side of his horse, hooks his right arm around the steer’s right horn, grasps the left horn with his left hand and, using strength and leverage, slows the animal and wrestles it to the ground. The clock stops when the steer is on its side with all four feet pointing the same direction.

To catch the steer, the cowboy uses a “hazer” who is another mounted cowboy that runs his horse along the right side of the steer to keep it from veering away from the steer wrestler. Steer wrestling runs usually occur in a time span under 10 seconds (sometimes even less than five).