37 Rodeo and Cowboy Facts
The Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) was founded in 1963, and as it was stated in its first newsletter, strives to “make a winner out of every cowboy.”
Back in 1963, the CCA started out with 60 members, and sanctioned 15 rodeos its first season.
The very first rodeo approval went to the Sandhill Roping Club in Lancer, Saskatchewan. Things were a little different back then. There was a $5.00 entry fee, rodeo entries were taken the night before the performance, and the total purse winnings were $200.00.
Year after year the Canadian Cowboys Association grew, with rodeos springing up throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and one U.S. state. It wasn’t until 2005, when the Canadian Cowboys Association expanded into Ontario with an exciting new tour of rodeos, that it became the largest geographical rodeo Association in Canada.
Today, the Canadian Cowboys Association has grown to be the largest semi-pro rodeo association in Canada. Sanctioning over 60 rodeos with memberships rising to over 900, the CCA now runs its rodeos throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.
Annually, the CCA sanctions more rodeos than any other association, pro or semi-pro.
It is estimated that just the sport of rodeo, in Canada alone, is attended by more than 1.3 million people nationwide, with the CCA recording over 250,000 attendees at both their sanctioned rodeos throughout the rodeo season, and at the CCA Finals Rodeo in October.
One goal of the CCA is to promote the sport of rodeo to new members, the public and the sports media.
The Canadian Cowboys Association has been a major stepping stone for the careers of many professional Canadian Finals Rodeo and National Finals Rodeo Champions.
The CCA wants to continue to offer the next generation of rodeo competitors a place to compete, to prepare them for their move to the professional arena.
The Canadian Cowboys Association office is located in Regina, Saskatchewan. It employs a number of people to administer the Association’s business, and run its central entry system. which looks after the entries for all CCA sanctioned rodeos.
The Board of Directors consists of competing members, judges, stock contractors, and committee personnel, giving them all a vested interest in the long-term direction of the Association.
This year, check out the CCA Rodeo schedule. You are almost guaranteed that at some point this summer you will be in the vicinity to take part in some of the best family entertainment you will find. Check the schedule on our website or in our monthly newspaper, Rodeo News.
The word “rodeo” is loosely derived from the Spanish word for “round-up,” or literally, rodear, “to surround.”
The English word “rodeo” was first used around 1834 to refer to a cattle round-up.
Rodeo events are based on the real-life skills of working vaqueros and cowboys, first in Spain and Mexico, and later in the United States, Canada and Australia.
The first recorded rodeo was held in Arizona in 1864 and women joined the rodeo circuit in the 1890s.
Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody) created the first major U.S. rodeo and Wild West Show in 1882, in North Platte, Nebraska.
Before WWI, competitors couldn’t earn a living on rodeo winnings alone, so many were also Wild West show performers or performed entertainment acts at rodeos. Vaudeville hosted many of these acts during the rodeo offseason.
Cowboy competitions weren’t exclusively called rodeos until the 1920s, with professional cowboys officially adopting the term in 1945. Until then, competitions were commonly referred to as frontier days, stampedes and cowboy contests.
In calf roping, the rope in the ropers mouth is called the ‘Pigg’in string’.
The official state sport of both Texas and Wyoming is… Yep, you guessed it, Rodeo!
Bodacious is still known in the world of rodeo as the “rankest bull of all time”; he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1999. an 1,800-pound cross-breed Charbray
Bill Pickett is credited with introducing the ‘bulldogging’ rodeo event that is now called Steer Wrestling.
When Roy Rogers was appearing at the 1956 show at the Sam Houston Coliseum in downtown Houston, he wanted to visit the livestock exhibits but was afraid he'd be mobbed by fans. To ensure a peaceful visit, he put on a fireman's uniform, glasses and a fake mustache.
Before the 1930s, rodeos were independent and organizers chose events from almost 100 different possibilities.
Before the 1940s, the most popular competitions included trick riding and fancy roping. Also in demand were gymnastic feats performed on horseback at high speed, and Roman standing races where riders stood upon a pair of horses, one foot on each horse.
In 1940, Gene Autry became so popular as a rodeo singer that even today rodeo producers attract crowds with country singers headlining at rodeos.
The oldest horse on record is "Old Billy," an English barge horse. He was 62 years old when he died, living from 1760 to 1822.
Horses have 19 different facial expressions.
Today’s Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos must include calf roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding and steer wrestling. Optional events are steer roping and team roping.
The harder the bull bucks, the higher the cowboys score, with 100 being the highest. In 1991, Wade Leslie scored the only 100-point bull ride in the history of rodeo. The fastest spinning bull that was responsible - Wolfman Skoal, Growney Brothers Rodeo C.
Modern bucking broncos are not wild horses but are bred for use in rodeos. A proven bucking bronco may cost between $8,000 and $10,000.
Rodeo is the official state sport of Wyoming and Texas & Alberta has introduced legislation to make the same claim! YaHoo!
At the end of 19th century, the term cowgirl appeared. But the historical role of a cowgirl only received less attention. But now the cowgirls start to gain the similar status of cowboys for they can do various ranch tasks. You can learn about their contribution by visiting National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
For many colleges, particularly in the western United States, rodeo is an official team sport!
Ty Murray is the 7 time All-Round World Champion