Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/813078
14 Red Bluff Daily News — Wednesday, April 19, 2017 SADDLE BRONC A classic rodeo event. e rider sits on a spe- cialized saddle - it has no horn and the stirrups are set forward. In the chute, the cowboy adjusts his grip on the rein and perhaps the horse's po- sition. When the gate opens, his boots must be above the breaks of the horse's shoulders. Aer the horse's first move, usually a jump, the cow- boy begins spurring in long, smooth strokes, in sync with the horse's jump - legs straight when the bronc comes down, toward the back of the saddle at the top of the jump. His only handhold is a six-foot braided rope; his free hand may not touch his equipment, his body or the horse. If the ride lasts the required eight seconds, it is scored by two judges - one on each side - who assess difficulty and control. Each judge awards up to 25 points for the cowboy's performance and up to 25 points for the animal's performance, for a poten- tial of 100 points. 2016 Champion Zeke urston, Big Valley, Alberta, Canada, $265,449 2017 Money Leader Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, $82,890 STEER WRESTLING is event demands coordination between two mounted cowboys -the contestant and a hazer who controls the steer's direction - and their horses. e cowboys back their horses into the box on each side of the steer. When the contestant nods, the chute gate opens and the steer gets a head start before the cowboys start to chase him. As the steer wrestler draws even he dismounts from his horse, which is moving at perhaps 30 mph. He grasps the steer's horns and digs his boot heels into the dirt to slow down the 500-to 600-pound steer. en he wrestles the steer onto his side; when all four legs point in the same direction, the clock stops. 2016 Champion Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, Louisiana, $298,676 2017 Money Leader Ty Erickson, Helena, Montana, $91,379 2016 Red Bluff Champion Samuel Kelts, Millarville, Alberta 2016 Red Bluff Champion Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont.