Perry County Community Rodeo

Golden Calf Scramble
Is a action pack Children's Event which begins at 6:30 for kid's between the ages of 6 -10. With the direction of the our Rodeo Clown he will attempt to have all the kids line-up in a row, do a few exercises together to the delight of the crowd. The command will be given for the release of the "Golden Calf" and the Scramble is on to get the ribbon off of the calves. The prize is $5.00 in Gold Dollars that will go to (4) winners each night.

Mutton Busting
Contestant must be at least 5 years of age, weigh 60 pounds or less, wear long pants, long sleeve shirt, appropriate shoes and wear a helmet (provided at the event).  The goal is to ride the sheep for at least 6 seconds.  Contestants must sit upright on sheep holding on the fleece during the ride.  The parent may stay with the group inside the arena during the ride.  Prizes awarded both nights.  Registration will begin at 5:30pm.  A parent must be present to register.  The first 30 eligible contestants to register each night will participate in the event.    Mutton Busting will be held both Friday and Saturday night approximately 6:45pm (immediately following the Calf Scramble) and the FINALS will be held at intermission this year.

Grand Entry
Perry County Community Rodeo has one of the finest Grand Entry's found in any rodeo.  A vast assortment of contestants, officials, committee members, flag carriers, and area dignitaries ride in the Grand Entry.  With a salute and reverence for the United States of America, the festivities begin.  Join us for an event steeped in American tradition, the PCCR Celebration of Rodeo.

Bareback Bronc Riding
The eight-second bareback ride is confusing because sometimes a cowboy's wild spurring seems to be simply showing off while in fact the rhythm of a man's legs on his horse is all that keeps the rigging - a handhold on the surcingle - from being torn out of his hand.  The bareback rider throws his feet forward in time with the horse's jumps, and at the same time this motion keeps his seat close to his riding hand.  He is well aware that once he slips away from the handhold he's on the launching pad.  The further back he gets on a high-kicking horse the further out he is on the catapult.  Rules require the rider's dulled spurs be over the break of the horse's shoulders when the animal lands the first jump out of the chute.  Some bareback broncs wheel out almost as quickly as the gate can be jerked open and the cowboy has a hard time keeping the outside foot where it is required to be.  The judges are looking for the horse that gives the rider the most trouble for the full eight seconds.  Onlookers, when hearing the score often are mystified because the bronc who threw a spectacular whingding, perhaps several times, wasn't marked higher.  They fail to take into consideration that for some of the eight seconds, the horse, in the judge's opinion, was no difficult to stay on.  

Barrel Racing
Cowgirls barrel racing is the contest for the fairer sex in the male dominated sport of rodeo.  A skilled rider must work with their trained horse to complete a clover-leaf pattern around three barrels and cross the finish line.  The rider has a running start before entering the arena and time starts once they cross the starting line.  A racer may begin their run with either front barrel.  They are penalized five seconds if a barrel is tipped during their run and disqualified if they run an incorrect patter.  They must run at top speed and maneuver tight corners and turns around the barrels in order to receive a winning score.

Bull Riding
The most popular rodeo event, and the most dangerous, is bull riding.  Many of the big cross-bred Brahmas go a whole season without being ridden the required eight seconds.  Because the bulls will charge their up-ended rider, only the clown can help him.  Men on horses are useless, the bull will charge them and the horse will spook.  The clown's courage and anticipation of what the bull will do are the reasons that bull riders can eat supper that night.  A bull rider uses a rope which is looped like a noose around the animal's middle.  It is flat plait with a handhold like the snug handle of a dufflebag.  The rider puts his gloved hand in the loop, knuckles down, and a friend, standing on the chute, pulls the slack out of the rope.  When the rope feels right to the rider, he takes the free end of the rope and lays it across his palm.  Then he wraps it once behind his hand and lays it across his palm again.  He clenches his fist and hunches his body close to his hand.  Then, as soon as he feels the bull standing squarely, he nods and the gate swings open.  As long as the cowboy doesn't touch the bull with his free hand and still has his riding hand on some part of the rope at the end of eight seconds, the judges will score his ride on how hard the bull bucked and how well the cowboy rode.

Calf Roping
Calf roping is a race against time with seconds counted in decimal points.  To win, horse and rider must work together with precision teamwork.  The contest begins behind the barrier with the rope stretched across the box where the roper and his mount wait for the calf to be released.  The barrier is triggered by length of twine around the calf's neck.  When the calf, released from the chute, reaches the end of the twine he trips the barrier.  The rope and his horse try to hit the barrier at the exact moment it is released - even a tenth of a second might make a difference between winning and losing.  A good horse will close on the calf quickly and hold a steady interval regardless of how the calf performs.  Most ropers like their horse to stay a length behind and a faction to one side to allow a clean throw.  If the loops misses, the cowboy gets another try provided he carries another rope ready-tied to the saddle.  The cowboy comes off his horse running.  Now he must throw the calf by hand.  The calf may be downed by "legging" - using a foreleg as a pry to trip him over - or by "flanking" - picking the animal up bodily and laying him on his side.  Quickly the cowboy gather three legs and wraps and ties them with a tight rope called a "pigging string", carried either in his mouth or tucked in his belt.  Then he signals completion by raising both hands.

Saddle Bronc Riding
Saddle bronc riding is called rodeo's classic event because it is the oldest cowboy contest.  Each rider must begin his ride with his feet over the bronc's shoulders.  A rider who synchronizes his spurring action with the animal's natural bucking efforts will receive a high score.  All spurs used in IPRA competition are dulled to avoid industry to the animal.  The rider's feet must stay in the stirrups throughout the ride or he'll be disqualified.   That's the reason for the loose-fitting boots.  Should the cowboy buck off and get "hung-up), that is, still have a foot in the stirrup, he can usually pull his foot out of the boot for freedom.

Steer Wrestling
Steer wrestling is probably the most exciting event in the rodeo arena.  When a man drops from a galloping horse onto the steer, stops the steer and throws him on the ground, spectators have seen skill overcome heavily weighted odds.  The secret is this:  as the cowboy catches up to the steer he reaches with his right hand, grabs the right horn and as his horse speeds by the steer, the cowboy gets the horn in the crook of his right elbow.  At the same time his left hand pushes down on the other horn while his horse veers off to the left.  The cowboy's heel drop ahead and at a 45-degree angle to the path the steer is taking.  The cowboy digs in his heels, twists the steer's head and pulls it toward the center of a left-hand turn.  As the steer drops, his rear having swung around, the cowboy grabs the animal's nose with his left hand and, with this sensitive hold, throws the steer onto its side.  In addition to the steer wrestler, a second man, the hazer, is in his act.  He appears to be merely galloping alongside the steer and to the onlookers all he seems to do is retrieve the wrestler's horse after the jump is made.  Actually, he watches for mishaps which happen if the steer slams on his brakes or veers away from the dogger.  The hazer has to foresee these possibilities and correct them - often in a split second.

Team Roping  
Team roping is the fastest growing event in the IPRA.  It is the only event which two contestants compete as a team.  Both pay an entry fee and both share in the prize money.  The object of team roping is for one roper, called the header, to rope the steer around the head or horns and for the other roper, called the heeler, to rope the animal's hind legs.  Time is stopped when the slack is out of both ropes and the contestants are facing each other with the steer in the middle.

(Proof of Coggins Test required of all horses for Grand Entry Etc.)