steer riding

Steer riding is a rodeo youth event that is an introductory form of

bull riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To rec ...

for younger riders, usually between the ages of seven and fourteen. Instead of bucking bulls, the children ride steers that buck. Steers are used because they are known to have a less volatile temperament than

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species '' Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, incl ...

s and many breeds weigh less than bulls, which makes them a perfect stepping stone to junior bulls. The steers usually weigh between . Steer riding usually follows

mutton busting Mutton busting is an event held at rodeos similar to bull riding or bronc riding Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse (sometimes called a ''b ...

and calf riding as the participant ages and grows. Many young and aspiring bull riders who train in steer riding compete in the National Junior Bullriders Association. The National Junior Bullriders Association holds these annual contests: * 6 & Under

Mutton Busting Mutton busting is an event held at rodeos similar to bull riding or bronc riding Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse (sometimes called a ''b ...

* 8 & Under Calf Riding * 11 & Under Steer Riding * 13 & Under Peewee Bullriding * 15 & Under Jr. Bullriding * 19 & Under Sr. Bullriding Riders use equipment and riding techniques that are similar to adult bull riding. The steers are equipped with the following: a flank strap – the flank strap is placed around a steer's flank, just in front of the hind legs, to encourage bucking. And then they also use a "steer rope" – a rope that goes around the steer for the rider to hang onto with a

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made