Etymology: Spanish, from
rodear to
surround, from
rueda wheel, from Latin
rota
Dates from 1834 and can be used synonmously with
roundup. A public
performance highlighting
bronco riding,
calf roping,
steer wrestling, and
Brahma bull riding.
Originally an off shoot of the round up the rodeo became a spectator sport as cowhands vie to show off various skills it took on a circus like appearance in the late 1880's with many professionals traveling from one annual rodeo to another for monetary prizes. Rodeos had their origin in the United States when cowboys would gather together in the cowtowns at the end of cattle-driving trails and compete for the unofficial title of best bucking-horse rider, roper, and so on. As the cowboys' occupation changed by the railroads and fencing off of the open ranges the contests became regular and formal events. Contestants pay an entrance fee and judging, on a point system comprised on the performance of the animal as well as that of the contestant. Broncos are not trained to buck, and the rules of professional rodeo ban cruelty. In all riding events the contestant is disqualified if he touches the animal or its rigging with his free hand. All-around championships and championships in each of the standard events are determined each year at the National Finals Rodeo on the basis of a long-established point-award system.
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, one of the top fifteen professional rodeo events in North America is a five-day event centering around the Tucson Rodeo and is the largest outdoor winter rodeo on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit.
Interested in learning more? Please visit Rodeo Lingo
Sources
britannica.com:
http://www.britannica.com/
Vaqueros Tucson Rodeo:
http://www.emol.org/emol/tucsonrodeo/rodeofeatures.html