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to describe a legal catch ….

to describe a legal catch made by accident, or by flipping the rope, after the initial throw has missed.

Flagman: The official who signals the end of elapsed time in timed events.

Flank strap: A wool-lined strap with a self-holding buckle that is passed around the flank of a bronc or bull. As the stock leaves the chute, the strap is pulled tight causing the animal to buck in an effort to get rid of the strap.

Floater: A horse with little power that jumps with all four feet up and just floats through the air.

Floating: A technique used by some saddle bronc riders that make them appear to be bucked off with every jump of the horse.

Go round: The part of the rodeo that is required to allow each contestant to compete on one head of stock.

Ground money: The money paid when the purse for an event is split equally and paid to all contestants in the event. This is done when all contestants entered in an event fail to qualify.

Hat Bender: A horse or bull that does not buck and just runs around the arena.

Hazer: The cowboy that rides on the opposite side of the steer and keeps the stock from running away from the steer wrestler’s horse.

Head Hunter: A bull that is constantly looking for a twolegged target to hit.

Head Thrower: A bull that tries to hit the cowboy with his head or horns while the contestant is on his back.

Head Wrap: A leather device that is placed around a steer’s horns in team roping to prevent damage to the steer’s head.

Header: The cowboy that ropes the steer around the horns, head, or neck in team roping.

Heeler: The cowboy that ropes the hind legs of the steer in team roping.

High Roller: The term used to describe a horse that leaps high into the air when bucking.

Honda: The eye in the end of a rope that allows the other end of the rope to pass through, forming a loop.

Honker: A really rank and hard animal to ride.

Hooey: The knot used by calf ropers to hold the wraps used to tie three of the stock’s feet together after the calf has been thrown. This knot is known as a half-hitch to most people outside of rodeo.

Hung Up: A rider that is off the animal but is still stuck in the rigging or bull rope.

In the Wall: The term used to describe when a contestant comes off an animal on the inside of the spin.

Jerk Down: After roping the calf, the roper flips the calf straight over backwards.

Jump and Kicker: A bull that jumps and kicks its hind feet in a straight-away action.

Kack: The saddle used by saddle bronc riders.

Legal catch: In team roping, the header must catch the steer around the horns, head, or neck. This is also called a fair catch.

Lounger: A horse that thrusts with its hind feet forward rather than kicking out behind.

Mash Up: A cowboy that clamps with his legs and has no spurring motion.

Money Horse: A horse that when ridden, usually takes the cowboy to the pay window.

Mugger: The cowboy that gets a firm hold on the horse’s neck during the Wild Horse Race. This allows the rider to put the saddle on the horse.

Neck Rope: A rope that is affixed to an animal’s neck in the timed events. It is used to trip the barrier in front of the contestant to assure the animal a

head start.

No time: This means that the contestant has not caught or thrown the stock properly, and does not receive a time for that go-round.

Off Side: The right side of a horse.

Out the Backdoor: When the rider is thrown over the back end of an animal.

Pickup man: The cowboy on horseback who assists the bareback and saddle bronc riders in dismounting from their stock.

Piggin’ string: A small soft rope about six feet long used by calf ropers to tie the animal’s feet together.

Purse: The money paid to the winners of each rodeo event. It equals the total of the added money and entry fees.

Pulling leather: The term used when a saddle bronc rider touches any part of the saddle with their free hand during the eight-second ride. This is also known as “grabbing the apple” and causes the rider to be disqualified.

Rank: A very hard animal to ride.

Re-ride: Another ride given to a saddle bronc, bareback bronc, or bull rider in the same goround when either the stock or the cowboy is not afforded a fair opportunity to show their best. This can be caused by things like a chute-fighting animal, a fallen animal, etc.

Rowel: The circular, notched, bluntly pointed, and freewheeling part of a spur. Any competitor using spurs that will cause a cut is disqualified.

Run Away: A horse or bull that does not buck and just runs around.

Scooter: An animal that pivots on the front feet and scoots the back end around, instead of pivoting on the front feet and kicking the hind feet.

Seeing daylight: The term used when a cowboy comes loose from a bucking animal far enough for the spectators to see daylight between the cowboy and the animal.

Set you Up: A horse or bull that drops a shoulder like they are going to turn or spin in one direction, and then immediately does the exact opposite.

( Editor’s Note: This list of rodeo lingo is reprinted in part from the Miss Rodeo Montana website, http://www.missrodeomontana. com/rodeo/terminology. htm. Visit the link for the full list.)

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