PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — Rodeos have been a long tradition in Pleasant Grove. The Strawberry Days Rodeo was established in 1921 and is the longest continually running rodeo in Utah. And there’s a reason – it’s one of the best rodeos in the west. The Strawberry Days Rodeo is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the oldest and biggest sanctioned rodeo body in the world.

Families from all over the state, but especially in Pleasant Grove, come to the Strawberry Days Rodeo to watch the cowboys and cowgirls face daring feats while the rodeo clown brings smiles to their faces.

Besides the bucking broncos and aspiring young ones chasing sheep, what does a rodeo entail and what’s the difference between each event?

The Strawberry Days Rodeo features seven different events, plus mutton busting and the cash cow. Each event has different rules and objectives on how to win. Some events are timed and others are “rough stock” events. Here’s a quick breakdown of each event so you can know what to look for when attending this year’s rodeo.

TIMED EVENTS

Barrel Racing – This women’s-only event consists of a cowgirl riding as fast as possible around 3 barrels in a clover-leaf pattern. Barrels are allowed to be tipped, but they get a penalty for knocking one over.

Steer Wrestling – This event is all about strength, speed, and timing as the cowboy slides off the back of his horse to a 600 lb. steer, stopping it and tossing the steer to its side.

Team Roping – This is the only team event consisting of a “header” and “heeler”. The header ropes the steer’s horns and the heeler ropes its heels. Precision is the name of the game for this event.

Calf Roping – This is the oldest timed event in a rodeo. The cowboy chases and ropes a calf from horseback before dismounting, racing to the calf, and tying three legs together with a special string.

ROUGH STOCK EVENTS

Bareback Riding – This iconic event only lasts eight seconds, if the rider can hold on that long. The rider and horse are both judged as the rider only has a single leather handle to hold onto (with one hand in the air) as the horse tries to buck him off.

Saddle Bronc Riding – Similar to bareback riding, the rider only has eight seconds to show how tough they are. The difference is that this rider sits in a custom saddle and holds a braided rein with one hand in the air.

Bull Riding – Strapped to the back of a 2,000 lb. bull, this is the most popular and dangerous rodeo event. The rider tries to hold onto the bull for eight seconds while getting whipped and spun around holding only to a braided bull rope.

Mutton Busting and the Cash Cow — crowd-pleasing events where young cowboys and cowgirls can compete for cash or to ride a sheep.

The Strawberry Days Rodeo also supports the Tough Enough to Wear Pink non-profit organization that brings awareness and raises funds for breast cancer research. Catch all the action at the Strawberry Days Rodeo on June 15-18th.

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.