Any mishandling of horses or cattle will result in a NO TIME.
Good animal husbandry practices will be expected and emphasized at all times.
The rodeo will consist of four events: Branding, Doctoring, Penning, and Trailer Loading
No individual may compete on more than two teams. Teams will be made up of four members.
All contestants must wear cowboy hats or equine safety helmets, boots, jeans, and long-sleeved shirts at all times.
Split reins, roping reins, and tie-downs may be used. All saddles must be equipped with a breast collar.
Each team is required to meet with the arena judges 60 minutes prior to the event.
The captain will be the only team member allowed to address the arena judges at any time.
If the captain has an issue with the results of a time or a decision, the protest must be made at the time of the event. Once the team/contestant leaves the arena, the arena judges’ decision and final time or score will be final.
Arena judges will have the final decision on any discrepancy.
Anything stated by the announcer to the spectators will not influence the final decision of the arena judges and therefore the arena judge's decisions will be final and take precedence over any announcements.
All discrepancies, accidents, or mechanical malfunctions that occur while competing will be handled at the discretion of the arena judges.
No ropes can be tied hard and fast; dally must be used in all events.
By entering, all teams commit to and understand the level of competition and entertainment this event brings to the Routt County Fair and will respect and adhere to the standards and values of the Routt County Fair.
One rope per horse.
$400.00 entry fee per team; 4 members per team; 20 teams maximum; 6-minute time limit.
Event Overview:
Each team will start with four horses in the trailer and all four team members in the truck with the doors closed. In the arena facing the roping chutes on the west end.
Three (3)Cattle will be released into the arena on the east end. The pen will be in the center of the arena and the truck and trailer will have to be moved to the pen and backed up to the gate for loading.
There will be a branding iron in a chalk bucket at the bucking chutes. There will be a paint stick at the roping chute for doctoring. Both the branding iron and the paint stick must be returned to the place they originated.
Each team will back up the truck and trailer to the pen. Truck and trailer can be used as a wing to the pen if needed.
The Team may doctor or brand in any order. Once complete they must pen the animal that was not used in the doctoring or branding and load it into the trailer.
Doctoring and Branding Rules:
Each team must brand one animal and doctor one animal.
Doctoring and Branding must happen in the arena not in the pen.
No tripping/forefooting of the animal will be allowed.
During doctoring the animal must be tied down and stay down with no one holding it before you can remove the chalk stick and place a legible X on the back for doctoring. The chalk stick must be returned to its original place before the doctoring will be considered complete.
During doctoring the animal must be tied down with three legs and no one holding it.
Branding you may head, heal, or mug.
During the branding event, after catching the animal, one person holding the animal's head must take the head rope off before you can remove the iron from the chalk bucket. You may keep the heal rope on until branded. The iron must be returned to its original place before the branding will be considered complete.
Head catches only: around horns, half head, or neck.
Penalties will be added if you don’t get one branded or doctored
30-second penalties will apply for each
Penalties will be added to the total time for the team.
No one except team members, judges, and/or Routt County Fair officials will be allowed in the arena
The arena director and judges will have the final say on any ruling disputes.
Brand location will be announced during team meeting, prior to the performance.
Penalties are as follows:
• Botched, bad, or misplaced brand (includes low brands) 30 seconds
• Branded on the wrong side DQ
• Unnecessarily rough on cattle DQ
Penning: Participants will pen the one animal that was not branded or doctored in the trailer from the pen.
The truck and trailer may be used for a wing to the pen.
You cannot rope or drag the animal into the pen.
Trailer Loading Rules: One steer will be loaded into the trailer.
Load only the one that has not been doctored or branded into the trailer.
If any other animals are loaded in the trailer all animals must be unloaded and the team may start again.
No horses will be allowed inside the trailer.
Time will stop when the animal is secured in the trailer and all team members are mounted and across the designated area. All ropes must be accounted for off the ground and with the rider.
The Judge will drop the flag when satisfied that all has been completed.