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Steer wrestling at the CalPoly rodeo.

Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event where a steer is released from a chute and a horse-mounted rider chases the steer, jumps off the horse next to the steer, and wrestles the steer to the ground by twisting its horns.

The event features a steer and two mounted cowboys, along with a number of supporting characters. The steers are moved through narrow pathways leading to a chute with spring loaded doors. A 10 foot rope is fastened around the steer's neck which is used to ensure that the steer gets a head start. On one side of the chute is the hazer, whose job is to ride parallel with the steer once it begins running and ensure it runs in a straight line, on the other side of the chute the steer wrestler or bulldogger waits behind a taut rope fastened with an easily broken string which is fastened to the rope on the steer.

When the steer wrestler is ready he calls for the steer and the chute man trips a lever opening the doors. The suddenly freed steer breaks out running, shadowed by the hazer. When the steer reaches the end of his rope, it pops off and simultaneously releases the barrier for the steer wrestler. The steer wrestler attempts to catch up to the running steer, lean over the side of the horse which is running flat out and grab the horns of the running steer. The steer wrestler then is pulled off his horse by the slowing steer and plants his heels into the dirt further slowing the steer and himself. He then takes one hand off the horns, reachs down and grabs the nose of the steer pulling the steer off balance and ultimately throwing the steer to the ground. Once all four legs are off the ground, an official waves a flag marking the official end and a time is taken. The steer is released and trots off.

Luke Branquinho at the 2004 National Finals Rodeo.

The preferred method of wrestling the steer to the ground is to lean from the galloping horse which is running beside the steer, transferring the weight of the upper body to the neck of the steer, with one hand on the near horn of the steer and the far horn grasped in the crook of the other elbow. One then lets the horse carry his feet by the steer until his feet naturally fall out of the stirrups. The steer wrestler then slides with his feet turned slightly to the left, twisting the head of the steer toward one by pushing down with the near hand and pulling up and in with the far elbow. Finally the steer wrestler lets go of the near horn, and puts the steers nose in the crook of his left elbow, and throws his weight backwards causing the steer to become unbalanced and fall to the ground.

Rules of the sport include: The bulldogger's horse must not break the rope barrier in front of it at the beginning of a run, but must wait for the animal escaping from the adjacent chute to release the rope. Breaking the rope barrier early adds a 10 second penalty to the bulldogger's time. If the steer stumbles or falls before the bulldogger brings it down, he must either wait for it to rise or help it up before wrestling it to the ground. If the bulldogger completely misses the steer on his way down, he will receive a "no time".

Typical professional times will be in the range of 3.5 to 10 seconds from the gates opening to the waving of the flag. The steers used today are generally Corriente cattle which weigh between 500 and 700 pounds, and the steer wrestlers typically weigh 200-275 pounds.

Bill Pickett invented the sport of bulldogging near the end of the 1800s, and introduced it to the world as a part of his act in the 101 Ranch Wild West Show in 1905. His version of the sport was performed on longhorn steers. After having grasped the horns of the fleeing animal, he would twist its head skyward and bite its upper lip in order to subdue it, after the fashion of the cowdog breed known as bulldogs. This is where the sport got its name.

Other sports involving cattle include traditional rodeo events like team roping and bull riding, and non-rodeo events like team penning and cutting.

• Geier Hitch, whereby a running bull is "steered"