Rodeo

Rancho Hidalgo' will feature its own on-site Rodeo Arena available for competitions as well as training. At Rancho Hidalgo, you'll not only have the opportunity to watch the pros, but you'll be able to learn to rope like one too! (Not familiar with Rodeo? Read on... you'll be surprised!)

Over the last decade, the popularity of rodeo events in terms of both attendance and participation has grown substantially and amongst an amazingly broad demographic that breaks all the typical stereotypes. It appears that urban baby boomers that grew up watching Westerns now would like to watch and participate in the real thing! And yes! - we're talking like doctors and lawyers from New York City, LA, Chicago, etc.! If you're surprised or unfamiliar with rodeo - read on...

Modern-day rodeo consists of six standard events: Bull Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bareback Riding, Steer Wrestling, Steer Roping, and Team Roping, with the two most popular being Team Roping and Bull Riding.

Team Roping

While popular for many years, Team Roping saw phenomenal growth in the 1990s and is currently the fastest growing equine sport in the country. People from all walks of life - doctors, lawyers, contractors, students, mechanics, and school teachers – are now participating in Team Roping events. More than an athletic event, ropings are social gatherings where old friends re-connect and new friendships are born. It's a sport every member of the family can enjoy; husbands rope with wives, fathers with sons, and grand-dads with grand-daughters. In addition, as the baby-boom generation matures, moves back to the country, and buys horses, they look to participate in something that helps them define who they are. The only rodeo sport unlimited by age and encompassing the essence of “being a cowboy” is Team Roping. To add to this, immense purses are being won by recreational Team Ropers (not just the pros). There's more than pride on the line when your team may win $5,000, $10,000, or even $50,000.

Bull Riding

Perhaps the most famed and dangerous of all the rodeo sports is Bull Riding. The popularity of the sport has exploded over the past 10 years. In 1998, Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (“PBR”) events had nearly 34.0 million television viewers. In 2004, that number grew to a whopping 104.3 million. Its growth from 2002 to 2004 alone was nearly 52%, qualifying Bull Riding as the fastest-growing sport in America. The latest statistics regarding the event attendance are just as impressive. In 2002, the PBR had more than 10.8 million fans who attended events. In 2007, that figure rose to more than 20.0 million, a jaw-dropping 86% increase in five years.

The demographics seem to break all the stereotypes about the kind of people who’d come to watch a cowboy ride a bucking bull for eight seconds at a time. Much of the fan base comes from urban areas like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, perhaps indicating that Bull Riding’s explosive popularity is in response to America's growing disaffection with the trappings of modern urban life. There's something very fundamental about Bull Riding and Rodeo in general. It offers a temporary escape from modern world. It's as simple as that.