Rodeo 101: Bareback
The first of what we call our “Roughstock or Bucking Stock” events. The Roughstock events are truly like a dance between the rider and the horse.
The Rider will use one hand in a leather glove to hold on to a rawhide handle called a “riggin,” sitting directly on the horse without a saddle, hence the name Bareback. When the gate opens, his feet must be above the breaks of the horse’s shoulders along the horse’s neckline – this is known as the “Mark Out Rule.” Scoring is based on the rider’s ability to bring their feet up and down the horse’s neckline in rhythm with its bucking, an action called “spurring.”
Scoring is based on how well the horse bucks and how well the rider spurs (a dull, free-moving, rounded rowel). You’ll notice a strap around the horse’s flank or armpits, this is called the flank strap. It is made of soft leather and sheep’s wool. It sits loose around the horse’s armpits and is a reminder that it’s time to perform. A possible 50 points for the rider and 50 for the horse for a possible 100 points. Penalties occur if the rider touches the horse, equipment, or himself with his free hand, receiving a “no score”
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2025 Winner: Kade Berry
Bareback Competition: Kade Berry Takes Top Spot in a Hotly Contested Bareback Final
The riders came with their game faces on in the first event of the finals. With scores of 86 and 87.5 on the first two rides, it was clear from the outset that it was going to be close, and it was going to take something special to win. Riding in the fourth position, Kade Berry, the 21-year-old rider from Weatherford, Texas, rode Anoop for the full eight and earned a score of 89 points. A few other riders nipped at the leader’s heels, with 2019 CPRA Champion, Orin Larsen, coming closest with his ride of 88.5. But when the dust settled, Berry’s ride stood up and earned him the $25,000 prize and title of Cloverdale Rodeo Champion.
“This is my first time to Canada and I’m coming back next year!” remarked Berry as he accepted his award cheque. “[This is] my first time in Cloverdale, got the big cheque…and I’m gonna go take it to the ‘big bank.’” When announcer Brett Gardiner asked Berry about the fans at Cloverdale, he shared that this competition was an inspiration to him. “The Stetson Bowl is so cool. This rodeo actually inspired me to ride buckin’ horses in 2019 when I was in high school, and to get the ‘dub’ on my first time here, it’s unbelievable.”
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