Considered rodeo’s “classic event”, the cowboy rides in a saddle with his feet in the stirrups and holds on with just one hand to a perfectly measured “bronc rein”, which is a thick strap connected to a halter on the horse’s head.
There is a mandatory “markout rule,” requiring the cowboy to exit the chute with his spurs in contact above the horse’s shoulders until it makes its initial jump hitting the ground with its front two feet. Failure to do so results in disqualification.