ProRodeo Sports News May 3, 2019

GROWING THE SPORT

Rodeo 101

Photo courtesy Courtney Morehead Before his PRCA career got rolling, Logan Corbett participated in Three Hills Rodeo’s Buck Out. Now, he’s a coach and PRCA competitor.

Clinics teach roughstock basics to increase participation

BY MATT NABER W ith the significant decline in roughstock competitors over the years, efforts are being made at multiple locations to help aspiring roughstock riders get started. Not only does it help newcomers, but it also helps rodeos fill their chutes. “One night we started with tie-down

“The reason for low numbers is Johnny wants to ride bareback and his dad used to, so they blow the dust off dad’s gear and use some faulty fundamentals and equipment with nowhere to practice,” said Logan Corbett, head coach for the NewMexico State University rodeo team and a PRCA bareback rider. “Then he gets hung up or kicked and doesn’t like it. “We would have a lot more roughstock riders if there were proper places for them to go learn the fundamentals and get proper equipment. Not everyone can afford $700 for a riggin’ and $300 for a glove, so they get used stuff or use their dad’s old equipment, but we don’t ride bareback like we did 10 years ago. It has changed drastically.”

TRENDING Bareback riding full card holders • 2010 – 246 • 2018 – 165 (19.7% decrease) Saddle bronc riding full card holders • 2010 – 309 • 2018 – 243 (11.9% decrease)

roping because there were no bareback riders,” said Dave Paul, a member of the Gem State Stampede Committee who also represents Idaho with the Columbia River Circuit’s board. “So, we started brainstorming and decided to put together a school.” While the number of active PRCAmembers has shifted over the years, the percentage of roughstock participants has remained stagnant – and low. For comparison, over the last 30 years, team roping membership has been steady at about 20%, while tie-down roping has hovered between 14- 20%, according to PRCA Annual Reports.

Bull riding full card holders • 2010 – 471 • 2018 – 336 (16.7% decrease)

SPURRING ON SUCCESS Several schools and clinics have cropped up to provide the environment for newcomers to the sport. Ten committees within the Columbia River Circuit, and the circuit itself, helped fund “Spurring on Success,” a program aimed at increasing the

ProRodeo Sports News 5/3/2019

ProRodeo.com

42