page_title: Bull riding
section_title: Rider equipment
hierarchical_section_title: Bull riding / Equipment / Rider equipment
caption_attribution_description: English: 40th Annual Park Rapids PRCA/xtreme bulls rodeo &amp; bull ride, Park Rapids Minnesota
context_page_description: Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider.
  American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To receive a score, the rider must stay atop the bull for eight seconds with the use of one hand gripped on a bull rope tied behind the bull's forelegs. Touching the bull or themselves with the free hand, or failing to reach the eight-second mark, results in a no-score ride. Depending on the bull riding organization and the contest, up to four judges might judge the rider and four judge the bull on their performance. For most organizations, a perfect score is 100 points. In general, most professional riders score in the neighborhood of the mid-70s to the high 80s.
context_section_description: Bull riders use many pieces of equipment both functionally and to ensure maximum safety, both to themselves and to the animals involved.
  The primary piece of equipment used is the bull rope. It is a braided rope made of  polypropylene, grass, or some combination. A handle is braided into the center of the rope and is usually stiffened with leather. One side of the rope is tied in an adjustable knot that can be changed for the size of bull. The other side of the rope (the tail) is a flat braid and is usually coated with rosin to keep it from sliding through the rider's hand. A metallic bell is strapped to the knot and hangs directly under the bull throughout the ride. In addition to the sound the bell produces, it also gives the rope some weight, allowing it to fall off the bull once a rider has dismounted.
  Chaps are probably the most noticeable piece of bull rider clothing, as their distinctive coloring and patterns add flair to the sport. Usually made of leather, chaps also provide protection for the rider's legs and thighs.
  Bull riders wear protective vests, usually made of high impact foam that allow the shock to disperse over a wide area, thereby reducing pain and injury. They were introduced in the summer of 1993, and by late 1994, the vast majority of contestants were riding with them. They were officially made mandatory for all riders by 1996. Some bull riding vests also include a neck roll for protection to the neck, although very few contestants use a vest with said modification.
  To prevent a rope burn, riders must wear a protective glove, usually made of leather. It must be fastened to the rider's hand since the force the animal is able to exert could easily tear it away. The rider often applies rosin to the glove, which allows for additional grip.
  Cowboy boots are also worn. The dull and loosely locked spurs help keep the rider balanced and is crucial piece of equipment to the sport as a whole. The bulls are unharmed by the rowels, as their hide is roughly seven times thicker than a human being's skin. Truly skilled riders will often spur the bull in the hope of achieving extra style points from the judges.
  Many riders wear mouthguards, which are optional at the professional level.
  For most of bull riding’s history, the primary headgear worn by contestants was cowboy hats. However, starting in the early 1990s, a small number of them were riding either with a protective face mask underneath their hat or with a full ice hockey helmet. By the early 2010s, manufacturers were building helmets made specifically for bull riding. Around the same time, most up-and-comers were already riding with helmets. In 2013, the PBR made it mandatory that all contestants at their events who were born on or after October 15, 1994 ride with a full bull riding helmet. Those born before that date were grandfathered in and permitted to ride with a face mask underneath their hat or simply with their hat if so desired.
  Public health researchers found evidence suggesting that bull riding helmets are protective, when riders wearing one particular type of helmet suffered approximately 50% fewer head and facial injuries.
  In 2004, at the 1st International Rodeo Research and Clinical Care Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the licensed rodeo and bull riding medical personnel and clinicians recommended to the rodeo and bull riding associations mentioned in the agreement the mandatory use of helmets to all youth bull riders and the recommendation of helmets to all adult bull riders.
  For competitors under the age of 18, mandatory protective headgear incorporating an ice hockey-style helmet is worn. Riders who use helmets as youths tend to continue wearing them as they reach adulthood and turn professional.
caption: A rider in full gear being thrown from his bull.
exif: {}