Experience edge-of-your-seat entertainment as local cowboys and cowgirls compete in this beloved old west tradition.  The Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo showcases bareback bronc riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, mutton bustin’, and the thrilling bull riding!  Feel the thunder of the animals race past as these talented athletes put on display the skills required to survive on the western frontier.  You can’t find a bad seat at this quaint open-air arena. The rodeo takes places multiple nights a week during the summer season.  When it comes to American southwest cowboys, this is certainly as authentic as it gets.

Bull riding, a crowd favorite, is an 8 second contest of strength, balance, and endurance between the bull and its rider. A rider must hang on for 8 seconds with one hand in the bull rope and one in the air in order to earn a score.  Each ride is worth up to 100 total points: 50 points awarded to the bull and 50 points awarded to the rider.  The rider receives points if he successfully rides the bull for 8 seconds while the bull receives a score of 0 to 50 points after every ride, whether the rider successfully achieved the 8 second buzzer or not.

Barrel racing is a rodeo event wherein a horse and rider attempt to complete a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the quickest time. This women’s only event combines the horse’s athletic ability and the skills of the rider in order to safely and successfully maneuver a horse in a pattern around three barrels.  Entering the arena at a gallop, the rider races towards her first barrel. She, along with her horse, must make a complete circle around each barrel. After the first barrel, the rider must race on to the second barrel, and then to the third and final barrel located on the opposite side of the course from her point of entry. The loudest and most exciting part of the rodeo is when the barrel racer and her horse sprint all the way back to their starting point.