RODEO

The Mexican-American frontier in the 1800s was sparsely populated, and a small portion of the population called themselves vaqueros or cowboys. Moving cattle across the vast distances of the western plains took talent and effort that they honed into a specific set of skills. During the downtime between ranch work or long drives groups of cowboys often met and held unofficial competitions called 'rodeos'. The name is derived from the Spanish word 'rodear' which means to round up or encircle. It was a chance for different ranches or individual cowboys to show off their skills and to burn off energy gathered during the drives. Rodeos have since evolved into major organized attractions, a famous example being Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. With their evolution there has also been an increase in recognized national and international events: the Indian National Finals Rodeo, Women's Rodeo World Championship, World Champions Rodeo Alliance, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.