ABSTRACT
Rodeo, a legacy from the days of the American trail and range cowboy, is extremely popular throughout the western United States. Rodeo is an integral part of traditional life for many people in the Great Plains, where there is historical continuity between the cattle frontier and ranching, and the modern ‘cowboy sport’ that developed from them. The origins of rodeo can be traced to the Wild West show as well as to the sports and contests that were first held by early working cowboys for their own amusement (Lawrence 1982, pp. 44-82). Rivalry between cowhands as to who could ride the wildest bronc for the longest time or rope the liveliest calf or biggest steer led to riding and roping matches. Ultimately these events became popular with spectators and developed into full-scale rodeo, in which the utilitarian skills of cowboys became intensified as the sport of cattle country, comprising both performance and contest.
