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“Rodeo” is a Spanish word and means “a going around”. Rodeos started originally, in the American Southwest, as the annual roundup of cattle by ranchers for the purpose of counting, branding, and selling.

In modern times the term is more commonly used to describe an organised spectator sport in which contestants compete for cash prizes by riding wild horses and bulls. Other rodeo events Include roping, tying, or wrestling calves and steers.

Rodeo as a sport developed during the 19th century. The first rodeos were informal contests waged by cowboys as they roped and tied cattle and broke wild horses for riding. Eventually professional showmen, realising that people would pay to watch these contests, began to buy wild stock, stage contests at county fairs and other such gatherings, and charge admission.

At first, rodeos offered relatively modest prizes and attracted only local cowboys as contestants. However, as rodeos became more frequent and cash prizes became larger, many of the better riders and ropers began to follow the rodeo around the country, competing in contest after contest and thereby becoming professionals. Amateur contestants found themselves unable to compete with the experienced men, and in time the sport’s participants became almost entirely professional.

The fourth weekend of every September sees the Stroud Rodeo, an important fixture on the competition calendar, hit the Stroud Showground on the 25th and 26th September. Check out Stroud Rodeo for more details.