Rodeo Bull Riding & Ogden Pioneer Days

Anyone who wants to climb on top of 2,000 pounds of pure bull muscle and hang on for dear life must be crazy, right? The cowboys who choose bull riding aren’t just crazy; they seem downright fearless. And watching them compete is an experience like nothing else. That’s why bull riding at the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo arena in Utah is so popular with our fans! Everyone wants to see these tough cowboys go head-to-head with some of the biggest, baddest bulls around for an agonizing eight seconds.

Center Stage

Bull riding in Utah is one of rodeo’s most dangerous and most exciting summer events. It’s where the cowboys show just how physically and mentally tough they really are. Fans love it, riders live for it, and we are happy to provide a rodeo tradition where this event can take center stage in July each year.

How Does Bull Riding Work?

Like bareback and saddle bronc, this Ogden Pioneer Days rodeo event and competition requires contestants to hop on to the back of an animal, called roughstock, with only one hand grasping a rope tied around the bull’s chest. The rider’s other hand must stay above his head for the entire eight second ride. If that free hand touches the bull or the rider, no score is awarded.

Professional bull riders don’t have to spur the bull while riding but doing so can add some extra points from the judges. Cowboys who ride their bulls in a balanced manner, and who are in control of the ride, are awarded more points. If riders fall off their bulls before the eight seconds are up, no points are received.

Points are given based on the rider’s ability to complete the full ride and how well he

rides the bull. But points are also based on the roughstock that is assigned to the bull rider—after all, some of the best bulls are the ones that are just ornerier than others. The rider and the bull can each receive up to 50 points for a total of up to 100. The bull gets points based on how much it bucks and its riding difficulty. Some bulls are spinners, while others are jumpers that will kick and buck cowboys high up into the air.

Professional bull riders don’t have to spur the bull while riding but doing so can add some extra points when being judged. The American cowboy who ride their bull in a balanced manner, and who are in control of the ride, are awarded more points. If riders fall off their bulls before the eight seconds are up, no points are received.

Points are given based on the rider’s ability to complete the full ride and how well he rides the bull. But points are also based on the roughstock that is assigned to the bull rider—after all, some of the best bulls are the ones that are just ornerier than others. The rider and the bull can each receive up to 50 points for a total of up to 100. The bull gets points based on how much it bucks and its riding difficulty. Some bulls are spinners, while others are jumpers that will kick and buck cowboys high up into the air.

Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo

Are you a cowgirl or cowboy who is addicted to bull riding? Or heck, even if you just find it sort of fascinating. Check out the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo in Utah. We’ve been nationally recognized as a PRCA Hall of Fame, Top 5 rodeo that draws huge crowds of nearly 50,000 fans every year. We attract some of the best professional bull riders from around the country who come to Utah to compete for the guts, the glory, the championship, and let’s be honest, the prize money. You’re sure to recognize the names of top rodeo athletes who go on to ride in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

The headline event of Ogden Pioneer Days celebration held every July, the Ogden Rodeo gives the spirit of the American West a place to live on, honoring Utahns with a wonderful tradition. Cowgirls and cowboys gather every year at the Ogden Pioneer Stadium to participate in the treasured sport of rodeo. Come take part in a piece of American history.