You just can't think of the West without thinking of ranches and cowboys. With such a strong historical presence, it is no wonder that the culture of the Old West can still be seen in many mountain towns, including world-famous Aspen, Colorado. Today’s rodeos are competitive sporting events where athletes compete in a variety of of difficult riding and cattle ranching competitions. Aspen rodeos typically take place during the summer months, often weekly on a set day of the week, which makes it easy for Colorado visitors to plan into their activities. A typical rodeo has six to eight events, which are either described as “timed” or “rough stock.”
Timed events require roping, wrestling, or racing livestock, usually cattle. Roping competitions are based on classic ranch tasks where ranchers would have to capture cattle for either branding or medical purposes. Two of the most popular roping events are Team Roping and Calf Roping.
Steer Wrestling, is one of more dangerous events. Jumping from horseback to a steer in an attempt to wrestle it to the ground by grabbing on to their horns, the cowboys run the risk of having the steer fall on them horns first, or missing the grab and hitting the ground. Racing events are also another big part of rodeos. Barrel Racing is one of the more popular racing events where competition is so fierce that racers are timed to the hundredth of a second.
Timed events are to see who can finish the quickest. Rough Stock events on the other hand, involve the athlete trying to stay on a bucking bull or bronco for as long as possible. The two most popular events are bull riding and bronco riding. Children get in on the western fun with "mutton busting" - riding sheep.
Aspen, well known for its world class skiing still takes pride in its mining town roots and western culture. Attending a rodeo is the perfect way to celebrate the local heritage on an Aspen vacation.
