Rodeo is a traditional North American sport with influences from the history of Mexican vaqueros and American cowboys such as bull riding or saddle bronc riding.

Rodeo originated as an extension of the day-to-day lives of early American cowboys; branding cattle and riding and training young bucking horses made a natural progression to competition between the cowboys.

Bragging rights about who could stay on a “bronc-y” horse went from passing the hat for the winner, to today’s large purses at competitions such as the National Finals Rodeo.

The oldest and largest sanctioning body of professional rodeo is the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) which sanctions around 700 rodeos annually.

Animal rights activists are vocal critics of rodeos, due to reported injuries and distress to the animals involved. The American Humane Society contends that rodeos are not an accurate or harmless portrayal of ranching skills; rather, they display and encourage brutal treatment of animals in the name of sport.

The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) is a recent organization dedicated to Bull Riding and puts on a number of events. There are also high school rodeos, amateur rodeos, youth rodeos, and rodeos for women. Many colleges, such as Montana State University, Texas Tech University, and Tarleton State University have a rodeo team.

The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association is responsible for the College National Rodeo Finals held each June in Casper, WY. Also available is the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA). This organization offers internationally competitive rodeo to high school students.

Many youth rodeo associations exist to allow young cowboys and cowgirls to comete at young ages, such as the American Junior Rodeo Association.