19th Annual Zia Regional Rodeo

By Edward Lee

The New Mexico Gay Rodeo Association will hold its 19th Annual Zia Regional Rodeo
July 23 – 25, 2010.

Competition will include rough stock riding, speed, roping and camp events.
Events in the rough stock riding category include bareback bronc riding and chute dogging, but the most exciting competition has to be bull riding. The average bucking bull weighs between 2,000 and 3,000 lbs. and can make erratic moves because the bull’s hide is only loosely attached to its skeletal structure. Bulls are also aggressive by nature and will often charge its rider after the rider comes off the bull.
Speed events are timed events where horse and rider race to accomplish a pattern or course in the least possible time. In all these events, riders are disqualified if their horse “breaks” the pattern or runs outside the prescribed pattern. Pole bending, barrel racing and flag racing are examples of popular speed events. 

Roping events such as calf, break-away and team roping are the oldest rodeo events, arising from the necessity of the cowhand to be able to do “doctoring “on the range and to handle roping duties at branding time. Roping events are timed events, testing the skill of the roper(s).

The most entertaining competition has to be the camp events. Camp events have been designed to allow novice competitors an opportunity to compete along with more seasoned rodeo competitors. The prize purses in these events are usually relatively large for the rodeo. All camp events are timed events. 

Steer decorating is a two-member team event. One team member holds a rope, which is run through a metal ring to form a loop, and the loop is over the steer’s horns when it is released from the chute. This team member stands 10 feet from the chute and the other team member stands 40 feet away and has a 2- foot piece of ribbon. When the whistle blows, the chutes are opened and the steer must be herded across the 10-foot line before the team member with ribbon can attempt to tie the ribbon on the tail of the steer. The team member with the rope must remove the rope from the steer’s horns and then the team member with the ribbon, after having tied on the ribbon to the steer’s tail, runs back into the chute and tags a timer. The team can be disqualified if they attempt to remove the rope or tie on the ribbon before the steer crosses the 10-foot line, if the ribbon falls off before the timer is tagged, or if the barrier lines are crossed before the whistle blows. 

Goat dressing is also a two-member team event. A goat is tethered with a ten-foot rope to a stake or weight in the arena.

The team must fit a pair of men’s briefs on the goat’s hind legs and then run back across the finish line for a time. The team is disqualified if the shorts fall off the goat before they cross the finish line. 

The crowd favorite has to be the wild drag race. This is a three-member team event with one member being a man; one being a woman and the last team member being a person dressed in female attire or “drag”. The cowgirl has the rope attached to the steer and is 10 feet from the chute. The cowboy and the drag are 40 feet from the chute. When the whistle blows, the gate opens and the object is to get the steer across a line 70 feet from the chutes. The steer has to then be maneuvered back across the 70-foot line with the drag straddled on the steer. All four feet of the steer must cross the finish line before time ends.

NMGRA donates a portion of rodeo proceeds to local charities. In the past the organization has donated to POCAF (People of Color Aids Foundation), Walkin’ N Circles Ranch, Inc (Horse Rescue), NM Breast Cancer Coalition, Stanford House, UNM Parent Fund, New Mexico Aids Services, Emmanuel MCC Food Bank, Domestic Violence Legal Hotline and Tierra del Sol (part of Albuquerque’s Healthcare for the Homeless).

The Zia Regional Rodeo will be held at Bernalillo County Sheriffs Posse Arena, 10308 2nd ST NW, Albuquerque NM 87114-2208.

The New Mexico Gay Rodeo Association is a member of the International Gay Rodeo Association. IGRA is comprised of 21 member associations throughout the United States and Canada, and annually, these member associations produce 19 rodeos. Each rodeo season concludes with the IGRA Finals Rodeo. NMGRA was the proud host of the Finals Rodeo in both 1996 and 2000.

For more information go to www.nmgra.com