Welcome to the
Taylor Rodeo Association

 

For over 70+ years, the Taylor Rodeo Association has enjoyed bringing families, rodeo participants, and spectators of the sport together to bring you fun filled events like the Blackland Bull Buckout, the Kick Off Rodeo Gala, and our Annual Taylor Rodeo. Proceeds from these and other events get reinvested into our community through financial donations to local organizations such as 4H/FFA Boosters, Dell Children's Hospital, and numerous other non-profit organizations.

The Taylor Rodeo Association is proud to announce that in 2022 and again 2023 it gave out $50,000 in academic scholarships to graduating Seniors in Williamson, Milam and Lee counties. 




The Taylor Rodeo Association not only provides the opportunity to the participating cowboys and cowgirls for a chance to win prize money and points towards the CPRA finals, but it gives local cowboys and cowgirls a chance to take home a check. We see some of the best competitors at the Taylor Rodeo and we wish everyone good luck as they compete to advance to the CPRA Finals Rodeo in Angleton, Texas. Adding to the fun of the rodeo is crowd participation in events, like calf scramble, wild steer saddling, and mutton busting for the kids.




1953 | John Ashley
Photo courtesy of Taylor Public Library


Following a riding session at the Airport arena, the camera caught this group of Taylor Rodeo Association Directors: Joe Casey, Dick Lawhon, Robert Ray Foster, Joe Zimmehanzel and John Ashley in August of 1953.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Public Library

Our History

 

The Great American Cowboy built this country with strong hands and a lonely heart. He brought beef to the North and tamed the West. He spent his nights under lonely stars by a camp fire and spent his days roping, riding and fighting the elements -- and some lived to tell about it. The history of the cowboy's life is written in books and songs. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and John Wayne immortalized him in the movies.

Since 1950, the Taylor Rodeo Association has proudly brought to you the Annual Taylor Rodeo in the home town of William "Bill" Pickett. The crowds that come to this event have grown because of the enthusiasm and the excitement, but most of all for the entertainment they receive. Taylor's rodeo is different because of the tremendous amount of crowd participation. Spectators can jump into the rodeo action during events such as the Calf Scramble, Wild Steer Saddling, and Mutton Busting. 

.  This is an open and sanctioned rodeo; a place where you can watch local people rope and ride along side of professional cowboys. Some of the cowboys you get to see are the future of the sport. PRCA riders are welcome, since this is an open event, but they may not come away with a check.

Over the years, the Annual Taylor Rodeo has become the big fish in a little pond. It is one of the biggest and best small-town rodeos anywhere! Crowds at the event exceed expectations every year, and each year more and more people come out to Taylor, Texas to experience rodeo at its finest. This is an open CPRA rodeo, meaning you don't have to carry a membership card to enter. It's the perfect place to watch local folks ride and rope against some of the top cowboys and cowgirls on the circuit. 


The East Williamson County Expo Center is home to the Annual Taylor Rodeo. This 60,000 square foot covered facility is the largest in Williamson County. The Annual Taylor Rodeo is a celebration of passion, dignity, honor and integrity surrounding the legacy of the great American cowboy.

Giving Back

 

Proceeds from the rodeo can be seen back at work in the community through donations to local organizations such as 4H/FFA Booster Clubs, Dell Children's Hospital and numerous other local charities.

The Taylor Rodeo Association is excited to announce that in 2022 and again in 2023 it awarded $50,000 in academic scholarships to graduating seniors of Williamson, Milam, and Lee counties.


Want to donate to our scholarship fund?



This is an exciting time for the Taylor Rodeo Association, and we must give a huge thank you to the community, our sponsors, the Williamson County Expo Center, Taylor Chamber of Commerce, the City of Taylor, and DVS Productions for helping make the Taylor Rodeo a success. Without this teamwork, our event would not be where it is after so many years. The Taylor Rodeo has been a hometown-tradition for generations, and we are excited to watch it continue to grow.

 


Barrel Racing





This rodeo event consists of a horse and rider who attempt to complete a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels with the fastest time winning. It combines the horse's athletic ability and the horsemanship of the rider to maneuver a horse safely and successfully in a pattern around three metal or plastic barrels placed in a triangle in the center of the arena. It is believed that competitive barrel racing events were first held in Texas.

Bull Riding





This event involves a rider that tightly fastens one hand to the bull with a long, braided rope and tries to stay mounted while the bull attempts to buck off the rider. The rider must stay on the bucking bull a full eight seconds holding on with one hand. The other hand must remain free for the duration of the ride to count as a qualified ride. It is a risky sport and has been called 'the most dangerous eight seconds in sports'. Many riders choose to wear a helmet with a face mask to protect their head, should it contact the bucking bull.

Saddle Bronc Riding



Originally, this event was based upon the necessary horse breaking skills of the working cowboy. The cowboy climbs on a small saddle rigging, if you can call it a saddle, and clutches a rope attached to the bridle around the horse's head. Once the gate opens, the rider attempts to stay on the horse for an eight second ride without touching the horse with their other free hand. If the free hand touches the horse, the rider is disqualified, thus ending the rider's chances of winning. A rider that manages to complete a ride is scored on a scale of 0-50, and the horse is also scored on a scale of 0-50. The scores are added together for the cowboy's final score. Scores in the 80's are very good, and scores in the 90's are considered to be exceptional.


Bareback Bronc Riding

 


Bareback bronc riding is a rodeo event that involves a cowboy or cowgirl riding a bucking horse that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. These horses are called Broncs or Broncos. The sport originated from the horse breaking skills of a working cowboy. The event is now a highly styliz4ed competition utilizing horses that are specially bred for strength, agility, and bucking.

Steer Wrestling




Steer wrestling, also known as 'bulldogging', features a steer and two mounted cowboys. On one side of the chute is the 'hazer', whose job it is to ride parallel to the steer once it begins running to make sure it runs in a straight line. On the other side of the cute is the 'steer wrestler' or 'bulldogger', and in the chute is the steer. Once the chute opens, the suddenly freed steer takes off running, followed closely by the hazer and cowboy. The cowboy attempts to catch up to the running steer, and then leans over his horse, which is also running, and grabs the horns of the steer. The 'steer wrestler' or 'bulldogger' is then pulled from his running horse by the steer and plants his heals in the dirt, bringing them both to a stop. The cowboy attempts to turn the steer's head, causing it to become unbalanced and falls to the ground. Steer wrestling was not part of ranch life. This event originated in the 1930s and is said to have been started by Bill Pickett. His statue is at the corner of Main and Second in downtown Taylor.

Team Roping




This rodeo event features a steer and two mounted ropers. The first roper is referred to as the 'header', whose job it is to rope the steer's head. The second roper is referred to as the 'heeler', whose job it is, you guessed it, to rope the steer's heels or legs. After the steer is released into the arena, with a head start and running full speed, the two roper then attempt to catch up to the running steer. The header ropes the steer's head and turns the animal for the heeler to do his job roping the steer's legs. Cowboys originally developed the technique on ranches when it was necessary to capture and restrain a full-grown animal too large to handle by a single man.

Women's Breakaway

 




Women's breakaway roping is comparable to the men's tie down roping and is a timed event. However, the only exception is the girls are not required to dismount and tie the calf. In breakaway roping, the Cowgirl has a flag tied close to the end of her rope and a nylon string tied from the rope to the saddle horn. When the rope gets tight, after the calf is roped, the string breaks away from the saddle horn and the flag goes flying. This signals the judge to stop the clock and record the time. All calves are strong and healthy, weighing anywhere from 220 to 280 pounds.

Tie Down Roping

 

The cowboy starts behind a barrier, which is an easily broken string fastened to the calf. When the roper calls for the calf, the chute man trips a lever opening the chute gate. Once released, the calf breaks out running and, at the end of the tether, breaks the string, releasing the barrier for the horse and cowboy. The rider then attempts to rope the calf and bring it to the ground, all while dismounting from the saddle. Once on the ground, the cowboy then tries to tie three of the calf's legs together using a rope and half hitch knot. The calf's legs must remain tied for six seconds for the cowboy to have an official score.