The Wild Horse Race.

One thing that I like to do on my free time is participate in the Wild Horse Race. Our team is Called the Colorado Kickers. We have traveled to a few states: Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. Our team has only been together for about one year now. We have yet to win an event, however we are improving a lot as a team.

The Wild Horse Race consists of a three man/ woman team. There is the Mugger, Shanker and the Rider. The Mugger’s main goal is to climb up the lead rope and put a mug, or what I personally like to call a hug, on the horse. *Mind you this is all with a wild horse who has been raised on a ranch and never seen a person before. The Shanker must continue to hold the lead rope solo while the Mugger has a mug on the horse. While that is happening The rider puts the saddle on the horses back and climbs on to ride the horse around the barrel in the arena, or in Cheyenne you ride around a one mile track. First team to do so will win the event and will the belt buckle.

This video is from our latest rodeo that we participated in. We are the RED, WHITE and BLUE shirts.

Yes, our rider and the horse both got up and are completely okay.

The Wild Horse Race is one of the few original rodeo events that is still practiced today. In fact the Pony Express racing, Bronc Riding, Steer Roping and the Wild Horse Race were the main original events in a rodeo.

Once the 1960’s started to hit, it because really difficult to find Wild Horse Racers. Thus this rodeo event began to fade away. It was only the major rodeos, to include Prescott Frontier Days and Cheyenne Frontier Days, that had kept this event alive. This event is slowly becoming increasingly popular as the years continue. I have heard that some people come to rodeos just to watch Bull Riding and the Wild Horse Race.

Yes you have to be a special kind of breed to do this.

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Devin Budney, @whrmugger