For a sport born on the straightforward ranches of the American West, rodeo can be confusing for the uninitiated. If you’re reading these words, that’s probably you. Don’t fret, you’re starting in the right place. Rodeo 101 is here to provide the basics and get you up to speed.

All-around — The top award at every rodeo, which also comes with additional money and prizes. It is awarded to the cowboy who earns the most money in more than one event, which is not always the cowboy who earns the most total money that week. If no cowboy earns money in more than one event, the all-around goes to the cowboy who earned the most combined money while entering more than one event. The all-around cowboy at the Round-Up has their name etched on the East Oregonian Let’er Buck Trophy. If they get their name on the trophy three times, they get to take it home. Trevor Brazile has two such trophies.

Bareback riding — Just what it sounds like, bareback riders must compete without the benefit of a saddle. The horses used in bareback are the same as those used in saddle bronc, but the ride is much more violent because of the lack of padding between the horse and rider. Contestants grip a handle that is strapped behind the horse’s shoulder blades, leading to bone-shaking impacts with each buck. It requires skill, balance and coordination. Riders must stay on for 8 seconds for a legal ride.

Barrel racing — The only women’s event in major rodeo, barrel racing has gone from a side competition to a fan favorite. Contestants start at one end of the arena riding toward a timeline that automatically times their run. They must traverse a three-leafed clover pattern starting on either the left or right, and after looping around the first barrel must cross the arena to the opposite barrel. After looping around the second barrel they ride to the middle barrel before heading straight back to the timeline. Contestants are allowed to bump the 55-gallon barrels, but if one falls over, a 5-second penalty is added to their time.

Barrier — Used in all of the tying events and steer wrestling, the barrier is a thin rope that stretches across the exit of the starting chute. The barrier is used to ensure an even start for all competitors, and any cowboy who breaks the barrier before the calf or steer releases the rope on the way out of the chute, is penalized 10 seconds.

Bullfighter — The men who are responsible for drawing a bull away from the rider once he has been bucked off. They help herd the bull out of the arena, and remove flank straps. Injuries are part of the gig, including broken bones and bruises.

Bull riding — Considered the most dangerous 8 seconds in sports. Contestants grip a bull rope that is wrapped around the bull’s body just behind its front legs. Riders may only use one hand. If their free hand comes into contact with the bull, it is not a legal ride. Riders are not required to mark out or spur like the bareback and saddle back riders. Although they take on the largest animals in the sport, bull riders tend to be some of the smallest competitors.

Hazer — The cowboy who rides on the opposite side of a steer from the bulldogger to keep the steer running in a straight line. Cowboys provide their own hazer, who is typically a fellow competitor.

Long go/short go — The long-go encompasses the preliminary rounds of the rodeo and varies in length from event to event. The Round-Up’s long go is two rounds in each timed event except for barrel racing, which, like the rough stock events, is one round. Competitors win money for placing in the top eight of each round. The final round of the rodeo in which the competitor field is cut to the top 12 for each event is the short go. Payouts for placing in the short go are lower than in the long round because of the smaller field, but contestants also can win money for placing in the average standings with strong performances.

Pick-up men — Riders positioned around the arena to assist bareback and saddle bronc riders in their dismounts and remove flank straps.

Reride — When a horse or bull has not done its part, or some other incident prevents the rider from getting a fair shake, he is offered another ride on a different animal. If he accepts, any score earned during his original ride is wiped off the books and he must accept whatever the re-ride yields. It’s possible to get more than one re-ride in a round.

Rough stock — The name applied to the bucking events — bull riding, bareback riding and saddle bronc. Bareback riding and saddle bronc are contested on bucking horses. In all of the events, contestants earn scores for successful 8-second rides. Once situated on the back of the bronc or bull, the cowboy will signal the gate man, who then opens the bucking chute. With only one hand holding him onto his mount, the cowboy must successfully ride for 8 seconds to earn a score. Rough stock is scored by two judges, who award up to 25 points to each rider and animal based on varying criteria. All scores are combined to get a total for the ride, with 100 points as the maximum.

Saddle bronc riding — Rodeo’s signature event, saddle bronc is the event depicted in the Round-Up’s iconic Let’er Buck logo. From a specialized saddle with free-swinging stirrups and no horn, contestants grip a cotton rein that is attached to a halter worn by the horse.

Slack — Because of time restrictions, not every cowboy gets to compete in the main performance. Slack is the name given to the competitions held before or after the main performances, and counts the same in the overall standings. Slack ensures larger entry fields and higher payouts for winners, and is typically free to attend for fans. It does not include rough stock events. The Round-Up begins running slack on Monday morning of rodeo week.

Steer roping — This event follows the same rules as tie-down roping with two major differences. Unlike calves, steers must be roped around both horns. Any other catch is illegal. Once the rider dismounts, his horse immediately begins a backpedal that pulls the steer along the ground and keeps it from gaining its feet. After the cowboy reaches the steer, he must tie any three legs before returning to his horse to complete the run.

Steer wrestling — Also known as bulldogging, steer wrestling requires the most brute strength of any of the timed events. The cowboy starts behind the barrier, and once the steer has been released, the cowboy must catch up to the sprinting steer before dropping down from the side of his horse and catching the steer by the horns. The cowboy transfers the weight of his upper body to the neck of the steer, with one hand on the near horn of the steer and the far horn grasped in the crook of the other elbow. The cowboy then digs his heels into the ground to slow the steer before using leverage to turn it on its side. The clock stops when all four hooves are off the ground and pointing in the same direction. Steers weigh between 450 and 660 pounds.

Team roping — Consisting of header (the cowboy who ropes the head of the steer) and a heeler (the cowboy who ropes the hind legs), the event begins the same as tie-down, except with one rider in each box on either side of the chute. Once the barrier is released, the header must make one of three legal catches — around both horns, one horn and the head, or the neck — and then make the steer change direction before the heeler throws his lasso at its hind legs. Catching both hind legs is a successful run, while catching just one adds a 5-second penalty. The clock stops when there is no slack in both ropes and the riders’ horses are facing each other.

Tie-down roping — Also known as calf roping. A cowboy must lasso a calf before dismounting and successfully tying any three of its legs together. The event requires impeccable timing and a well-trained horse. It begins with a calf charging down a chute that runs parallel to the cowboy’s starting box. Once the calf releases a barrier rope at the end of the chute the cowboy is free to lasso it anyway he can. After getting the lasso secured, a cowboy must “trip” the calf by creating a little slack then making a sharp turn, using the extra rope to sweep the calf’s legs from under it. At this point, he dismounts, runs to the calf and throws it to the ground (called flanking). If the calf is already on the ground when he arrives at it he must allow it to get up, then take it down again. He then must tie any three of the calf’s legs together with a short rope called a pigging string while his horse keeps the rope taught. After he throws his hands into the air to signify a completed run, he must get back on his horse and create slack in the rope. The calf must stay tied for 6 seconds to make the time official.