ETYM sp., a going round.
1. An enclosure for cattle that have been rounded up.
2. An exhibition of cowboy skills.
Originally a practical means of rounding up cattle in North America. It is now a professional sport in the us and Canada. Ranching skills such as bronco busting, bull riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping are all rodeo events. Because rodeo livestock is valuable, rules for its handling are laid out by the American Humane Association, yet criticism has been leveled at rodeos for cruel treatment of their animals.
Leading professionals earn in excess of $200,000 a season, and a world championship exists. One of the most widely known rodeo shows is the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada. In Australia, amateur rodeos are held.