For a sport born on the straightforward ranches of the American West, rodeo can be awfully confusing for the uninitiated.

If youre reading these words, thats probably you. But dont fret, youre starting in the right place.

Rodeo 101 is here to provide the basics and get you up to speed.

Before we delve into the actual events, here are a few of the general terms that youll be hearing over the loudspeakers at Round-Up Arena.

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PRCA Rodeos governing body, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The PRCA holds the world championship, or National Finals Rodeo, each December. It was formed in 1936 as the Cowboys Turtle Association after a walkout to protest unscrupulous practices by a rodeo promoter in Boston. It then changed its name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1945 before settling on its current name in 1975.

WPRA The Womens Professional Rodeo Association, which holds barrel racing at every PRCA rodeo as well as the national finals. The WPRA also holds separate competitions in roping events, though not in conjunction with the mens events. It originally formed in 1948 as the Girls Rodeo Association and included many women forced to take over the family ranches during WWII. It has gone by the WPRA since 1981.

NFR The National Finals Rodeo. This is the event all of the competitors are striving to reach and has been held in Las Vegas over 10 consecutive days each December for the last 29 years. The PRCA season begins in October, and cowboys have until the end of September to enter up to 100 rodeos. The top 15 money earners in the world at seasons end qualify for the NFR.

Added Money The money added by the rodeo committee or another sponsor to the contestants entry fees to make up the total prize money for each event. The more added money, the more top competitors a rodeo will attract. The Round-Up paid out $479,012 last year and is one of the nations top 10 highest-paying rodeos.

Permit Card Like a learners permit for cowboys, it must be filled before a rookie competitor can start working towards an NFR berth. Cowboys fill the permit by winning $1,000 at PRCA sanctioned rodeos and have no time limit in which to do so. All of their winnings during this time go toward regional circuit standings only.

Long Go The long go encompasses the preliminary rounds of the rodeo and varies in length from event to event. The Round-Ups long go is two rounds in each timed event except for barrel racing which, like the roughstock events, is one round. Competitors win money for placing in the top eight of each round.

Short Go The final round of the rodeo in which the competitor field is cut to the top 12 for each event. Payouts for placing in the short round are lower than in the long round due to the smaller field, but contestants also can win money for placing in the average standings with strong performances.

Average or Aggregate Terms applied to the overall standings in each event and is the sum of all times and scores accumulated throughout the week. Aggregate payouts go to the top eight overall performers for the week in each event except barrel racing, which pays to the top 10.

All-Around The top award at every rodeo, which also comes with the best 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 cowboys earn money in more than one event, the all-around goes to the cowboy who earned the most total money while also entering more than one event. The all-around cowboy at the Round-Up has their name etched in the East Oregonian Let er Buck Trophy. If they get their name on the trophy three times, they get to take it home.

Stock Contractors The person responsible for providing the livestock at a rodeo. It takes several stock contractors to supply a rodeo the size of the Round-Up, and nine contractors provided bucking broncs or bulls in 2013. The head bucking stock contractor at the Round-Up is Sankey Rodeo Company from Cody, Wyoming. P&S Livestock from nearby Milton-Freewater provides steers and calves for timed events.

Performance The main competition each day, which includes all events as well as entertainment from the rodeo clown and at Pendleton only the Indian Show which features Native American dancers. Tickets must be purchased to attend.

Slack Due to time restrictions, not every cowboy gets to compete in the 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 roughstock events. The Round-Up begins running slack on Monday morning of rodeo week.

Roughstock 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 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 eight seconds to earn a score. Roughstock is scored by two judges, who award up to 25 points to each the rider and animal based on varying criteria. All scores are combined to get a total for the ride with 100 as the maximum.

Timed Events The name given to all the other events which time how quickly a competitor can complete a given task, be it catching and tying a calf to racing around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels. Penalties are added for infractions, and the competitor with the lowest combined time at the end of the rodeo wins.

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Got all that? Good, because now its time to move on to some more event-specific terms.

Well start off where the Round-Up begins each performance with the bareback riding, then continue on with more roughstock terms.

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 due to the manner of rigging. Contestants grip a handle that is strapped behind the horses shoulder blades, leading to bone-shaking impacts with each buck.

Saddle Bronc Riding Rodeos signature event, saddle bronc is the event depicted in the Round-Ups 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.

Mark Out, Spurring All competitors in bareback and saddle bronc must position their spurs at the front of the horses shoulders as it springs from the chute, then continue to the spur the animal with toes pointed out in continuous motion from shoulder to saddle. A failure to mark out results in a no-score, while failure to continue spurring will severely lower the contestants overall score.

Gelding A castrated male horse, geldings are the most common bucking horses because they are less likely to cause problems in the pen. Female horses (mares) are also used, and occasionally stallions.

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

Bull Riding Contestants grip the bull with one hand by the bull rope, which is wrapped around the bulls body just behind its front legs and has a bell dangling from it. Riders are not required to mark out or spur, but spurring can earn a rider more points. Although they take on the largest animals in the sport, bull riders tend to be the smallest competitors.

Barrel Man Another name for the Rodeo Clown, who distracts the bull from the confines of his barrel to allow the rider to escape the arena.

Bull Fighter The name given to the men who run freely in the arena during bull riding. Bull fighters are responsible for drawing a bull away from the rider once he has been bucked off, helping to herd it out of the arena, and removing flank straps.

Flank Strap A padded strap placed in front of horse or bulls hind legs as an irritant to encourage bucking. Even after throwing its rider, a horse or bull will continue to buck until the flank strap is removed or falls off.

Back Doored When a roughstock rider is thrown off the tail end of a bronc or bull.

Over the Dashboard When a rider is bucked over the head of the animal.

Hung Up When a cowboy has been bucked from the horse or bull but has become tangled in part of the rigging. This is when some of rodeos worst accidents can occur.

Re-Ride 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 horse. 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 is possible to get more than one re-ride in a round.

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Ready for a little more? If not, head down to the Let er Buck room for a study break before continuing on to the timed events.

Tie-Down Roping Also known as calf roping, in this event a mounted competitor must rope 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 cowboys starting box. Once the calf releases a barrier rope at the end of the chute the cowboy is free to rope it any way he can. After getting the rope secured, the cowboy must dismount, run to the calf and throw 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 he must tie any three of the calfs 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 six seconds to make the time official.

Barrier Used in all of the timed 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 that crosses it before the calf or steer releases the rope is penalized 10 seconds.

Hooey The knot a tie-down roper uses to finish off tying the calfs legs.

Team Roping Consisting of header (the cowboy that ropes the head of the steer) and a heeler (the cowboys who ropes the hind legs), team roping 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 five-second penalty. The clock stops when there is no slack in both ropes and the riders horses are facing each other.

Flagman A rodeo official, usually on horseback, who uses a flag to signal a completed run. The flagman will hold the flag straight up at the beginning of the run, then drop it to signify a completed run, or wave it to signify a no-time.

Steer Wrestling Also known as bulldogging, steer wrestling requires the most brute strength of any of the timed events. A rider, or bulldogger, must begin in the box, and after the barrier has been released must catch up to the sprinting steer before leaping from his horse and catching the steer by the horns. The cowboy uses his right arm to hook around the steers right horn, then grabs the left horn with his left hand and 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.

Hazer The cowboy that 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.

Steer Roping Also know as steer tripping, it is the most controversial event in major rodeo due to the higher number of animal fatalities than other timed events. Steer roping follows the same rules as tie-down roping with two major differences. Unlike calves, steers must be roped around both horns for this event and any other catch is illegal. After the rope is secured, the cowboy must trip the steer by creating a little slack then making a sharp turn, using the extra rope to sweep the steers legs from under it. Also, 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.

Barrel Racing The only womens 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 time line 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 time line. Contestants are allowed to bump the 55-gallon barrels without penalty, but if it falls over, five seconds are added to their time.

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Whew! Hows that for an introduction?

Now that youre caught up on all the lingo and the basic rules of the events theres only one thing left to do Let er Buck!

Thats a phrase youre just going to have to define for yourself.