The hackamore is a bit-less bridle consisting of a rawhide noseband and comes from the Spanish word “la jaquima.” This class is for horses no older than 5 years old. Horses showing in the hackamore class are in the 2nd stage of training and will often go on to compete in the open bridle class. The hackamore class consists of two portions – the rein work and the fence work. In the rein work, the horse and rider must ‘box’ the steer at one end of the arena, then they must take ‘runs’ down the fence and make turns going both ways. Finally, the horse and rider circle up the steer in a full circle each way. The event is judged on agility, neatness and control. The horse and rider are scored on both sections with a 60 being the lowest score and an 80 being the highest (combined this would be 120, lowest, and 160, highest).

Open Bridle

The open bridle horse competition at the California Rodeo features some of the best horses and riders around. The class consists of two portions-rein work and fence work. In the rein work, the horse is put through a series of maneuvers including figure 8’s, run downs, stops, and spins. In the fence work portion, there are 3 main sections. First the horse and rider must ‘box’, or keep the steer at one end of the arena, then they must take ‘runs’ down the fence and make turns on the steer going both directions. Finally, the horse and rider circle up the steer in a full circle each way. The event is judged on agility, neatness, and control. The horse and rider are scored on both sections with a 60 being the lowest score and an 80 being the highest (combined this would be 120, lowest, and 160, highest).

Non-Pro Bridle

This competition runs the same way as open bridle but the rider must be a non-pro, meaning that they do not take money for their services.