Rodeo: An All American History?

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.3 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Roughstock, roping and risk - the sport and spectacle of rodeo has become one of the most iconic American pastimes over the last couple of centuries. But where did it begin and how has it changed over time?

Don is joined by Dr Tracey Hanshew, Assistant Professor of History at Eastern Oregon University. Tracey's article, 'Here she comes wearin’ them britches!’ Saddles, Riding Skirts, and Social Reform in the Turn-of-the-Century Rural West,' was recently published in Montana The Magazine of Western History.

Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wow, what a scene.
0:07.0	The stands are packed, music blaring, air thick with hay, barbecue smoke and manure.
0:16.0	Out back are the pens with horses and cattle, and riders and ropers pacing in between more nervous than the livestock.
0:23.6	In here, it's the main event. The bulls in the shoot, madder than hell.
0:28.6	As the rider wraps in, there's the count, and boom!
0:32.6	The gate opens and eight seconds of spine-buckling, rump-rollicking chaos ensues.
0:39.0	The rider whipping around like an empty flower sack in the wind.
0:43.3	When he finally lets loose, sailing into the dirt,
0:46.3	the crowd cheers and the rodeo clowns run in,
0:49.1	flailing their arms trying to steer a 2,000-pound beast,
0:53.3	hell bent on revenge, back to where he came from.
0:57.2	It's the rodeo. So familiar, so timeless. But it's more than just spectacle and bravora.
1:03.9	It's the tail end of hundreds of years of ranching history and the hard-won skills developed out there.
1:10.6	Open that gate and history comes alive.
1:13.2	Still bucking, still dangerous, and still there.
1:34.4	Well, how do all? Welcome to American History Hit. Time to climb into those chaps, pop on your lids, slide into your kicks, and give your jinglers a spin. All rigged up and ready to
1:40.1	rodeo. Yeah. Today's episode of American history, it can't get much more American.
1:45.9	Rodeo, the All-American sport. Or is it? What are the true origins of rodeo? Where'd all that
1:52.3	roping and riding and bucking and broncoing really come from? And then somehow become a billion
1:57.6	dollar industry. It is today with ropers and riders, sometimes earning six
2:01.5	figures, and Western gear pervade to city folk who've sidled up nowhere near a horse, much less
2:07.4	roped and tied a squealing calf. Let's talk History of Rodeo with historian Tracy Hanchoo,
	...

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