A bareback rider begins his ride with his feet placed over the break of the horse's shoulder. If the cowboy's feet are not in the correct position when the horse hits the ground on its first jump out of the chute, the cowboy has failed to "mark the animal out" of the chute and he is disqualified.

Throughout the eight-second ride, the cowboy must grasp the rigging, a leather and rawhide handhold, with only one hand. Spurring action begins with the rider in control, his heels at the horse's neck. He then pulls his feet, toes turned outward, to the horse's wither until his feet are nearly touching the rigging.

The rider is disqualified if he touches his equipment, himself, or the animal with his free hand. The rider is judged on his control during the ride and on his spurring style. The score is also based on the performance and strength of the horse. Each judge scores 1-25 points on the rider and 1-25 points on the horse. There are 2 judges, one on each side of the arena, for a possible score of 100 points.