Rodeo Betting Odds (How to, Markets and Betting Guide)

While those outside Canada may not be too familiar with rodeo events, those within the country will have heard of it. Millions of people flock to celebrations like the Calgary Stampede every year for a week of partying, fun, and to watch a bunch of cowboy events. In some cases, betting will be available with selected Sportsbooks

This article will look at the odds available for Canadian rodeo betting, as well as some of the past winners and most popular betting markets.

The Calgary Stampede 2023 runs from 7th-16th July

What is Betting on Rodeo Events

For most sports bettors, their sport of choice is something relatively common. You can always find someone who likes to bet on basketball, football, or soccer games, but Canadian rodeo is an entirely different beast. Instead of betting on touchdowns or field goals, you’ll likely be betting on champions for each Canadian rodeo event and it’s a relatively uncommon betting market. 

There are a number of events to choose from, some of which could be considered more popular than others. Many events will focus on bull riding, while others include an entire circuit and have races or wrangling added to the schedule. There’s no shortage of events to bet on with Canadian Rodeo, it’s merely a matter of finding the market you seek. 

Rodeo Betting Markets

As you would find with other sports, you can bet on any number of markets for Canadian Rodeos. There are a bunch of different events that happen around the country and different sportsbooks will carry betting markets for different rodeos. 

Read through the section below to learn more about which betting markets are traditionally available for Canadian Rodeos. 

Calgary Stampede Bull Riding Winner 

The Calgary Stampede and Exhibition is an annual event that takes place in, well, Calgary! Alberta is known to be a province that loves to take on a cowboy-ish personality, so it’s only right that one of the largest rodeos in Canada makes its home here. It’s a massive ten-day treat that markets itself as the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” – there are over a million visitors every year, and it’s said to have been founded in 1886 as a fair. This means you can bet on a rodeo event that’s over 135 years old.

In this betting market, you’ll be trying to guess who’s going to win the bull riding event, one of the most popular at the Calgary Stampede. There are numerous events to consider, but bull riding is always one of the most followed; it’s where men come together and ride bulls for the right to call themselves a champion. Whether you’ve been watching rodeo for years or not, this is undoubtedly an exciting betting market to consider wagering on. 

Calgary Stampede Bareback Riding Winner

Another category that you can bet on at the Calgary Stampede is the bareback riding winner. If you’ve never seen this event, it involves cowboys holding onto a bucking bronco and trying to launch his spurs as far as possible in the air. It’s a very exciting event to watch and thus popular among fans of the rodeo. 

Canadian Finals Steer Wrestling Winner 

Yet another rodeo event that’s held in Alberta would be the Canadian Finals Rodeo. It takes place in Red Deer, Alberta, and is one of the largest purses for rodeo competitors; they offer a whopping $1,000,000 to the winner. They have a season that rewards the leading competitors in 10 different categories with money as well after every event!

The steer wrestling betting market is one of the more popular at this event. This is one of the most dangerous events for those participating as it involves a cowboy attempting to wrestle a steer to the ground after riding a horse. 

Canadian Finals Saddle Bronc Riding 

Another event that sports bettors will be interested in is the Canadian Professional Rodeo saddle bronc riding. The saddle bronc riding event is similar to the bareback event mentioned above where a cowboy is riding a bucking bronco and attempting to stay on the horse. 

However, in the saddle bronc event, the cowboy is sitting on a specialized saddle that is designed for this event. This offers the cowboy a different grip compared to the bareback approach. 

How to Bet on Rodeo Events

Betting on Canadian Rodeo events is a bit harder than on other sports, as not every bookmaker is going to have betting markets available. For example, PlayNow is known for being a versatile bookmaker that offers Canadian Rodeo betting lines, but they can only be used in British Columbia.

DraftKings, FanDuel, Sports Interaction, and other Ontario-based sportsbooks might have betting lines available, but it isn’t a certainty. They could also fail to offer the event that you were looking to bet on, but still offer betting lines for other ones. 

Bodog is another suitable sportsbook to consider – one thing to remember is that you want to compare available betting lines on each site (like you would while shopping) to get your money’s worth. 

Things to Consider When Betting on Rodeo Events 

Since many sports bettors may not have much experience with rodeo events, learning where to start your research is a great idea before placing any bets. 

Betting Odds

Bookmakers know a lot about the lines they’re putting out and consult experts from outside their ranks to figure out who the favourite is. Remember that the bookmakers have the most on the line and thus if you see big swings in the lines, realize that there is likely a justification for it. 

Follow the changes in the betting lines, as you would do in any sport, to get an idea of what the bookmaker is thinking, as well as what the public is betting on. 

Past Winners

Rodeo competitions are full of people who have been competing for years. As such, you can expect to see some of the past winners coming back for another round! If somebody has won an event in the past that they’re competing in, you know that they have it in them to do it again.

Hometown

Hometown heroes exist in sports and Canadian Rodeo events seem to be dominated by riders from Western Canada. Alberta is a fantastic example, as there are plenty of champions who hail from there – and they continue to pump out quality riders. If you’re betting on the Winner’s Hometown market, always keep that in mind. 

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