The stoplight barrier system is becoming increasingly popular in rodeo circles, with the upcoming WCRA Rodeo Corpus Christi and Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo (KRRR) both using the Christmas tree style light system similar to that used in drag racing
The unique start is necessary for Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo event, which is a team competition held inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, because athletes from each team compete simultaneously, a test of the nerves of competitors and horses alike.
A little context on the stoplight usage
The Free Riders were the inaugural champs a year ago, a team comprised of World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) athletes who roped, rode and wrestled their way to onto the team via the 2024 Rodeo Corpus Christi.
This year’s edition of the annual rodeo that is part of the Buc Days Festival will pay $545,500 and once again provides the proving ground for the Free Riders with the top two athletes in all disciplines earning a spot on the team.
Due to its status as the qualifying event for Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo, Rodeo Corpus Christi will utilize the KRRR Light System this year, providing an added layer of excitement for fans and strategy for contestants, though competition will happen one cowboy/cowgirl at a time on the Corpus bayfront.
“It’s not new to rodeo, the Ultimate Calf Roping has used it in the past and others have dabbled with it,” KRRR Commissioner Luke Branquinho, a five-time PRCA World Champion Steer Wrestler, noted of the unique start. “But it’s new in that it’s never been used to extreme level that it is with the Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo.”
How the stoplight system works
Here’s how it works: the Head Official starts the countdown once the arena is clear and ready, kicking off the Blue Light which lasts for 20 seconds. Essentially the “on your mark” portion, the Blue light is when contestants can ride into the box and being to prepare for their run.
Lights are displayed around the arena and a unique series of sounds accompanies the light process to also help athletes prepare for the start.
Following Blue are Red 1 (10 seconds) and Red 2 (three seconds). Contestants should take these as the “get set” part of the countdown as things happen quickly at this point.
Yellow comes after Red 2 and lasts just three seconds before Green signals the start of time. The chute gates open automatically on Green.
“The cool thing for me is that when you hit that second red and it’s getting to yellow, you better be ready because it doesn’t matter where your horse is, what the steer is doing or anything else,” Branquinho said. “When green hits, you better be ready.”
“It brings the horsemanship back into rodeo because if you don’t have a horse that will stand there and be ready or you can’t manage him, you won’t get drafted to a team,” he added. “So, you’ve got to have a horse that can take that pressure.”
2024 KRRR Gold Medal winner Jake Smith knows all about handling that pressure and riding the right horse.
“You have to be ready at all times and you can’t have a horse squirrelling around in there. He needs to back in and lock on. There can be no nonsense. Then, as soon as you let him go, he’s got to fire out of there.”
Roping for the Free Riders, Smith and partner Douglas Rich won the team roping during the individual discipline rounds in Arlington, stopping the clock in 5.42 seconds, helping advance their team to the Championship Round and, ultimately, on to the title.
Last year, Smith said he’d practiced some going off the gate but admitted he got a better game plan after a morning-of-rodeo run through where competitors got their first look at the setup.
“If you ride into the box right away, you are in there way too soon and it feels like an eternity,” he noted. “So, I got a plan of when I wanted to get in there. When I practiced, I was going with the gate but it’s even faster than that.”
To make the adjustment, Smith relied on sound more than sight.
“I figured out by the tones . . . the fifth one was when the gates opened so I was listening to the tone and that’s when I wanted to leave.”
“And that feels weird,” Smith admitted with a laugh. “Instead of like normal where you’re watching the steer to see how far around before you leave, I was listening for the tones which is crazy because it goes against everything you’ve done your whole life.”
There are penalties for not waiting for green, including for helpers on foot or horseback. Time starts with the green light and ends with a field flag from the judge. Rodeo timers also keep backup stopwatches in case of malfunctions in the timing process; malfunctions with the chutes result in reruns.
As Smith pointed out, there are still basics to conquer apart from the unique start.
“At the end of the day, you’ve still got to get a good start, catch the cow and turn off. The main difference is the start is faster but you can overrun yourself trying to be too fast.”
Because five of the teams have been set through a draft held in December, rodeo athletes still hoping to participate for their chance at the nearly $1 million payoff at the 2025 KRRR have one option: win a spot at the WCRA Rodeo Corpus Christi qualifier.
That’s how Smith got there in 2024 and he’s hoping to repeat this year.
“That’s the goal, to get back there through Corpus,” he said. “I really liked [the Kid Rock start], it was different and neat but that made it fun. And apart from competing, it was interesting to watch.”
The first step to being on the Free Riders is getting qualified: only the top 16 from the WCRA’s Rodeo Corpus Christi Leaderboard earn a position to compete. The cut-off for earning points through the Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) toward the Leaderboard is April 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Go to wcrarodeo.com for complete details and to start nominating.
Once there, it’s simple: hit the famed Corpus Christi waterfront, conquer the KRRR Light System, and be one of the top two during the Kid Rock Rodeo Round on the final night. Grab a Free Riders jersey and help the team during their title defense on May 16 in Arlington.
