Mutton busting

[1] In the event, a sheep is held still, either in a small chute or by an adult handler while a child is placed on top in a riding position.

Age, height and weight restrictions on participants generally prevent injuries to the sheep,[2] and implements such as spurs are banned from use.

In most cases, children are required to wear helmets and parents are often asked to sign waivers to protect the rodeo from legal action in the event of injury.

At that event, children ages five to seven who weighed less than 55 pounds could apply, and ultimately seven contestants were selected to each ride a sheep for six seconds.

[6] There are no statistics about the popularity of the sport, but anecdotal reports suggest thousands of children participate in such events every year in the U.S.[7] Supporters consider the event both entertaining and a way to introduce young children to the adult rodeo "rough stock" riding events of bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback riding, and may liken its rough-and-tumble nature to the way youth sports such as football are played.