Brave cowboys from across the country participated in yesterday's rodeo, and 7News was there for every thrilling moment of it. Daniel Ortiz has that report.

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Yesterday, the 2013 Rodeo was filled to capacity; every seat in the four corners of the facility's bleachers was occupied. It has a history going back some 47 years, so it's expected that the sport has avid fans and supporters. The Rodeo is all about good clean fun and entertainment, but according to one of the oldest professionals, there is a youth outreach aspect to it.

Robert Lightburn - Rodeo Official Timekeeper
"I would like to see this go on. The objective of this is to get the kids involved in something positive. Rodeo is something that you have to practice and live."

And the youth participation was evident when one of the youngest contestants confidently rode her horse through the course designed for the Barrel Racing.

Robert Lightburn
"This is one that you have to practice. The horse has to be able to turn but you would turn in a slow motion but you have to train the horse. At home you have to have a barrel and practice with him, you can have up to three barrels but you need to practice. It's just like any sport - football, baseball and other you have to train and train. You can't bring a horse that isn't reigned, it has to be reigned. It can be able to switch the reigns on his neck and you don't have to be pulling and pulling because just swinging it right and left will give movement to the horse, so this is training."

Another of the Rodeo's events which requires precision and training is Calf Roping. Cowboys race after young calves trying to catch them and tie them up in the shortest time.

Dwyn Pinnix - Calf Roping Specialist
"We call it 'calf roping - one loop'. One loop means you catch the head and throw him down and tie him in the least amount of seconds, then you've won. I made a little mistake because he's a bit heavier and it took me a longer time to take him down. I've been out here from Friday so i'm a little weak because I've not had enough rest."

As exciting as Calf Roping looked, the excitement of the crowd heightened every time the contestants went up against their opponents in Wild Cow Milking. They battle against a fully grown, very aggressive female in an attempt to get a few drops of her milk. She made her discomfort known.

Robert Lightburn
"There's three man and a rope. It's like a tug and war - you have to tug against the cow but you've got to tug in a straight line. You can't have a man running off and going on one side because then you won't have pressure. If you have good pressure on the rope and then the man infront - you're not suppose to be afraid of the cow and most of them are afraid. You're suppose to put one hand in the cow's mouth, then the horn and then you can control the horn. You should put your weight on the cow. As you touch the cow's horn, the second man should be at the tail and he must try to anchor the cow. Unfortunately some of these cows didn't have milk today, they should have checked that."

But the main attraction is the Bull Riding and the brave cowboys who mount these combative cattle:

Robert Lightburn
"The main one is the bull riding. The top honors is to ride a bull but you have to 'dance' and you have to draw a bull that will dance. Then you have to have the eight seconds - the scoring is like a 100, 50 for the bull and 50 for the rider. You make the eight seconds and if the bull doesn't dance, a good jump then your score goes down to maybe 25 or 30. You have to be able to perform with one arm, one arm up and you're suppose to be dancing and moving up. The more you dance then the higher your score, it's like a rhythm."

Bull rider Wilbert Vasquez gave the crowd one of the best showings. He braved the bellicose bull for 11 seconds. That's much longer than regulation time for a bonus of 3 seconds.

Wilbert Vasquez - Professional Bull Rider
"The first thing you have to do is to make sure your shin is locked and move to the rhythm of the bull. The moment your shin moves from there you won't be there any longer with that bull. You have to watch him and see where he's going. You have to expect that the bull will jump and spin, it pulls a lot out of me and I have to ride him much harder tan one that would spin becase he brake's and pulls me back and tries to put me on his head. That is the roughest ride for a bull - especially those size of bulls that are so strong. I just thank God that I had the health and strenght to ride this bull and hopefully I am the one the wins it because there are good riders coming up like my brother. Some of the bulls are good and it's who get the least time riding the bull - he wins the rodeo. If I had performed much more on the bull I would have been able to get a higher score but the bull brake too much and it went down like it wanted to fall with me on him and that is hard. I have to help the bull more that what the bull can help me. "

Daniel Ortiz
"So you spent longer than the eight seconds. Tell us about the eight seconds and about your time?"

Wilbert Vasquez
"Well I was just there to try and beat the eight seconds. I did it and I hope that the ones coming behind me - if they make it then they make it - but I think I will be the champ out of this one.

Each of these events have their own set of challenges and accompanying levels of risks. As a result, Robert Lightburn would like for the winners to receive more compensation.

Robert Lightburn
"I don't want to knock anybody, these sports especially the bull riding is a dangerous sport. I would like to see the guys getting a bit more money."

The winners from each of the events were awarded cash prizes. And while, the rodeo drew its own crowd, the Agricultural Trade Show itself was a success on its own. Tomorrow, we hope to have those official figures of attendance from the Ministry of Agriculture.