UC Davis introduces cow racing

The NCAA has approved cow racing as a D1 sport

In January, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approved “cow racing” as an official Division 1 sport. UC Davis is among the first schools in the nation to integrate the sport into their athletics program.

The establishment of this sport comes after requests from students at Texas A&M University, who believed that schools specializing in agricultural science should be able to include more animal sports into their collegiate programs.

The NCAA also approved other rodeo sports such as bull riding, team roping and barrel racing, among others. It is highly predicted that schools such as UC Davis, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Austin, Iowa State University, University of Georgia and others are looking to implement competitive rodeo teams into their athletics to promote their animal science programs.

UC Davis Chancellor Gary May sent out a statement on Instagram this past Thursday expressing his enthusiasm for “Davis leading the charge to promote inclusivity in NCAA sports” and “honoring the university’s agricultural history through the implementation of this program.”

Per NCAA regulations, teams will be composed of up to 10 co-ed members with a coach experienced in competitive rodeo events and cows.

The goal of cow racing is to have a rider mount a cow of any breed and race against cluster groups consisting of at least five riders, racing to the finish line. The track is composed of real grass with 100-, 200-, 400- and 800-meter events.

Much like derby races, the cows will line up behind a starting gate and wait for the cowbell signal. Riders will have to steer the cows using reins and voice commands. Any form of animal abuse is strictly forbidden. Penalties consist of false starts, falling off the cow, going off the course and unsportsmanlike conduct.

To follow People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) rules, veterinary welfare checks will be required before and after races.

The coaching position was recently posted with the intent to provide an equal opportunity for UC Davis animal science alumni and undergraduate students to apply. Tryouts will be conducted on May 20 and are open to all UC Davis students in hopes to promote inclusivity in our Aggie sports program. Any experience level is welcome.

Written by: Alexia Navarro — sports@theaggie.org