Steer Wrestling’s Secret Weapon? The Hazer — and What They Really Earn

Though hazers are not competitors and therefore do not receive payment from the rodeo for their efforts, the steer wrestlers still take a percentage of their winnings to pay the hazers for their work inside the arena.

McGraw and Swamper | Fernando Sam-Sin

Steer wrestling is an event that has many factors that play into the fast paced event and so many things need to go perfectly right. With two horses, two cowboys, and one steer so many things are required to line up to be quick and efficient in the event.

The job of hazing is often overlooked in the rodeo world. Though the hazers are not entered in the rodeo and are not technically competing for money, they seem to just be background noise to most unknowing fans and observers.

The Pressure to Perform and Payoff For Success

Tucker Allen | Fernando Sam-Sin

Truthfully, the hazer is one of the highest pressured and most important roles a cowboy plays. These cowboys are required to be ready at the nod of the steer wrestler and keep the steer in the perfect position to allow the bulldogger to achieve the ideal head catch setting up the run. A missed haze will utimately remove any chances for the steer wrestler to go to the pay window.

Though hazers are not paid from the rodeo secretaries, there is a standard percentage the steer wrestlers will pay the hazer for their services. However, in most situations, the hazer only gets paid if the cowboy gets paid.

There are multiple circumstances that will determine the percentage of the winnings a hazer will receive. If the hazer owns the "team", which consists of the hazing horse and the steer wrestling horse, the hazer will typically receive 25% of the steer wrestler's earnings. If the bulldogger owns his own horse the hazer will receive 12.5% of the winnings. If cowboys "mount out" or borrow a steer wrestling horse they also will give the horse owner 12.5% if they make it to the pay window.

Owning bulldogging teams can become quite lucrative in situations where the cowboys bring your team to such rodeos as the National Finals Rodeo and other big paying rodeos. Often you will see owners of these exceptional horses not only mount cowboys at big shows but the entire year.

With the steer wrestlers pocketing over $100,000 yearly in the regular season, if they are mounted on a horse that owner will be paid that 12.5%, $12,500, for providing the bulldogging horse.

It is likely these top tier horses are not only mounting one cowboy throughout the year but multiple cowboys, so owning teams of great bulldogging horses can be a great opportunity for performance horse owners.

Shaffer Ponying Banker | Katie Shaffer

Justin Shaffer brought his team, including the 2025 AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year Banker to the NFR. Shaffer and two other NFR qualifiers, Tucker Allen and Jesse Brown, all were aboard Shaffer's team of talented equine partners. Among the three cowboys, Shaffer's team pocketed nearly $500,000, and 25% of that is nearly $125,000. Not bad for 30 runs in the Thomas and Mack.

Now not all cowboys share the same agreement, but most stick to the 25% for the team and 12.5% for just the hazing side, and 12.5% for the steer wrestling horse.

It may seem like a high-pressured job such as hazing might not be the most desired role to play for most cowboys, but if a hazer is among the best in their business, an invitation to haze for the top cowboys in the world makes the job very rewarding and if all goes right, it can help line the cowboys pockets with some cash as well.

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