An Unprecedented Test of Will.
The rodeo revolution has busted through the chutes and it's Toughest Cowboy™. It tests strength, endurance and genuine grit as twelve cowboys compete in three gut-wrenching, roughstock disciplines-bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. These are the only cowboys in the world who dare to ride two broncs and one bull in the same night. It is not for the weak-an iron man competition where only the strongest will endure to be crowned the Toughest Cowboy Champion and walk away with the deed to Jager Ranch.

Toughest Cowboy implements a simple format: Twelve Cowboys, Three Rides, One Champion. Each cowboy gets on three animals (Bareback horse, Saddle Bronc horse, and a Bull) and competes head-to-head with another cowboy for wins in each of the three rides. The cowboy with the highest score in each ride gets a win, and the cowboy with the most aggregate points for all three rounds earns an extra win.

Unlike traditional rodeo, Toughest Cowboy never disqualifies a rider. Instead riders are penalized points if they're bucked off or touch the animal. One point is subtracted from their total score for each tenth of a second that they are not able to complete of their eight-second ride.

2008 Toughest Cowboy Format At-A-Glance
General Format

• Three rides — Competitors must compete in all 3 disciplines (bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding) in each Tournament.
• Head-to-head competition — Cowboys compete head-to-head in each Tournament.
• The head-to-head competition in each discipline is a Round.
• Three rounds to a match per Tournament.
• Cowboys compete for 4 wins in each match: Highest points in each round (3 total) plus highest aggregate points for all 3 rounds (1).

Scoring

• 8-second clock — Clock runs from 8-0.
• Points are awarded same as traditional rodeo.
• Penalties Ö There are no disqualifications, rather a penalty equal to the number of tenths of a second left on the clock at the time of the infraction.
  - Example: if 3.2 is left on the clock when the Competitor is separated from the animal, then a 32 point penalty would be imposed against the judges' total score.
• No mark-out rule, but style points will be deducted.
• In all cases, a tie in wins will be broken by aggregate points earned (either in a single Tournament or cumulatively for Tournaments to date).

Elimination

• After week two the field will be cut to 10 competitors.
• After week four the field is cut to 8 competitors.
• The only way back into the tournament is if one of the top 8 competitors gets injured and cannot compete.

Alternates

• Once a competitor has been cut from the competition they become an "Alternate".
• Alternates continue to compete in prize money competitions in live events through Playoffs (Tournaments 1-8), but they are not part of the TV broadcast.
• Alternate with highest cumulative wins earned in Toughest Cowboy qualification competition is first to return the televised competition upon an injury to a non-alternate competitor.

Playoffs: Tournament 8

• Competitors will be seeded based on wins during the regular season.
• Seed match-ups: #1 vs. #8; #2 vs. #7;
• #3 vs. #6, and #4 vs. #5.
• Winners of the 4 playoff matches will advance to the Championship.

Championship: Tournament 9

• Unprecedented six total rounds of competition.
• Semi-Final Matches (3 rides each): The four Competitors will be seeded (#1 vs. #4, and #2 vs. #3, based on wins in the Playoffs) in head-to-head competition to advance to the Championship Match (based on wins).
• Championship Match (3 rides each): Two winning Competitors of two Semi-Final Matches will compete in head-to-head competition for the Championship and 2nd Place (based on wins).
• Consolation Match (3 rides each): Two losing Competitors of two Semi-Final Matches will compete in head-to-head competition for 3rd and 4th Place (based on wins).
• Competitors finishing 5th-8th place in Playoffs will compete for prize money in non-televised matches at the Championship live event.