No event at a Wyoming rodeo draws bigger smiles than mutton bustin', in which small children, helmeted and grinning nervously, climb aboard a running sheep and hang on for dear life.

The rules could not be simpler. A child, usually no older than six or seven and under a strict weight limit, grips the wool of a sheep that is then turned loose to bolt across the arena. The goal is to stay on as long as possible, which for most riders means a second or two before a soft landing in the dirt.

The crowd adores it. Parents film from the rails, the announcer plays up every wobble, and the tumbles draw as much cheering as the rare long ride. Every child walks away a hero, usually with a ribbon and a story to tell.

Beyond the comedy, mutton bustin' is a genuine first rung on the ladder of rodeo. It introduces the youngest competitors to the feel of an animal beneath them and the courage it takes to nod for the gate. Many a bull rider got his start clinging to a sheep, and Wyoming parents watch the wooly scramble knowing they may be seeing the very first ride of a long rodeo life.