The Role of a Great Hazer

Hazing is a skill, not a favor. The hazer controls the line the steer runs and the space the dogger has to work in, and a bad hazing run can end a good one before it starts.

The best hazers describe the job as holding a lane rather than pushing. Crowding the steer moves him off the line; hanging back gives him room to duck.

Competitors who invest in a relationship with a consistent hazer, and who return the favor, tend to have more consistent seasons than those who take whoever is available.