Trick riding served as form of warfare in the 15^th and 16^th centuries for Russian military tribes called Cossacks. Many Cossacks fled Russia for the United States when the Bolsheviks began a systematic elimination of the tribes in 1919. The Cossacks began performing their riding stunts for American audiences and several years later the sport became a full-fledged rodeo event.  The hardest tricks earned the most points, and therefore the most prize money, which eventually caused the downfall of trick riding.