1. members of a volunteer cavalry regiment, especially the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment led by Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War
Usage: historical; capitalized when referring to Roosevelt’s regiment
2. skilled horseback riders who can handle difficult or unbroken horses

Examples

• The Rough Riders charged up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.
• Theodore Roosevelt led the famous Rough Riders regiment in Cuba.
• The ranch hired experienced roughriders to break in the wild horses.
• Local roughriders demonstrated their skills at the rodeo.
• The museum displayed artifacts from the Rough Riders’ military campaign.
• These roughriders could handle even the most stubborn broncos.