What is a chute?

Two definitions:

1. In racing, an extension of the stretch to allow sprint races to be run in a straight line.

2. In rodeos and cutting competitions, the chute is any device or area in which an animal is held prior to competition. So, it can refer to the narrow pen a bucking horse or bull is held in before being released, a similar pen used to hold cattle for roping, the narrow gate into the arena used when barrel racing, etc.