Discipline - Roping
Introduction to Roping
Although roping is often thought of as strictly an American cowboy invention, in reality it is an ancient tool used by people from all around the world. For instance, relief carvings at an ancient Egyptian temple show Pharaoh Seti I using a lasso to rope a bull around the horns.
A lasso, lariat, or riata (from the Spanish reata) is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something.
Today's lariats are made from stiff nylon rope so that the noose stays open when the lasso is thrown. It also allows the cowboy to easily open up the noose from horseback to release the cattle because the rope is stiff enough to be pushed a little. A high quality lasso is weighted for better handling. The lariat has a small, reinforced loop at one end, called a hondo, through which the rope passes to form a loop.
In most rodeos there are two distinctly separate roping competitions, tie-down roping and team roping.
TIE DOWN ROPING
The goal of tie-down roping, formerly known as calf roping, is for the rider to catch the calf by throwing a lariat around its neck, dismount from the horse, and run to the calf to restrain it by tying three legs together in as short a time as possible. Tie-down ropers compete against each other and the clock for the prize money. The event derives from the duties of actual working cowboys, which sometimes required catching and restraining calves for branding or medical treatment.
Like the steer wrestlers and team ropers, tie-down ropers start in the box ready to compete. The calf is released first to give it a head start and the cowboy must rope it as quickly as possible. The calf must be stopped by the rope but cannot be thrown to the ground by the rope. If the calf falls, the roper loses seconds because he must allow the calf to get back on its feet. As soon as a catch is made the cowboy dismounts, sprints to the calf and tosses it on its side, which is called flanking. With a small rope known as a pigging string any three of the calf's legs are tied securely. Time stops when the cowboy throws up his hands.
After the tie, the roper remounts his horse, puts slack in his rope and waits 6 seconds for the calf to struggle free. If it does, the cowboy receives a no time and is effectively disqualified. If the calf remains tied the cowboy receives his time. As in the other timed events, if the roper breaks the barrier he receives a 10 second penalty added to his time, sometimes called a "Cowboy Speeding Ticket". Top professional calf ropers will rope and tie a calf in 7 seconds. The world record is just over 6 seconds.
Horses play a major role in the success of the competitor. They are taught to know when to start walking backward thereby keeping the rope taught and allowing the cowboy to do their work on the other end. It is truly amazing to watch as cowboy and horse compete together in this modern sporting event.
Breakaway roping is a similar roping event where the rider ropes but does not throw the calf. As the name implies, the rope breaks away from the cowboy's saddle once the calf hits the end instead of bringing the calf to a halt. This version is gaining popularity among people who object to traditional calf roping, citing it as being cruel and dangerous to the calf.
TEAM ROPING
Team Roping, the only team event in rodeo, requires close cooperation and timing between two highly skilled ropers and their horses. Like tie-down roping and saddle bronc riding, team roping grew out of traditional ranch chores that are still performed today. Larger cattle sometimes have to be separated from the herd for branding or doctoring and are too big for one man so two ropers are used to immobilize them. The first roper is referred to as the "header," the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around the horns; the second is the "heeler," who ropes the steer by its hind feet.
Similar to tie down ropers and steer wrestlers, team ropers start from the boxes on each side of the chute from which the steer enters the arena. The steer gets a head start determined by the length of the arena. As in tie-down roping, the ropers are assessed a 10-second penalty if the header breaks the barrier before the steer completes his head start.
The header must rope the steer with one of three legal catches: clean horn catch (around both horns), a neck catch (around the neck) or a half-head catch (around the neck and one horn). Any other catch by the header is considered illegal and the team is disqualified. The header then takes a dally, that is a couple of wraps of the rope around the horn of the saddle. Speed is important and some have lost fingers in this event. Once the header has made the dally, he turns the steer to the left and exposes the steer's hind legs to the heeler.
The heeler waits until the header has turned the steer. When he or she has a clear way, he throws a loop of rope under the running steer's hind legs and catches them. As soon as the heeler also dallies tight, the header turns his horse to directly face the steer and heeler. Both horses back up slightly to stretch out the steer's hind legs, immobilizing the animal. As soon as the steer is stretched out, an official waves a flag and the time is taken. The steer is released and trots off. There is a 5 second penalty for roping only one hind leg.
A successful professional-level team takes between 4 and 12 seconds to stretch the steer, depending on the length of the arena.
Horses are an important aspect of this event. The American Quarter Horse is the most popular among all timed-event competitors, particularly team ropers. Heading horses generally are taller and heavier because they need the power to turn the steer after it is roped. Heeling horses are quick and agile, enabling them to better follow the steer and react to its moves.
Team roping is also the only rodeo event where men and women compete equally together, in either single gender or mixed gender teams.
