What Is Calf Roping?

Many events in a rodeo require specific skills, but few require more than that of the calf roper. Calf roping, or tie-down roping, is the only rodeo event involving a contestant, a horse and a calf. This exciting event is over in seconds as the competitors race to finish the task in the quickest time. If you are not familiar with rodeo, you may be intrigued by the name of the sport. As you will find out, it is exactly what it sounds like.

  1. The Sport

    • The sport of calf roping is easy to explain but tougher to master. The competitor bolts out of the chute riding a horse while a calf is released from a different chute nearby. As the calf runs away, the competitor rides up behind the calf, lassos it with a rope, dismounts the horse, runs to the calf and throws it to the ground. The competitor then takes a 6-foot pigging string from between his teeth and wraps it around three of the calf's legs. When he is finished, he throws his arms in the air to signal the timekeeper that the task is complete. The fastest time wins the event.

    Team Roping

    • Team roping is a similar event to calf roping. Team roping is a cooperative event in which two teammates chase down a steer that is given a head start. One member of the team, known as the header, lassos the steer around the horns or neck and ties the other end of the rope to his saddle horn. Pulling the steer in one direction, his teammate approaches the steer from the rear and lassos around the rear feet of the steer and comes to a stop while tying off his rope to the saddle horn. The fastest finish wins the event.

    Its Origin

    • The origin of calf roping comes straight from the ranch. Restraining calves was a necessary task of cowboys during duties such as medical treatment or branding. In time cowboys perfected the technique of roping and restraining the calves and they would begin seeing who was the fastest at getting the job done. This led to friendly competition, which eventually led to the development of the rodeo event. Most rodeo events are derived directly from cowboy duties on real ranches.

    History in Rodeos

    • After the U.S. Civil War, the American cowboy rose to prominence, learning the ranching, roping and cattle driving skills from the vaqueros who worked alongside them in the newly acquired lands of the American West. The skills needed to work the herds eventually led to friendly competition, and then whiskey drinking and wagering turned the competition a little more serious. Eventually many cowboys were competing to see who could rope the best or perform other cowboy duties better than another. The games they created based on these everyday duties became popular enough that locals began gathering to watch them compete. It wasn't until 1936 that a group of cowboys staged a protest at a Boston Garden event that rodeo cowboys became professionals of the sport. They demanded that cowboy entry fees be added to the prize money, which it eventually was. The organization that staged the walkout eventually became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys' Association (PRCA). Rodeo is more popular than ever, attracting 170,000 fans each year to the National Finals Rodeo and getting 13 million viewers to tune in to watch it live.

    Controversy

    • Calf roping may be a favorite event at the rodeo, but its appeal is strictly limited. Animal welfare groups claim that calf roping is cruel to the calf and that it causes serious injuries. According to the Equestrian Outreach website, the injuries sustained by calves during the event can include paralysis, spinal cord injury, severed tracheas and broken backs, necks and legs. Some groups have been successful in stopping the event as calf roping is not allowed in the state of Rhode Island or in the city of Baltimore.