How to Organize a Horse Team Penning Contest

Team penning from the back of a horse is a thrilling sport. If there are no team penning events in your area, you can organize a contest. It takes a lot of advance planning, but can be a pleasurable and profitable experience.

Things You'll Need

  • Flags for starting and stopping times
  • Two stopwatches with fresh batteries
  • Entry forms
  • Ribbons, trophies or other awards
  • Back numbers
  • Cattle marking paint or pre-made numbers and glue to stick them on cattle
  • Portable corral panels
  • Garbage bags
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Instructions

  1. Planning and Organization

    • 1

      Find some cattle to rent. Check with roping clubs in your area to see if you can rent theirs, or call a rancher friend and ask to rent some. Thirty cows are needed.

    • 2

      Book an arena. It can be indoors or out, depending on the weather. If you book an indoor, ensure there is room to set up the pen and still have the required clearances. Check standard team penning rules.

    • 3

      Secure insurance for the event.

    • 4

      Invite vendors to set up food, drink and other booths to service contestants and spectators. Charge a small fee for the space or solicit donations from them to help with expenses. Another option is to run the concession stand yourself which will make your event more profitable or allow a charity to run the concession stand in exchange for helping advertise your event.

    • 5

      Get an announcer, flaggers, timers and other volunteers. Sometimes people will do this on a volunteer basis, but they need to be experienced or receive training from you before the event.

    • 6

      Advertise your event. Get it sanctioned at least 60 days in advance by team penning associations and they may advertise it on their websites or in their newsletters. Put up fliers at places frequented by horse people.

    • 7

      Print and send out entry forms along with rules. Limit entries according to the number of cattle you have obtained.

    • 8

      Purchase trophies, if desired, or give all cash prizes. .

    • 9

      Gather information on entrants and make a listing for the announcer. Assign each team a number. Make or purchase back numbers.

    Day of Contest

    • 10

      Have cattle brought to the arena and place identifying markers on them prior to start time.

    • 11

      Set up the arena according to the rules. Ensure all entrants know what the rules are by having them announced before the contest starts.

    • 12

      Have all of your contests sign in and receive their back numbers.

    • 13

      Go, show, rodeo, pen those cattle.

    • 14

      Run the contest, calling teams into the arena to compete one at a time.

    • 15

      At the end of the event, announce team winners and award prizes.

    • 16

      Clean up arena and grounds. Return cattle to their owner.