Calf Roping in the Rodeo

Rodeo competitions are a lot of fun. A popular rodeo competition is calf roping. Riders lasso a rodeo rope around the calf's neck and have to tie-down the calf for this event.

The rider throws a lasso around the calf's neck to stop him from running. After the lasso is thrown the rider needs to stop his horse and dismount it to get to the calf. The legs are quickly tied up and the event is finished.

Calf roping began on ranches. Cowboys needed to catch calves and restrain them while they branded them. They also used this method when they needed to give them medical treatment.

It soon became a sporting event. Ranch hands like to time each other to see how long it took them to lasso the calves and tie them down. These contests evolved to what is seen in today's rodeo.

Rodeo calves in rodeos are put in narrow chutes. When the rider is ready the chute operators opens the chutes door to release the calf. A barrier rope is in front of the rider to give the calf a head start.

Once the calf reaches a certain point the barrier is lowered. Once this happened, the rider needs to work quickly. The rider and his horse have to get into an immediate gallop to shave as much time from their score as possible.

The rider ropes the calf by lassoing its neck. After this they have to stop their horse, dismount, and run to calf. The calf should still be standing on its feet at this point, otherwise the rider has to wait for the calf to get back up on its feet.

The rider completes the event by picking it up and flipping it. He then ropes three of the calf's legs and throws his hands up in the air that he is done. The clock is stopped, but the official time is not recorded until six seconds are up to make sure the calf is properly tied.