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Calf roping, also known as tie-down roping in the United States and Canada and rope and tie in Australia and New Zealand, is a rodeo event that features a calf and a equestrianism mounted on a horse. The goal of this timed event is for the rider to catch the calf by throwing a loop of rope from a lasso around its neck, dismount from the horse, run to the calf, and restrain it by tying three legs together, in as short a time as possible. A variant on the sport, with fewer animal welfare controversies, is breakaway roping, where the calf is roped, but not tied.
Timing is critical. From a standstill, a rider will put his horse into a horse gait from the box shortly after the calf leaves the chute, so that the horse saves valuable seconds by being at near-full speed the moment the barrier releases. However, if the rider mistimes his cue to the horse and the horse breaks the barrier (known as the "Hallettsville Barrier") before it releases, a 10-second penalty will be added to his time. This is sometimes referred to as a "Cowboy Speeding Ticket."
The rider must lasso the calf from horseback by throwing a loop of the lariat around the calf's neck. Once the rope is around the calf's neck, the roper signals the horse to stop quickly while he dismounts and runs to the calf. 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. When the roper reaches the calf, he picks it up and flips it onto its side. Once the calf is on the ground, the roper ties three of the calf's legs together with a short rope known as a tie-down rope or "piggin' string". A half hitch knot is used, sometimes referred to colloquialism as "two wraps and a hooey" or a "wrap and a slap". The piggin' string is often carried between the roper's teeth until he uses it. The horse is trained to assist the roper by slowly rein back away from the calf to maintain a steady tension on the rope.
When the tie is complete, the roper throws his hands in the air to signal "time" and stop the clock. The roper then returns to his horse, mounts, and moves the horse forward to relax the tension on the rope. The timer waits for six seconds, during which the calf must stay tied before an official time is recorded. After the six seconds, two officials then tend to the calf by untying it and letting it exit the arena. Top professional calf ropers will rope and tie a calf in seven seconds. The world record is just over six seconds.
In PRCA events, the calf must weigh between 220 and 280 pounds. Calves must be strong and healthy; sick or injured livestock cannot be used. According to the PRCA, "Most calves do not compete more than a few dozen times in their lives because of weight and usage restrictions and the fact that calves grow so rapidly."
A study of rodeo animals in Australia found a similar injury rate. Basic injuries occurred at a rate of 0.072 percent, or one in 1405, with injuries requiring veterinary attention at 0.036 percent, or one injury in every 2810 times the animal was used, and transport, yarding and competition were all included in the study.
A later PRCA survey of 60,971 animal performances at 198 rodeo performances and 73 sections of "slack" indicated 27 animals were injured, again approximately five-hundredths of 1 percent0.0004.
Animal rights proponents claim, however, that examples of injuries caused by calf roping include paralysis from spinal cord injuries, severed tracheas, as well as broken backs, necks, and legs. Tie-down calf roping is not permitted in the state of Rhode Island or in the city of Baltimore.
Tie-down calf roping is also not allowed in some localities in Australia, Brazil and Canada and banned nationally in the United Kingdom, Germany and The Netherlands.
The ASPCA, an animal rights organization, notes that practice sessions are often the occasion of more severe abuses than competitions.
A 2016 study indicated that the process of calf roping, including being herded in the arena and into the roping chutes, was stressful on the animals as evidenced by eye movement when roped and increases in blood cortisol, epinephrine and nor-epinephrine. Novice calves just herded into the chutes and across the arena also demonstrated stress responses, experiencing slightly higher stress than experienced ones. However, cortisol responses did not continue for long. The researchers hypothesized that professionals at the highest level were less stressful on the animals than inexperienced ropers.
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