Competition Services - Disciplines

Team Roping

Team Roping – Heading Working together as a team, cowboys on the range often paired up to catch cattle that were too big to handle with one rope. Team roping is an event where two cowboys and their horses are judged on the horse’s ability to position their riders to catch a steer. One rider must catch the horns of the steer (heading) and the other rider must catch the hind legs (heeling). Only one horse is judged in a class. Riders and horses are situated on both sides of the chute that releases the steer. The header must catch the steer either by the horns, a half-head, or around the neck and then dally (wrap the rope around the saddle horn). Once the steer is caught, the heading horse must set and turn the steer at a 90 degree angle and pull the steer across the pen, allowing the heeler to catch the hind legs. Once the heeler catches, the heading horse must turn and face the steer, keeping the rope taut. The horse is judged on his ability to stand calmly in the box; break quickly and run of the steer; rate in speed and position the header for a good throw at catching the horns; continue to rate the speed of the steer; and put the steer in a good position for the heeler to catch.

Team roping - heeling In the heeling portion of team roping, the heeler must catch either both hind legs or one hind leg and dally. Again, the horse is judged on his calmness in the box; how quickly he breaks from the box and runs to the steer; his ability to rate the speed of the steer and position the heeler; and his ability to stop deep and squarely, tightening the rope after the heeler catches. Both the header and heeler are permitted to throw two loops within a two-minute time limit after the steer is released.