CALF ROPING

The purpose of an Roping class is to provide an opportunity for the horse to demonstrate and be judged on its natural talent and ability, its willingness to perform, and the level of training that makes it suitable for competitive timed roping events outside the AQHA arena. The rope horse will be evaluated through a series of individually judged maneuvers that when combined result in a score that most accurately exemplifies that rope horse’s ability to allow its rider to catch and handle a calf most efficiently and effectively.

  • The calf roping horse will be judged on manners behind the barrier, scoring, speed to calf, rating calf, stopping, working the rope and its manners while the roper is returning to horse after the tie has been made.
  • The roper may throw only two loops and must be done so within a one-minute time limit from the time the calf leaves the chute. At some judging contest they will allow to horse & rider to re-do until a calf is roped & tied.
  • In open competition, if more than one loop is thrown, the roper must carry a second rope tied to the saddle, and this rope must be used for the second loop.
  • Youth or amateurs, who desire to throw the second loop, may recoil rope or use a second rope tied to saddle.
  • If the roper fails to catch, he will retire from the arena with no score. - this is usually not applicable at judging contest
  • Any catch that holds is legal, but rope must remain on calf until tie is completed and roper has mounted horse.
  • If calf is not standing when roper reaches calf, the roper must re-throw calf by hand, crossing any three feet, and tie with not less than one complete wrap and a half hitch.
  • Failure of calf to stay tied until roper has remounted and ridden forward to loosen rope shall disqualify entry.
  • Rope must be run through a foul rope around the horse’s neck, and may, at the discretion of the rider, be run through a “keeper”. If a keeper is used, it must be attached to the noseband of the tie-down and cannot be attached to the bit or bridle.
  • Only the roper may touch the calf while the horse is being judged. Roper may dismount from either side and leg or flank calf.
  • Horses must start from the roping box.
  • Calf roping horses must start from behind a barrier (an electronic barrier is acceptable).
  • Only the horse’s performance, including manners behind the barrier and at all other times, is to be judged.
  • The contestant shall not attempt to rope the animal until the barrier flag has been dropped. Any attempt by a contestant to position his horse behind the barrier enabling the contestant to rope the animal without attempting to leave the box shall be disqualified.
  • Breaking the barrier, or any unnecessary whipping, jerking reins, talking or any noise making, slapping, jerking rope or any unnecessary action to induce the horse to perform better, will be considered a fault and scored accordingly.

The judge may at his discretion award new cattle to enable contestant to show his horse’s ability on the cow including:

1. The cow won’t run or stops

2. Chute or barrier malfunctions

3. Cow turns back immediately

4. Cow leaves arena

Scoring will be on the basis of 0-100, with 70 denoting an average performance.

In all roping events a run must be completed within a one-minute time limit.

Five requirements of roping

Calf must be standing and thrown by roper before being tied

Calf must be roped within two minutes after leaving chute

Calf must be roped within one or two loops

Calf must stay tied until roper remounts and allows slack in the rope

Equipment must be legal

Legal and Illegal Equipment

Legal

Covered tie downs

neck rope (is required)

Keeper tied to nose band

mechanical hackamore with covered noseband

any bridle not deemed too severe by judge

Illegal

Tack Collar

Uncovered tie downs

jerk line

Keepers tied to bits

Mechanical hackamore with uncovered nose piece

Credit and Penalty Point situations

Situation / Points / Credits / Penalties
Box & Barrier / 1 to 2 / looks straight ahead in box
remains quiet in box
does not break barrier / does not want to enter box
does not enter box or turns quietly
nervous in box
Breaks barrier (rider’s fault)
3 to 5 / refuses to enter box
must be forced into box
deliberately runs through or breaks barrier ( horse’s fault)
Running and Rating / 1 to 2 / runs directly into position
stays in position / trouble maintaining position
scotched, but kicked back into position
2 to 3 / trails calf that goes to the right / scotched and stopped completely
5
Stop / 1 to 2 / reins behind saddle horn as roper dismounts
2 to 3 / stops on haunches
stays stopped
backs immediately / poor stops
stops only after severe pull
front end stop
rears
crooked stop
ducks off
Working the Rope / 1 / turns head a few degrees
1 to 3 / backs immediately after stop
continues back until calf is throw
keeps pressure on rope / fails to continue backing
drags calf during tying
shys away during remount
slack in rope (2)
rope touches ground (3)
rubs head on rope (3)
5 / rope on left side of neck by right handed roper & vice versa

Example Run Description

1)

Gunner, a dark bay horse with three white socks, is ridden with a legal bit, and a covered tie-down. Gunner’s neck rope is not fastened to any other piece of tack.

Gunner’s rider has to give several hard kicks to get him to enter the box. He settles down and does not want to turn, but his rider does get him turned while waiting for the calf to be released he turns his head completely away. His rider has to kick him hard when the calf leaves the chute. He has trouble getting into a position. The barrier was not broken.

The calf runs straight after leaving the chute. Gunner trails his calf, and finally gets a position close enough for the roper to get a good throw. The roper throws his loop, catches the calf and pitches the slack.

Gunner stops lightly crooked and hard on his front legs, as the roper dismounts he lays the reins over the saddle horn, knowing that Gunner will not back without doing that. The calf is on its side, and Gunner does not back, and the roper has to travel farther to the calf. The roper throws and ties the calf. While the roper is tying the calf, Gunner stands still, allowing the rope to touch the ground. The calf is tied, & Gunner stands quietly while the roper walks back to him and remounts. Gunner then moves forward when cued so the rope can be loosened. The calf remains tied. The run was completed in less than one minute.

2)

Nitro, the sorrel horse with no markings, is ridden with a long shank low port bit, a covered tiedown with a keeper secured to it. Nitro’s neck rope is not fastened to any other piece of tack.

Nitro is anxious to get started and enters the box very quickly. He settles down and turns quietly, while waiting for the calf to be released he turns his head slightly away, but keeping his attention on the calf. The rider has to pull back on Nitro once to gets his head back into position. The calf leaves the chute and Nitro leaves when his rider cues, breaking smoothly and running straight to a point directly behind the calf. The barrier was not broken.

This calf runs straight after leaving the chute. Nitro trails his calf, positioning the roper for good throw. The roper throws his loop, catches the calf and pitches the slack.

Nitro stops lightly crooked and hard on his haunches as the roper dismounts and immediate starts to back. The calf remains on its feet, and Nitro continues to back, bringing the calf to the roper. The roper throws and ties the calf. While the roper is tying the calf, Nitro stands still, allowing some slack in the rope, but it does not touch the ground. The calf is tied, & Nitro stands quietly while the roper walks back to him and remounts. Nitro then moves forward when cued so the rope can be loosened. The calf remains tied. The run was completed in less than one minute.

3)

Fred, the dark bay horse with a blaze, is ridden with a mechanical hackamore, covered over the nose and a tiedown with a keeper secured to it. Fred’s neck rope is not fastened to any other piece of tack.

Fred is anxious to get started and enters the box very quickly. He settles down and turns quietly, remaining quite while waiting for the calf to be released. The calf leaves the chute while waiting for the calf to be released. The calf leaves the chute and Fred leaves when his rider cues, breaking smoothly and running straight to a point directly behind the calf. The barrier was not broken.

This calf is tricky one, running to the right after leaving the chute. Fred continues to trail his calf, positioning the roper for good throw. The roper throws his loop, catches the calf and pitches the slack.

Fred stops straight and hard on his haunches as the roper dismounts and Fred immediately starts to back. The calf remains on its feet, and Fred continues to back, bringing the calf to the roper. The roper throws and ties the calf. While the roper is tying the calf, Fred stands still, keeping the rope tight and without slack. The calf is tied, & Fred stands quietly while the roper walks back to him and remounts. Fred then moves forward when cued so the rope can be loosened. The calf remains tied. The run was completed in less than one minute.

4)

Woody, the sorrel horse with 2 hind socks, is ridden with a Mechanical hackmore with an uncovered noseband, and a covered tiedown. Woody’s neck rope is not fastened to any other piece of tack.

Woody has to be led into the box by several of his rider’s friends. He settles down and does not want to turn, but his rider does get him turned while waiting for the calf to be released he rears almost losing his rider. His rider has to hold him back, for he his trying to take off before the calf is released. He when the calf leaves the chute he takes off breaking the barrier and being completely out of control He has no trouble getting into a position, in fact he almost runs over the calf. His rider has to pull back hard to get him to back a little off of the calf to throw his loop. The roper drops his first loop, and it gets tangled in Woody’s front legs.

The roper throws his second loop, catches the calf and pitches the slack.

Woody does not stops and the roper pulls back on his reins finally getting him to stop. The rider tries to dismounts as he lays the reins over the saddle horn. As he dismounts Woody spooks from the first rope under his legs and takes off running, tripping his rider. The calf is being drug behind Woody on its side. It takes at over two minutes for Woody to be caught. The ambulance arrives to take Woody’s rider to take him to the hospital, for his broken arm that Woody stepped on. While waiting for the Ambulance Woody’s rider decides to sell him. He’ll take any offer.

How would you score this?

Scoring: each column –

Maneuver start w/ 70 range subtract penalties add credits range –1/2 to –5/

Don’t forget DQ’s

Enter Box / Manner in box / Run down/ tracking / Stop / Working the rope / Rider remount / Overall manners
Horse / 70 / +/ - / +/ - / +/ - / +/ - / +/ - / +/ - / +/ - / Total / placing
1 / 70 / -1 / -1 / -1 / -2 / -2 / +1 / -1 / 63 / 3
2 / 70 / +1 / 0 / +1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 72 / 2
3 / 70 / +1 / +1 / +2 / +2 / +2 / 0 / +1 / 79 / 1
4 / 70 / -5 / -3 / -2 / -3 / DQ / - / - / 57/dq / 4