Team roping news from around the Web. Please scroll down to see a brief
article on team roping, including photographs of the three legal head catches,
and also links to shopping for team roping items.
Note: Links with green
underlines are shopping links and will open in a new window
Team Roping Basics
Team roping is a competitive event in which two
contestants compete as a team. One contestant, the "header" ropes the
head
of a steer and the other contestant, the "heeler" ropes the heels. It is a timed
event in which the fastest time wins. While team roping is competed in by men
more commonly than women, depending on what (if any) governing body (such as the
USTRC) sanctions a
team roping one or both of the contestants may be a woman.
At the start of the team roping event a steer is
standing in a box or chute with a gate at the front. The
header, mounted on a horse, is to the left of the steer. The other half of the
team, the heeler, is also mounted on a horse and is to
the right of the steer. When the header nods his (or her) head the steer is let loose into the
arena with a running head start. After the steer has reached the end of his head
start a barrier in front of the header (usually a small diameter rope) is
released so that both the header and heeler can begin pursuit. If
the header does not allow the steer his proper head start (known as
"breaking the barrier") the team is assessed a time penalty. Depending on
what set of rules are followed, the time
penalty is usually 10 seconds.
The Legal Catches
When the header
ropes the steer there are only three
legal head catches: Around both
horns, around the neck, and a half-head (around
one horn and under the neck). A legal catch for a heeler is any loop behind the
shoulders of the steer as long as the loop went up the heels. Catching both
heels is the ideal for speed and control. If a heeler catches only one heel a
time penalty of five seconds is applied. The time is stopped when both ends of
the steer have been roped, the slack is out of both ropes, and the header has
turned his horse to be facing the steer and the heeler.
The Three Legal Head Catches In Team Roping
Around both horns.
Around the neck.
A half-head (around one
horn and under the neck).
Did You Know?
Team roping is sometimes called "dally team
roping" because team ropers dally, or wrap the rope around their saddle horn
after they have made a catch. Dallying is opposed to "tying hard" which
means that the end of the rope is tied to the saddle horn. In some cases
tying hard is permitted under team roping rules (for example, for
contestants over or under a certain age) but dallying is far more common.
"Cross-firing" in team roping is illegal and will result in a no-time.
While the definition of cross-firing can vary, in general it means that a
heeler cannot throw his heel loop before the header has roped the steer and
exhibited control. Often, this means the header must have dallied and
changed the direction of the the steer by pulling it with his horse.
