Women's Ranch Rodeo Pictures - Page 2 of 2

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The Women's Ranch Rodeo Calf Dragging (Calf Branding) Event

In women's ranch rodeo cowgirls compete in teams from ranches. Four members per team is common. Below we have given a description of one of the events in a women's ranch rodeo, the "calf dragging" event (also called "calf branding"). This information is for descriptive and general overview purposes only. The rules for the calf dragging event in a women's ranch rodeo you may compete in or watch could be different.

Calf dragging is a timed event in which calves are roped and "branded." (The branding irons are not actually hot, but instead are dipped in chalk.) The calf dragging event begins with a small group of calves in one corner of the arena. As one or more teams compete, the other teams will help to hold the calves in the corner. The competing team(s) will have one cowgirl on her horse (the roper), while the other three team members are on foot (the ground crew). The roper ropes one calf at a time (legal catches are around the head, by one heel, or by two heels) and drags it a short distance to the ground crew. The ground crew members must lay the calf on its side, remove the rope, then "brand" the calf. Ideally, two calves will be roped and branded within the designated time limit (three minutes is common). Teams roping and branding two calves will place higher than teams roping and branding one calf. Time stops when a time limit has been reached, or when the last calf is roped and the branding iron is placed back into the bucket.

The rules for the tie down event for any particular women's ranch rodeo you may compete in or watch could be different than the ones we've given above. For more information on women's ranch rodeo you can visit our page of women's ranch rodeo pictures and look for the article beneath the pictures. We also suggest you visit the Women's Ranch Rodeo Association (WRRA) website.