Calf roping

The event derives from the duties of actual working cowboys, which often required catching and restraining calves for branding or medical treatment.

Ranch hands took pride in the speed with which they could rope and tie calves which soon turned their work into informal contests.

[1] The calves are lined up in a row and moved through narrow runways leading to a chute with spring-loaded doors.

The lever holds a taut cord or "barrier" that runs across a large pen or "box" at one side of the calf chute, where the horse and rider wait.

The horse is trained to assist the roper by slowly backing 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.

"[2] There are concerns over the welfare of the calves used in professional rodeo, and the industry itself polices events closely, penalizing competitors who "jerk down" a calf with the rope or flip it over backwards.

[6] 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.

[7] The ASPCA, an animal rights organization, notes that practice sessions are often the occasion of more severe abuses than competitions.

The researchers hypothesized that professionals at the highest level were less stressful on the animals than inexperienced ropers.