Breakaway roping is a variation of
calf roping where a calf is roped, but not thrown and tied. It is a
rodeo event that features a
calf and one mounted rider. The calves are moved one at a time through narrow
runs leading to a chute with
spring-loaded doors. The horse and rider wait in a box next to the chute that has a spring-loaded rope, known as the barrier, stretched in front. A light
rope
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similar ...
is fastened from the chute to the calf's neck, releasing once the calf is well away from the chute and releasing the barrier, which is used to ensure that the calf gets a
head start. Once the barrier has released, the horse runs out of the box while the roper attempts to throw a
lasso
A lasso ( or ), also called lariat, riata, or reata (all from Castilian, la reata 're-tied rope'), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the Spanish an ...
around the neck of the calf.
Once the rope is around the calf's neck, the roper signals the
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
to stop suddenly. The rope is tied to the
saddle
The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not k ...
horn with a string. When the calf hits the end of the rope, the rope is pulled tight and the string breaks. The breaking of the string marks the end of the run. The rope usually has a small white flag at the end that makes the moment the rope breaks more easily seen by the timer. The fastest run wins.
Breakaway roping is usually seen in junior, high school, college, semi-professional, and professional rodeos. At the collegiate, semi-professional, and professional level, it is exclusively a women's event, but at lower levels competitors can be both male and female. Some amateur rodeos also have breakaway roping as part of their event line-up. It is also used as a substitute for calf roping in some parts of Europe, where traditional calf roping, also called tie-down roping, is banned.
In 2019, the
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States and Canada, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National ...
(PRCA) started including
Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) sanctioned breakaway roping at some of their events, making it along with the standard WPRA
barrel racing
Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur and ...
the two rodeo events for women. Since 2020, the year-end National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) has been held to determine the WPRA World Champion breakaway roper. This event is held in conjunction with the PRCA’s
National Finals Rodeo
The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money-winners in the season for each event.
The NFR is held each year in the fi ...
(NFR).
External links
National Little Britches Rodeo AssociationNational High School Rodeo AssociationNational Intercollegiate Rodeo AssociationInternational Professional Rodeo AssociationWomen’s Professional Rodeo Association
{{Rodeo
Roping (rodeo)
Rodeo events