The rider must lasso the calf from horseback by throwing a loop of the lariat around the

calf’s neck.  Once the rope is around the a calf’s neck, the roper signals the horse to

stop quickly while he dismounts and runs to the calf.  The calf must be stopped by the

rope, but cannot be thrown to the ground by the rope.  If the calf falls, the roper loses

seconds because he must allow the calf to get back on its feet.  When the roper reaches

the calf, he picks it up and flips it onto its side.  Once the calf is on the ground, the

roper ties three of the calf’s legs together with a short rope known as a “piggin’ string”. 

A half-hitch know it used, sometimes referred to colloquially as “two wraps and a hooey”

or a “wrap and a slap”.  The piggin’ string is often carried between the roper’s teeth until

he uses it.  The horse is trained to assist the roper by slowly backing away from the calf

to maintain a steady tension on the rope.

Timing is critical.  From a standstill, a rider will put his horse into a gallop from the box

shortly after the calf leaves the a chute, so that the horse saves valuable seconds by

being at near-full speed the moment the barrier releases.  However, if the rider mistimes

his cue to the horse and horse breaks the barrier before it releases, a 10-second penalty

will be added to hit time.  This is sometimes referred to as a “Cowboy Speeding Ticket”.

When the tie is complete, the roper throws his hands in the air to signal “time” and stop

the clock.  The roper then returns to his horse, mounts, and moves the horse forward to

relax the tension on the rope.  The timer waits for six seconds, during which the calf

must stay tied before an official time is recorded.  Top professional calf ropers will rope

and tie a calf in 7 seconds.  The world record is just over 6 seconds.