E T A R CO RPO
cowboys There’s a header and there’s a heeler. If your knowledge about team roping ends there, read on. The sport has a long and passionate history in Canada. Beyond that, here’s why some downtown businessmen enjoy turning steers, year after year. By
Jenn Webster, Photos by Twisted Tree Photography
T
he discipline of team roping is a rodeo event that pairs teams of two cowboys together in a race against the clock. One rider is known as the “header” and is responsible for catching a steer in their loop, with one of three legal head catches. The other rider is the “heeler” and must catch the steer by its hind feet, after the header has caught and
24 WESTERN HORSE REVIEW September/October 2020
“turned” it slightly to the left. There are penalties associated with horses coming out of the starting box prematurely – at rodeos a string barrier is used, whereas jackpots typically feature a five-second electric eye. Heeler ropes are stiffer than head ropes. Riders are ranked in handicaps of two to ten (ten being the best), for both heelers and headers. Also, team roping is the only rodeo sport in which men and
women can compete together equally. Riders are ranked through a global system that tracks an individual’s times and how much money they have won – the horse isn’t a factor in the ratings. Using the rankings and the handicap system, governing team roping associations can even the competition and create fair divisions. As the sport has grown exponentially over the years team roping has also become its own
