Breakaway Roping

This is 2 days after my miss at Neepawa for breakaway roping. I can't miss much more since the next rodeo is finals and there is a three way tie for fourth place. Since nationals only goes to the top 4 we are all going to be trying hard to out rope each other. So today I am out practicing for this weekend. With all the rain we are having though the thought of actually getting any good practice in, is looking really bad. But yet I will be outside throwing at the dummy if the weather decides to not co-operate.   

 For those of you who don't know how the event works, it's done with a rider and a horse. Breakaway roping is a fairly straightforward event. In a breakway run, the calf is placed in the chute and a barrier is looped around his neck. The rider has a rope attached to his saddle horn with a brightly colored marker on the end, such as a colored ribbon or bright tape. The timer begins as the chute opens and the calf runs out, with the rider in pursuit. The rider then ropes the calf around the neck and asks the horse to stop. The timer stops when the horse comes to a complete stop and the rope detaches completely from the saddle horn. The rider is penalized 10 seconds if his horse leaves the chute before the calf completes the barrier. The run will be marked as a "no time" if the rider misses the calf or if the rope slips loose before it pops loose from the saddle. Getting a no time is critical in this event, especially when the standings are that close. Not catching costs you lots of points. 

Outside Article: 

Breakaway Roping Tip: Position, Position, Position.

WHAT is position:

 It is where you want to be roping/throwing from.

WHERE is position:

 Perfect position is your horse straight in line behind the calf. Perfect position does several things-

1.Helps you catch more consistently :)

a. because it lines up your throw.  You should throw straight from your right shoulder, which should be down your horses right shoulder & to the calf's right shoulder if you are lined up straight behind the calf.

2. Helps your horse rate & stop harder. 

a. gives your horse a 'target' to run to, rate at & with that target in front of him, he'll be able to stop quicker & harder.

WHEN in position:

I always want to be in position when I'm roping in the practice pen, from the box or just tracking around the arena.  It's important for my horse to know where to go & if I put him in the same place every time I rope in practice, he will soon know his position & it will take less effort  to put him there & keep him there.

  Roping from the box position starts in the corner.  If you don't line up while sitting in the corner to break to the pin (the right corner of the roping chute), your horse will have a harder time getting into position.  If you break wide (to the center of the box) as you leave, your horse will often run to the right hip of the calf instead of straight behind.  This is a hard spot to SEE your calves from.  Also if your horse is breaking wide, he'll push your calf to run to the left more, because that calf will see him coming with his right eye. Breaking wide takes longer to get into position, so it's important to break to the pin for faster position & a faster throw. It's important to hold position all the way down the arena and not let your horse fade off to the left. Your left hand on the reins helps hold your horse in position. Do as little as possible with your left hand but keep your horse in position.

Tracking calves around the arena:  It is also important to keep position even when coming around a corner while tracking.  Not letting my horse cut the circle will help him understand where to be when we are going straight.

The depth of your position may vary from roper to roper.   It should be a comfortable distance to throw your rope to the target, not a reach. Some horses may need to be rode more aggressively after a few runs to help keep them close enough to the calf- they will be in line but not in position. Horses that have this tendency to be short, you've got to track up & keep them in there while roping in the practice pen.  Very few quick shots, other wise you'll have a very short horse. Some horses are real free running horses to calves, those you can rope quicker on more often without the worry of getting them short.

WHOs in position:

I believe the only exception to perfect position is for younger ropers on a bigger horse.   Ideally smaller horses make better breakaway horses because they have shorter necks to see over. Although some big horses are put together with short necks as well, they aren't very common.

 With younger ropers I understand as a parent, safety becomes the 1st concern when mounting your child and sometimes that's the biggest horse on the place!  So it may be difficult for them to see the calf if they are in perfect position (straight behind it).  It's OK to let them move their horse to the left a little so that they can see the calf.  It shouldn't be so far to the left that they are in heading position but just enough to see the calf. 

For older ropers that are roping on the taller/bigger horses, shortening the stirrups is usually effective in helping you see your target (calf).  Depending on which horse I'm roping on will depend where my stirrups are adjusted but I generally like them short to begin with to where with my feet all the way in my stirrups I can stand up & have about four to five inches between me & the saddle.