Some of the best cowgirls can catch their calf in under three swings of their rope. In this fast-paced event where a good run is under three short seconds, the cowgirl’s start may be the most important part of her run besides having a clean, legal catch.Īfter the barrier is released, the cowgirl then runs her horse out of the box and chases after her calf. If the cowgirl beats her calf out of the box, then she has “broken the barrier,” and a ten second penalty will be added to her time. When the cowgirl nods her head to call for her calf, she must hold her horse back until the calf has reached a certain distance and the barrier is released. Strapped across the front of this box is the rope barrier rigged to a breakaway collar on the calf inside the chute next to her. The cowgirl begins her run by backing her horse into the roping box. This action-packed, high-speed, timed event involves the handiest of cowgirls, big-stopping, athletic horses, and fast hard-running calves. With the recent addition of this event to the competition line up at some of the most important rodeos in the country, payouts are at record highs, and now cowgirls have more opportunity to show off their skills than ever before.

Breakaway roping is not only the fastest event in rodeo, it’s also the fastest growing sport in the industry today.

Breakaway roping equipment