What is Team Roping?

In one of rodeo’s few team events, two ropers, a “header” and a “heeler,” work together to catch a steer.

The header is the first cowboy out of the box. He may rope the steer around the head and one horn, around the neck or around both horns, which are specially wrapped for the event. As with all timed events, if the header fails to give the animal its alotted head start, a 10-second penalty is added to the total time.

After making his catch, the header rides to the left, taking the steer in tow. The heeler moves in and ropes both hind legs. Catching only one hind leg results in a five-second penalty. If the heeler tosses his loop before the header has changed the direction of the steer and has the animal moving forward, it’s called a “crossfire” and it results in disqualification.

The clock is stopped when the slack has been taken out of both ropes and the contestants are facing each other.

Team Roping Links