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Writer's pictureKendra Duggleby

Team Roping




The only event in rodeo that is a team event (steer wrestling, which we will talk about later, uses a helper but is not considered a team event) is, you guessed it - Team Roping!

Team roping is a timed event that uses a “header” and “heeler” partnership to secure a steer between their ropes, a practice that is used in ranching to doctor cattle still to this day.

Team Roping vocabulary:


• Score - In timed events, score refers to the proper head start given to the steer or calf based off the size of the arena.

• Header - the team roper that leaves the left box and secures the steer’s head first, turning the steer to signal that he’s ready for his heeler to do his job. There are three legal head catches; slick horn catch (just the horns), full head catch, and half head catch (one horn and the whole head)

• Heeler - coming out of the right box, this partners job is to secure both of the steers back legs. The only legal hind catch is to catch both hind legs, with a one leg catch resulting in a 5 second penalty.

• Crossfire Penalty - if the header doesn’t change the direction of the steer before the heeler catches, the run is disqualified.

• Dally - in team roping, each roper, after throwing his loop, wraps the loose rope around the saddle horn - dallies - and the two ropers move their horses to face each other, pulling the ropes taut to stop the clock.


What Rodeo facts do you want to learn next? Let us know in the comments!

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