We all know how annoying it is during a conversation or event to be constantly interrupted by, “now what does that mean again?”  Learning the rules of the game make any sporting event more enjoyable, and with rodeo, it’s no different.  Next time you’re donning your cowboy hat and heading out to the arena with your buds, when it comes to rodeo rope you’ll never be the annoying one.

Rodeo rope is the line you see the cowboys use in any of their roping events.  If you’ve ever tried trick roping or calf-roping your girl on your own, you’ll know that the rope is different than the kind you use for shoe laces.  This quality difference is what makes is possible for cowboys to be who they are, and do what they do.

The most important characteristic about rodeo rope is that it’s so stiff.  Just think how impossible it would be to create and throw a noose on horseback if it wasn’t.  The rope’s strength also keeps that noose open while it’s thrown, making it possible to catch a cow’s neck instead of just a horn.

After the looped rope (lasso) has caught its target, the rope’s firmness allows it to be pushed or pulled with ease – even on horseback.  Tightening a lasso is essential to calf-roping or team roping; otherwise the target would escape.  Being able to push the noose open when finished is also important – as cattle and fans alike would get restless waiting for a knot to come undone.

A lariat is another name for a lasso, but is also what you’d call the rope itself.  Many cowboys just call it a rope.  This word is correct both before or after the loop is formed.

Besides the lariat, other words for a lasso include the reata and riata.  All three terms come from the Spanish word, “la reata,” which is the rope tied between two animals to keep them going in a straight line.  If you keep learning about cowboy history, you’ll see that there are a lot more Spanish roots than just names.

In the arena most ropes are anywhere between 28 to 35 feet long, or 45 to 70 feet long for California-style roping.  These ropes are also generally made out of stiff nylon or polyester.  On the other hand, a Reata is made out of braided or twisted rawhide, surpassing regular rodeo rope by an enormous length of 50 to 100 feet.

Next time you’re at a rodeo and you hear the guy next to you whining and asking questions, you can: 1) be grateful it isn’t you, and 2) smile smugly to yourself and either answer his questions or not.  While it might be fun to just ignore him, you never know who might be impressed with your mad skills.  Unless you’re being bucked off a bull, you’ll never have to worry about eating the dust again.