Breakaway roping makes its debut

To hear the cowgirls talk about it, breakaway roping is a thrilling balance of timing and athleticism.

But juggling the speed, split-second decisions and skill of running down a calf to wrap a rope around it, all on horseback, sounds more like a multitasker’s nightmare.

Women’s breakaway roping is a new Lewiston Roundup event and takes place tonight, Friday and Saturday, with a grand prize purse of $1,000. It’s the first time the event — similar but distinct from calf roping — has been at the Roundup, now in its 85th year.

Cheyenne Gaspar, director of the new event, said it’s the fastest-growing rodeo contest in the country. While it’s been around for a long time, the sport has only recently entered into the larger rodeo circuit as a competitive event. Plenty of women grow up learning the skill of roping a calf, but the chance to show off the ability hasn’t been available in the Northwest until now, Gaspar said.

Ropers lasso a calf as it sprints away, with the end of the rope tied to a saddle horn by a thin piece of string that breaks as soon as the rider stops her horse.

Gaspar said 32 women are competing in the event at the rodeo.

“For fans it’s easy to understand; it’s quick, not too complicated and it’s rapid-fire — get in, get out,” Gaspar said.

Chelby Smith, of Lewiston, is one of the competitors and she said she’s been in rodeo her whole life. The sport requires snap judgment to make sure the calf doesn’t get too far ahead, or the horse doesn’t outpace the calf and the rope breaks too late or not at all. A keen knowledge of the rider’s own horse and juggling multiple factors is key.

Smith is more than familiar with multitasking. Outside of rodeo, she teaches school online, has twin 4-year-olds and helps her father, who is a professional horse trainer. Not to mention she will also be doing barrel racing this year.

“We’re always in the dirt,” Smith said. “(Breakaway roping) is one of the hardest things you could ever do, and for that reason when it all comes together, it’s the coolest thing you’ll ever do.”

Traci Hammond, also of Lewiston, joined breakaway this year after a 12-year hiatus from competitive rodeo. She is also helping with Chicks ’N’ Chaps, an all-female rodeo clinic to teach women to participate in rodeo and raise money to benefit local breast cancer patients.

Hammond said timing is everything when you have two seconds to rope a calf and stop a horse mid-gallop.

“It’s very addicting and it’s very challenging, you have to be completely focused,” she said. “Otherwise you’re gonna go in the dirt.”

But more than the thrill of the event itself, both competitors reflected on the representation the event offers women. Participating in a high-skilled competition in front of a large rodeo crowd showcasing women’s talent is just as important as the fun of competing.

“These women, they’re a wolf pack,” Hammond said. “Every one of these (32) ropers that entered it is part of the wolf pack.”

Smith said it’s always been a dream of hers to compete in breakaway roping. It’s something she’s passionate about and Smith said she thinks all the women participating share an intense passion for the sport.

“Women who love breakaway, they’ve got to juggle jobs and family and go practice,” Smith said. “To go make a run like that, man, the passion shows.”

Holm may be contacted at (208) 848-2275 or tholm@lmtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomHolm4.