I Nod My Head - Breakaway Roping

I fiddle with the bright pink string between my fingers. It frays a little as I watch the calves bolting from the chute and down the pen. The start. What is the start?

Some girls are right there, and others a mile off. I’m up soon, so a make my decision and hustle back to my trusty steed. I tie that pink string on to the end of my rope, tighten my cinch and tuck my shirt in for the billionth time.

My name is called. I’m in the hole. I step into the saddle and instantly the world falls away. My horse senses my anticipation and starts the move forward towards the arena. I swing my rope around, feel the weight of the tip, the hum of the swish.

The start. That’s all I’m focused on. I walk into the box, my pusher drops in behind my calf and the barrier is pulled. I turn around, cock my rope and start slowly backing my horse into the corner. My calf is a black fuzzy thing, fighting the pusher every chance he gets, but I wait. My horse tenses but doesn’t move. We wait. The calf looks forward... the start.

I nod my head.