The first roper is referred to as the "header",
the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around the horns,
but it is also legal for the rope to go around the neck, or go around
one horn and the nose resulting in what they call a "half head". Once
the steer is caught by one of the three legal head catches, the header
must dally (wrap the rope around the rubber covered saddle horn) and use
his horse to turn the steer to the left.
The
second roper is the "heeler", who ropes the steer by its hind feet
after the "header" has turned the steer, with a five-second penalty
assessed to the end time if only one leg is caught. Team roping is the
only rodeo event where men and women compete equally together in
professionally sanctioned competition, in both single-gender or
mixed-gender teams.
As
a trained horseman, Staff Lt. Gooding trains other Texas Rangers on
horsemanship – something that was once commonplace in 1823 but not
today. When needed, horses are used by Texas DPS, the Rangers and the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). In fact, if there is a
prison break, TDCJ must have a licensed law officer on patrol with them
as they conduct the manhunt. Horses and dogs are used to track and
recover the convict. Many times, that accompanying officer is a Texas
Ranger.
Knowing
how to ride a horse is a skill that is still utilized in the 21st
Century. We are excited to have these ropes as an example of modern
horsemanship for our collections.
When
one thinks about horsemanship and Texas Rangers, Captain Jack Coffee
Hays comes to mind. In 1844, Hays formed the Texas Rangers into an
unorthodox, highly effective "special force" capable of moving fast and
operating behind enemy lines. He incorporated Indian guerrilla tactics,
adopted centuries-old Hispanic styles of frontier horsemanship, and
introduced new technology such as Colt's five-shot revolver and
revolving rifle.
Starting
on horseback, pick-up trucks have replaced the horse for every day use;
however, horsemanship is a skill that Texas Rangers continue to employ.
On
January 19, Staff Lt. Trampas Gooding donated four colorful rodeo ropes
used in a Team Roping competition. Gooding is one of a handful of Texas
Rangers who participates in the rodeo circuit.
