Teams of two, each with a header and a heeler, waited their turns in a series of rounds Saturday during the VIP Team Roping Championships at the Four States Fairground and Rodeo Arena.
Atop horses, the cowboy pairs acted as one as a steer was released, darting for the gate on the other side.
Working together, the two would deploy their ropes, with the header going for the front of the steer and the heeler aiming for both back legs in an attempt to stop and take control of the steer.
The contest, a test of horsemanship, rope handling and raw nerves, also demands a bit of luck, for a set of variables to turn out just right. When the steer is released, the scoring is based not only on how quickly the steer is brought under control but also how cleanly. Needless to say, a bolting steer does get a bit of a vote in how it all goes down.
"Been doing it since 17, a hobby," said veteran heeler Jamie Spillers, who took second in one of his events Saturday.
As to how well one scores in these roping rounds, Spillers says it all depends on " plodding, pecking and practicing." Every weekend he is either at a roping event, or his wife, also a horse handler, is barrel racing.
Kisha Carper from Idabel, Oklahoma, is an enthusiastic spectator at these events who accompanies her man, Jimmy Blake, a veteran roper.
"I enjoy the sport; it's fun," she said. "There are so many variables in play, so many things that have to come together, and yes, there is money involved."
This event and many like it have prize money based on how many teams enter. Each cowboy pays a fee for each round in which they participate. The more riders and the more rounds, the bigger the prize package. Each header and heeler team is mindful of this, full of focus and intensity as they await their next round in the contest.
"Handling the steer and making sure he goes in the right direction, that's part of the scoring," Carper said. "Primary score comes from how fast the ropers catch him."
Saturday's events featured five rounds of roping, the biggest one had 82 teams participating. Sunday will also feature five rounds.
"I've always loved horses,' said Tori Brumley, a spectator at the weekends events, but also a rider and barrel racer who comes from a family with deep roots in ranching and horse handling. Speaking with experience, she emphasized that both horse and rider have to train for this sport.
"You can't just get on a horse and ride and do this even if you know how to ride," she said. "You and your horse have to train. You both have to practice. A horse takes a month to learn how to do this. Also, horse sports aren't cheap. So if you are going to do this, it takes practice, hard work and faith."