The UW ranch horse team hosted a team branding competition at the Hansen Arena on March 25.
The three man branding competition required the riders to head and heel a cow. The race started when the two steers were released into the enclosed arena.The competitors had to wait a split second before chasing after the cows or face a ten second penalty.
Once the cowboys were free to ride, the team of three chased after the steers. For the catch to count, the rope must be only around the horn and leg of the cow; any other catch would cause a disqualification. After roping it in, a competitor would jump off their horse to tie up the front and back legs of the animal. The two riders would then back their horses up to stretch the steer then the teammate on the ground would brand it with chalk on its right side.
That process was repeated twice until both animals were branded and the team had crossed the finish line. The ropers will practice around five hours a week in between jobs and school to succeed in the branding competitions.
Team branding is an event that requires a considerable amount of training. It is a competition between not only universities but also solo individuals. Nick Wade, the president of the ranch team, says he practices every day of the week.
“You have to find excuses to go out and practice,” Wade said.
Wyatt Cox, an avid competitor of three years, echoed how much commitment is necessary for the sport.
“Training to compete in team branding can take years of adjusting. You have to earn dedication time because you have to make the horses perfect by honing in on your skills,” he said.
“The horses will begin training around two to three years old depending on the person as well as the horse. The horses are required to be comfortable with wearing a saddle, hearing the snaps of the ropes and being ridden in order to be ready for competition.”
The top three fastest three man branding teams were announced at the end of the event. First place with a time of two minutes and 39 seconds was Team 5, which consisted of Nick Wade, Tyler Andreson, and Gunna Malmstrom. The winning team received a $1,200 cash prize.
After the win, Malmstrom said, “the training that goes into this is a lot of cussing, sweat, and perseverance. Roping is one of those things that if you don’t do it you are not going to get it.”
