Members of the Quesnel Team Roping Club gathered at Alex Fraser Park on Saturday (Mar. 31) for the last event of their winter season.
Inside the arena, spectactors and competitors alike took respite from a chilly spring morning.
Moods were high and the ropers were eager to put on their best performance.
Two young boys tasked with moving the two-year-old steers along the cattle chute laughed and wrestled.
Events of the day included the eights and the elevens.
Eight teams are made up of a header and a heeler who have a combined ranking of eight. So someone who is ranked as high as a five would pair with a three, or two people who are ranked as four could join forces.
Elevens would include slightly more skilled ropers whose rankings add up to eleven.
Teams line up in boxes on either side of the gate and wait for the steer to come galloping out before chasing after it on horseback and attempting to rope its head and hind legs as quickly as possible.
Five-second penalties are assessed to a header, who exits the box before the steer crosses a head start line or to a heeler, who only manages to lasso one of the steer’s legs.
The top money earners of the season compete for the chance to win a shotgun, while second and third place receive a knife and saddle pads, respectively. The header winner for this season is Ryan MacNaughton, and first among the heelers is Dustin Shields.
Shields, 26, is ranked as a seven.
A tall young man sporting a bright blue shirt and sharp, black moustache, he speaks softly but exudes confidence.
He has been roping for as long as he can remember.
“I grew up around the sport, so I’m obligated to compete,” he says.
To keep in shape, Shields gets lots of practice whenever he can on live cows, as well as stationary dummies.
Being a heeler, meaning he is in charge of roping the calf’s back legs, can be extremely challenging.
“I think it’s more difficult (than being a header) as you have a lot more variables,” he says.
“You have to be on time, your positioning has got to be right and your delivery and everything.”
Shields has a busy few months ahead of him.
“I’ll go to some big ropings and a few amateur rodeos around here. I’m buying a house and getting married this year, so it’s going to be a pretty expensive year.”