Women’s breakaway roping is comparable to men’s tie-down roping, except the cowgirls are not required to dismount and tie the calf
The quickest breakaway roper takes home the buckle.
In breakaway roping, the cowgirl has a flag tied close to the end of her rope and a nylon string tied from the rope to the saddle horn.
When the rope grows tight after the calf is roped, the string breaks away from the saddle horn and the flag goes flying, signaling the timer to stop the clock.
In order to score, the rider must
The clock stops. The fastest time wins.
The most common penalty in breakaway roping is the 10 seconds added when a roper breaks the barrier, failing to give the calf the appropriate head start. Breakaway ropes may also be flagged out (disqualified) for any catch other than a bell-collar catch—that is, a clean catch around the calf’s neck.