Calf Roping derives from an actual practice used by vaqueros and cowboy hands, requiring them to catch and restrain calves for medical purposes, or for branding. Cowboy hands not only took pride in their speed of restraining calves but also started to place small bets and have contests. The process involves throwing a rope with a loop (known as a lariat or lasso) over the head and onto the neck of the calf (or sometimes on the horns), and also around the hind legs. This procedure was highly popular in the early days of rodeo, and is one of many events in today’s rodeo that stemmed from the actual duties of the earliest cowboys.