Ranch sorting
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Ranch sorting is a western-style
equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: * Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
sport that evolved from the common ranch work of separating
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
into pens for
branding Branding may refer to: Physical markings * Making a mark, typically by charring: ** Wood branding, permanently marking, by way of heat, typically of wood (also applied to plastic, cork, leather, etc.) ** Livestock branding, the marking of animals ...
, doctoring, or transport. Ranch Sorting is an event that pits a team of two riders on
horseback Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
against the clock.
Teamwork Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. This concept is seen within the greater framework of a team, which is a group of interdependent individual ...
is the key with both riders working in harmony to cut out the correct cattle and drive them to the pen while keeping the wrong numbered cattle back. There are several variations of ranch sorting with one, two or three riders on the team, but all require sorting the cattle from one pen to the other in the correct order.Play Pen Arena. "What is Ranch Sorting?"


Setup and rules

Ranch sorting and its sister discipline,
team penning Team penning is a western equestrian sport that evolved from the common ranch work of separating cattle into pens for branding, doctoring, or transport. Today it is a fast-paced event that gives a team of three riders on horseback from 60 to 90 s ...
, are regulated by the United States Team Penning Association (USTPA), headquartered in Ft. Worth, Texas.United States Team Penning Association. "Setting the Standard"
The USTPA was founded in 1993 in Fort Worth with the purpose of attracting more participants and educating them to the sports of Team Penning and Ranch Sorting. Ranch sorting is performed in two pens that are fifty to sixty feet longRanch Sorting National Championship Rules. 2008.
/ref> with a twelve to sixteen foot opening between the pens. The corners of the pens are cut at 45 degrees. Both pens are the same size and sorting can take place from either pen to the other. At the beginning, there are ten calves at the end of one of the pens with numbers on their sides for identification. The judge raises the flag and when the riders cross the gap between the two pens the clock starts and the competition begins. The team of two riders have to move the cattle one at a time from one pen to the other in numerical order, starting with a random number called by the judge. The fastest time wins. If a calf gets from one pen to the other out of order, then the team is disqualified.Ponca City, We Love You. "Ranch Sorting at the Play Pen Arena" October 11, 2008.
/ref>


Levels

Ranch Sorting contestants are rated from a #1 (Beginner) to #9 (professional) based on their ability level. Classifications of #1 are Beginners, #2 are Rookies, #3 and #4 are for participants of Novice ability, classifications of #5 and #6 for amateur participants and classifications of #7, #8 and #9 are for Open or Professional participants.


Related equestrian sports

There are several other equestrian sports related to Ranch Sorting.
Team Penning Team penning is a western equestrian sport that evolved from the common ranch work of separating cattle into pens for branding, doctoring, or transport. Today it is a fast-paced event that gives a team of three riders on horseback from 60 to 90 s ...
is similar competition except that a team of three riders on horseback have from 60 to 75 seconds to separate three cattle from a herd and put them into a single pen. Open Arena Ranch Sorting also has three riders on horseback, but in an 'open arena' with numbered cows at the far end. As the riders cross a white line, the announcer says a number between 0 and 9. Starting with that number, riders have 75 seconds to sort the cattle, in order, over the white line.
Cutting (sport) Cutting is a western-style equestrian competition in which a horse and rider work together before a judge or panel of judges to demonstrate the horse's athleticism and ability to handle cattle. Modern competition utilizes a minute performance, ...
is a sport where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a calf away from a cattle herd and keep it from returning to the herd for a set period of time. In
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Campdrafting Campdrafting is a unique Australian sport involving a horse and rider working cattle. The riding style is Australian stock, somewhat akin to American Western riding and the event is similar to the American stock horse events such as cutting, w ...
is an event where a rider on horseback must "cut out" one animal from the "mob" (herd) of cattle, and "camp", block and turn it at least two or three times to prove to the judge that they have the beast under control.


See also

*
Cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...
*
Reining Reining is a western riding competition for horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope (a version of the horse gait more commonly known worldwide as the canter), o ...
*
Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...


References


External links


National Sorting Cow Horse Association

Ranch Sorting National Championships

United States Team Penning Association

Photos of a Ranch Sorting Competition
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranch Sorting Equestrian team sports Western-style riding Working stock horse sports