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The Canadian Ranch Roping Association brought its traditional approach to cattle handling to Moose Jaw this weekend for the organization's national competition finals, emphasizing skill and horsemanship over the speed and spectacle of modern rodeo.
The Golden Mile Arena at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Centre Grounds had a hushed atmosphere, with spectators, officials, and cowboys all speaking softly and quietly as competitors worked to separate their target from the group and lower it gently to the ground. Successful throws of the lasso were met with soft calls of approval rather than roars of applause.
Corey Gingras, a working ranch manager who has competed for four years, explained the fundamental difference between ranch roping and rodeo events.
"It's low-stress cattle handling and whatnot," Gingras said. "Everything's slow motion. We don't want to hurt the cattle or anything like that, and then we exercise horsemanship and cattle handling skills and different kinds of loops."
The competition mirrors real ranch work, where cattle are handled gently and efficiently rather than with the high-energy approach of timed rodeo events.
"I do this for a living, yeah. Most of the time it's just regular head-and-heel, just get the job done, because you don't want to run them down," Gingras explained.
"If you're roping them, it's usually because they're sick, right? Or they have bad feet or something, so the less stress on them the better."
The scoring system rewards technique and artistry over speed, with judges evaluating different types of loops and closely watching for horsemanship and communication.
"There are different kinds of loops and stuff, and how you work with your horse, the way you move your horse and set yourself up for different kinds of shots," Gingras added.
He noted that some of the elaborate techniques displayed in competition have limited practical application on working ranches due to time constraints and staffing. So, competitors enjoy coming together to watch each other use skills that are rarely seen during long days on the ranch.
Amanda, a spectator who discovered the event online, was struck by the contrast with traditional rodeo competition. She loves horsemanship sports and events, and was happy to find something to see during her day trip to Moose Jaw.
"I've been to many rodeos before and this is definitely not the quick pace, the 'let's get that calf down as quick as possible' of rodeo," she said. "There's method to this and it's definitely more of the ranch type."
The quiet, methodical approach of ranch roping puts the focus on preserving traditional cattle-handling techniques developed over centuries of ranch work.
Gingras, who has worked on ranches across British Columbia and Saskatchewan, represents the working cowboy culture that forms the core of the discipline.
"I manage a ranch down south here, and I've worked all over the place," he said. "It's a fun lifestyle."