What is Team Penning and Ranch Sorting?
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 and exciting event that gives a team of three riders on horseback from 60 to 75 seconds (depending on the class or the sanctioning of the event) to separate three same-numbered cattle from a herd of 30, and put them into a 16′ x 24′ pen through a 10′ opening, at the opposite end of the arena. The sport features 30 head of cattle, typically yearling beef cattle (mature cows or bulls are not allowed), with numbers affixed to their back, three each of each number 1 through 0. A run starts once the line judge has dropped his flag as the lead rider’s horse crosses the foul line. At that time, the announcer gives out a randomly drawn number, such as “Your number is seven”. The riders then know that they must cut out the three head of cattle that are wearing the number “7” and push them to the opposite end of the aren
