The rules of breakaway roping are like any roping event, the calf will be given a head start which is determined by the size of the arena. Once the barrier is released, the cowgirl must throw a loop around the calf’s neck and stop her horse immediately. Her rope is tied to the saddle horn with a breakaway string. When the running calf reaches the end of the rope, the rope is pulled tight and the string breaks. The breaking of the string marks the end of the fun. The fastest time wins.