Saturday, July 20, 2013

Four

To a team competing in Ranch Sorting, hearing that number from the judge tells them they first need to move the cow with number four on it into the next pen. A total of eleven cows will be in one pen, with numbers 0-9 on ten of them and one with no number. After cow number four has been moved, the remaining cows are moved one by one in numerical order into the next pen. If a cow goes into the next pen out of order - for example cow number seven moves into the next pen on its own before cow number six has been moved - the team is disqualified. If the cow with no number gets into the next pen, the team is also disqualified.

Ranch Sorting is almost like a carefully choreographed dance between the two riders and their horses and the cows. The riders need to read each other's cues. The horses need to understand what their riders are asking them to do. The horses and riders together need to control the movements of the cows. It's a timed event and the team that successfully sorts all ten numbered cows the fastest is the winning team.

Since I am still a horseless cowgirl, I've never competed in Ranch Sorting. I've only seen it once. At the 2011 Region 3 American Quarter Horse Championships, the Ranch Sorting championship was held on Sunday afternoon. I fell in love with it that day. If I had a more competitive nature, it's one of the events I'd love to try.

To be successful in Ranch Sorting, the key ingredient is a horse with cow sense. Just like not all cats are mousers, not all horses have cow sense. There are some horses who are spooked by cows. It also requires a partner with whom you can communicate easily and who also has a horse with cow sense.

There are nine competitive levels, all the way from beginner to pro. So if I competed, my partner and I would compete against others who are at the same skill level we are.

If I ever get over the "I really don't want to compete" attitude, Ranch Sorting would be one of the events in which I would want to compete.

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