Calf roping is a race against time with seconds counted in decimal points. To win, the horse and rider must work together with precision teamwork. The contest begins behind the barrier with a rope stretched across the box where the roper ad his horse wait for the calf to be released. The barrier is triggered by a length of twine around the calf’s neck. The barrier is tripped when the calf, released from the chute, reaches the end of the twine. The roper and his horse try to hit the barrier and the exact moment it is released - even a tenth of a second might make the difference between winning and losing. A good horse will close of the calf quickly and hold a steady interval regardless of how the calf performs. Most ropers like their horse to stay a length behind to one side to allow a clean throw. If the loop misses, the cowboy gets another try provided he carries another rope ready-tied to the saddle. The cowboy comes off his horse running and now must throw the calf by hand. The calf may be downed either by legging (using foreleg as a pry to trip him over) or flanking (picking the animal up and laying him on his side). Quickly the cowboy gathers three legs, wraps and ties them with a light rope called a pigging string. This rope is either carried in his mouth or tucked in his belt. To signal completion, the cowboy must raise both hands.