Different colored jerklines could be the answer

Some time back, maybe a year or so ago, I was visiting with Blair Burk. Blair made the National Finals Rodeo several times and his dad, Barry, did, too.

The Burk family has owned some of the best calf roping horses that have ever lived. Grumpy, Sweetness, and several others come to mind.

Blair has won two AQHA world championships that I know of. My point is, when he talks roping, I tend to listen to him.

Blair and I were discussing a younger calf roper and the problems he’s had with his horse, dragging calves out from underneath him while he’s trying to tie them.

It was during this conversation that Blair made a comment that I have pondered about for almost a year. He said the color of the jerkline matters because horses are colorblind.

He also said how the color of the jerkline contrasts with the arena dirt matters. Not all arena dirt is the same color. So, in my mind, a fellow ought to have two or three different colored jerklines in his trailer when he’s rodeoing.

A jerkline is a soft piece of rope that is tied to a bit and then runs through a pulley or ring up by the saddle horn. Then the remainder of the rope is neatly tucked into the roper’s belt.

When the roper dismounts to go flank the calf, the rope slips out of his belt and pulls on the horse’s bit, causing it to back up, which helps the roper flank the calf.

I’ve thought alot about Blair’s comment this winter. I’ve got some young roping horses and I can’t wait until summer to try out his theory of a different colored jerkline.

I’ve always tightened my belt if I wanted my horse to pull more on the rope, depending if I had a calf that was wild or a calf that was good.

I never thought about the color of the jerkline until Blair said that about horses being colorblind and the contrast with the arena dirt. It makes sense to me.

A good calf roping horse is trained to never let the rope touch the ground. So, in a way, I can see how a jerkline they could see would help remind the horse to back up.

Twenty six-time world champion Trevor Brazile was asked one time what was the secret to his success.

He said it’s just paying attention to every little detail. He said people who pay attention to every little detail and constantly try to improve are usually successful.

I’ve been roping calves for 40 years. It’s not often that I learn something new, but Blair Burk taught me something last year that I think will help.