Humane calf roping

Today I am at the all girls rodeo in Brooks Ab. These are wee little peewee ropers. Yes indeed there is such a thing, some of them are only six years old, riding full siize horses. That is over a thousand pounds of horse flesh. The cowgirls rope the calf as it comes out of the chute and immediately let go of the rope. There is a yellow flag on the end of the rope so that the judge knows it has been thrown down and the clock stops at that point. The calf gets a little run and is not threatened or flipped or injured. In fact it isn't even touched except by the rope and there is no tension on that. The calf leaves by the gate at the opposite end of the arena and the rope is slipped off of its neck or from around its feet and it is none the wiser for this experience.
The little girls in this rodeo are born to the sport of horsewomanship and stick to their saddles like they are glued on.There is  much skill involved in managing a big animal and the rope and their own centre of gravity, these girls even hang onto their hats. I can only imagine the self confidence they develop for the rest of their lives with the experience gained in this sport. These little girls just know that they can do anything.