Cowboy Roping and Rope Tricks

Exhibition rope spinning is an American sport with strong Mexican roots, born amid the sights, sounds, smells, and excitement of the great American West. One of the best of the old-time champion rope spinners was Chester Byers. When he wrote this book, he had behind him 20 years' experience of spinning his rope into rolls, figure 8s, and zigzags in stampedes, rodeos, roundups, and frontier days all over the country. He has a good way with words, too, and if you'll follow his directions, you'll soon find yourself managing the rope like an old hand.

Besides being a wonderful spectacle, rope spinning makes great exercise, too. Even the first stunts the beginner learns -- the simple flat loop, the vertical loop, and the Wedding Ring -- bring into play the muscles of right and left arms, shoulders, neck, back, and legs. More difficult stunts such as the Butterfly, Ocean Wave, Zigzag, and Roll-over even professional athletes and dancers find real exercise Practicing these complex stunts will not only keep you in good physical shape but will sharpen the coordination of hand, eye, and body.

Whether you're learning for fun or for exercise, you'll find rope spinning a practical sport. With equipment that takes up little space and costs next to nothing, you can spin a loop any time and any place, indoors and out (even for the hardest stunts, the loop rarely exceeds six feet in diameter). Among the rewards of rope spinning are healthy exercise, improved coordination, and a spectacular and graceful skill.