Calf roping, also known as tie-own roping, is a rodeo event that features a calf and a rider mounted on a horse. The goal of this timed event is for the rider to catch the calf by throwing a loop of rope from a lariat around its neck, dismount the horse, run to the calf and restrain it by tying three legs together in as short a time as possible. The event derives from the work of actual working cowboys, which sometimes required catching and restraining calves for branding or medical treatment.