The better you manage your breakaway slack, the quicker you’ll be able to pull it. The quicker you’re able to pull it, the faster your time will be.

Hope Thompson shares two big tips for delivering and pulling slack—and doing it quickly. Watch the full video on Roping.com.

Breakaway 101: What is slack?

In breakaway roping, slack refers to the loose rope between the roper’s saddle horn and the loop around the calf’s neck.

READ: Breakay 101 Roping Definitions

Why is it important to pull your slack—and pull it quickly?

Once the calf is caught, the roper must quickly gather or pull the slack to close the loop around the calf’s neck. As the horse stops and the calf runs away, the rope breaks away. Effectively managing your slack and pulling it quickly accomplishes a few things:

1. The calf is much less likely to get a leg through the loop.
2. A quick, clean break makes for a faster time.
3. Pulling slack also allows for the rope/flag to pop off with more flourish, increasing the chances the judge will see it quickly.

Hope Thompson’s top 2 tips for quickly pulling slack in breakaway roping

1. Use both hands to deliver

“To me, the important part of the slack is the delivery and delivering with both hands. When you deliver your rope, both hands have to go. You still have a piece of rope in your left hand, so that’s where you grab your slack.

2. Shorten your rope and pull to your knee

✅ Do this

❌ Not this

“When I would throw, I used to pick the slack way up and drag it back. And I still feel that’s the motion you make, but I’ve shortened my ropes. When I deliver, my goal is that I have my rope length where I pull my slack and it reaches my knee. If it goes past that, I have way too much rope.”

Build a strong foundation in breakaway roping with Roping.com’s library of training videos for breakaway beginners. Learn the basics with the complete Breakaway Fundamentals playlist.