Team penning is a competitive timed sport. At one end of the arena is a temporary holding pen. At the other end are 30 cattle with a number from 0-9 (three zeros, three ones, etc.). There is an imaginary line across the middle of the arena. The three cowboys start toward the herd and the announcer calls out a number. The task is to get all three of that numbered cows into the holding pen at the same time – but without any of the other cows crossing the imaginary middle line or any “wrong numbered” cows in the pen – in a maximum 2 1/2 minutes. The team that gets the job done in the least amount of time wins.
You need a good responsive horse and the ability to read cows but it’s a really fun fast paced thing to do. It is amazing how clever the cows are at outwitting the cowboys. And it’s definitely a sport where slow and calm often beats fast and furious. There are groups that either do this just for fun or competitive groups in just about every sizable city in the West. And if you get serious you can win significant money at sponsored events.
The national organization is the United States Team Penning Organization and you can get more information at their website USTPA.