EMBARRASS — Team Penning and Ranch Sorting have become very popular events for both riders and spectators, and for good reason. It is fast-paced action, with a lot to cheer for and to laugh at. Participants need good control of their horses, a keen sense of how the yearling cows will react, and quick communication between team members. The young cattle, of course, have pretty much no idea what is going on, let alone the rules. And so, the chaos begins.
The action runs pretty much nonstop all day, with a few breaks to allow changing out of the groups of cattle to make sure they don’t get too stressed.
This is the 17th annual event, which is now named in honor of Danny Theel after his death in 2020. Theel was very active in the sport and was also a longtime volunteer and vice-chair of the fair association. He was a volunteer firefighter and EMT, and loves horses, especially Paints.
Team Penning, with a three-person team, gets underway on Friday, Aug. 15 from 3 p.m.-dusk, and Saturday, Aug. 16 from 9 a.m.-dusk. Ranch Sorting, which is similar but with a two-person team and slightly different rules, gets underway on Sunday, Aug 17, starting at 9 a.m. These events are sponsored by the Embarrass Region Fair Association.
Admission is free and food will be for sale on site. On Saturday morning, there is also a pancake breakfast in Timber Hall, a part of the ALS motorcycle ride fundraiser.
The event attracts riders from around the state, in addition to many from the Embarrass area. Many riders camp out at the fairgrounds over the weekend. Attendance and participation has been growing year to year.
“I just really like the comradery,” said event co-organizer Doug Mattson. “Everyone is cheering on all the teams.” The event is challenging for even seasoned riders.
“It can get hectic really quick,” Mattson said. “Horses can get spooked and even seasoned riders can get thrown. It’s part of the sport.”
Team penning involves releasing 30 yearling cattle into one end of the horse arena, each with marked with a number on their side from zero to nine. The announcer calls out one number, and each team has 90 seconds to try to herd the three cattle with that number into a three-sided pen at the opposite end of the arena. Riders are not allowed to touch the cattle. Teams that successfully get one, two, or all three cattle into the pen are awarded points, with the highest points for all three cattle in the shortest amount of time.
Riders can compete on multiple teams throughout the day. The top team receives buckles and the top three teams are awarded cash prizes. Riders pay $15 per run to participate.
Ranch sorting has its own set of rules, and consists of a team of two riders sorting, in sequence, ten cattle from one end of the arena to the other. Cost to participate as a rider is $25 per rider for two runs. The top ten teams then get to participate in a third run to determine the event winners. The top team receives buckles and the top three teams are awarded cash prizes.
Registration for teams/riders begins one hour before the event each day. Complete rules and information are available online at embarrassrfa.org/fair/team-penning.