Citation: Dixon, S.; Evans, D.; Vindevoghel, T.; Ward, M.P.; Quain, A. Behaviours Expressed by Rodeo Calves during Different Phases of Roping. Animals 2023, 13, 343. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ani13030343 Academic Editor: Marina Von Keyserlingk Received: 14 December 2022 Revised: 16 January 2023 Accepted: 16 January 2023 Published: 19 January 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). animals Article Behaviours Expressed by Rodeo Calves during Different Phases of Roping Sylvia Dixon 1 , Di Evans 2 , Thinza Vindevoghel 3 , Michael P. Ward 1 and Anne Quain 1, * 1 School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW2006, Australia 2 RSPCA Australia, Deakin, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia 3 Independent Researcher, Perth, WA 6164, Australia * Correspondence: anne.quain@sydney.edu.au Simple Summary: Calf roping is a rodeo event that involves the release, pursuit, lassoing and leg-tying of a calf by a rider on horseback. Welfare concerns for calves used in these events include distress and potential physical injuries. This study evaluated video footage of calf roping (also known as rope-and-tie) from two rodeos and assessed calves’ behaviour to identify any signs of distress during five different phases of roping. Calves in the study showed signs of distress and fear across all stages of roping. These findings suggest that calves experience fear and distress in calf roping events, which can inform discussions of the welfare of calves used in rodeos. Abstract: There are significant welfare concerns with the use of calves in calf roping (also known as rope-and-tie) events in rodeos. However, little work has been carried out to scientifically assess calves’ behavioural responses to the stressors of these events. This study evaluated video footage of calves (n = 15) during roping events from two rodeos. An ethogram was created to assess behavioural parameters during five phases of a calf roping event: Chase, Lasso, Catch and Restraint, Leg Tie and Release. Six behavioural parameters were observed during each of the five phases: Ear position (Axial or Back Up/Down), Eye White, Leg Movement (Slow/Fast), Tail Position (Rigid/Swish/Relaxed), Vocalisation and Evasive Behaviour. The presence or absence of each behaviour during each phase of roping was documented. Chi-squared analysis found significant (p < 0.001) differences in the proportions of behaviours observed in all five phases of the event. Binary logistic regression was performed, and six behaviours were observed to be significant across all phases: Evasive Behaviour (p < 0.001), Vocalisation (p = 0.002) and Legs Fast (p = 0.016) were more likely to be observed in comparison to Ears Axial, which was used as a reference category. Eye White (p < 0.001), Legs Slow (p < 0.001) and Tail Relaxed (p < 0.001) were less likely to be observed than Ears Axial. This study found that calves exhibit signs of distress in all of the phases of calf roping, including the Release phase. Keywords: calf roping; rope-and-tie; rodeo; ethogram; animal welfare; animal behaviour 1. Introduction Rodeo, a Spanish word meaning “round up”, is a competitive sport thought to have originated from early Spanish settlers in the USA [1]. Subsequently, competitions arose to showcase the skills of stockpersons [2,3]. The first organised rodeo event, the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo, was held on 4 July 1888 in Prescott, Arizona [1]. With the gradual replacement of horses with motor vehicles for ranching, rodeos evolved into a sporting competition and a form of entertainment. One of the largest rodeos is the Calgary Stampede in Canada, which attracts over one million people each year [4]. However, there is an increasing public sensitivity to the use of animals in rodeos. Ethicist Professor Bernard Rollin identified rodeos—particularly calf roping—as a key example of “problematic animal use” which degrades the moral status of animals [5,6]. Animals 2023, 13, 343. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030343 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals