Throwing the Lariat as a Fascinating Sport.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 16 October 1914, Page 8

Throwing the Lariat as a Fascinating Sport.

(By Fred Lindsay, the Famous

Australian Bushman.)

Although the use of the laiiat is not a recognised spoz't in this country, there is no doubt that it is an extremely tine exercise. Not only does it develop and improve the muscles, but there are occasions when it may be the means of saving life.

The lariat is simply a length of rope, with a slip-knot and noose at one end, which the beginner must learn to throw accurately at

any given target. Start your practice with a lariat about thirty feet long, making a noose of about three feet in diameter, which is held in the right hand, as shown in the first sketch.

Now let about four feet of the rope hang down between your right and left hands (see sketch), and hold the remainder in a coil in your left hand. There is, however, a right and a wrong way of holding the loop, as you will see by glancing at the second drawing. The slip-knot must not beheld close up to your little finger, as in . Fig. 2A, but about one-third of the way down on the outer side of the loop, as in Fig. 28.

A glance at Figure 3is now necessary in order that you may understand the proper position for the fingers of your left hand before and after the throw. Here A shows you how the end of the rope should be retained by the third and fourth fingers, which still remain in position after the throw, B in the picture.

When you have mastered the details already explained, you can proceed to the actual throwing of your lariat. This is accomplished by whirling the noose round above your head from left to right until you think enough impetus has been gained. Then release the rope as it completes its circle at point A (Fig., 4), at the same time opening the thumb and first two fingers of your left hand, so that the full length of the lariat may come * into action. Of course, like every other sport, lassoeing requires practice, and in order to become proficient, you will find the method illustrated in the fifth sketch very useful. Plant a stake in the ground, and, standing about twenty feet away from it, try to throw the noose of your lariat over the top of the stick.

You will not be able to do so at first, but practice makes perfect, and the idea which should govern each throw is shown iin the, sixth sketch. The right-hand side of the loopknot lies— is 1 lie heavier. This side, Z in tlie picture, should strike the stake first, and this will serve to throw tin' lighter side, X, over the top of the stake in the manner illustrated. In bullock-roping. the cowboy casts his lariat so that the heavier side of the noose touches the ground nearest the running- animal, and the beast steps into the loop and is caught before it realises what has happened.

Apart from the extremely fine exercise which lariat practice provides, the knack of flinging a rope with accuracy to any given spot may make all the difference between life and death at times. Take the last illustration, for instance, ■ where A is drowning within sight of land, while !'. cannot swim. If you find y ''" '■' i'l M's place, a ;d, bein>.v cxr off: with the lariat, can obUii i

a length or rope, to save A will be no difficult matter. Therefore I say : "Learn lassoeing." Every year young men take up ranching in one of the; great stockraising countries, such as Australia, North or South America. To any who may be contemplating such a step I say again : "Learn lassoeing ! you will find it of the very greatest value to you on any ranch in any part of the world." The ability to use a lariat would place a "tenderfoot" high in the good opinion of any cowboy is well worth having !