Roping Aiken competition transforms downtown into cowtown

Dede Biles, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Aug. 22—"We're turning downtown into cowtown," declared an enthusiastic D.J. Dillon prior to the start of Roping Aiken, which was held Aug. 20 at the Newberry Street Festival Center.

There was a long line to register for the new competition, and Dillon said he wasn't too surprised because "when everybody was a little boy or a little girl, they always wanted to be a cowboy or a cowgirl."

Dillon was the organizer of Roping Aiken through his business, Southland Farms, which sells hay, seed, mineral supplements and other supplies to the local horse and agricultural communities.

He estimated that more than 100 children, teenagers and adults had signed up to participate.

"We wanted to gauge the interest around here in western events, Dillion said. "If we get a good turnout, which it looks like we have, there are some bigger things coming down the pike that we want to do."

The focus of Roping Aiken was the sport of dummy roping in which competitors toss their ropes at replicas of steers.

For beginners, the target was a stationary dummy steer.

In the pro-am and open divisions, for those with more experience, two-member teams participated.

After a rolling dummy steer was released from a chute, one roper would aim for the head in an attempt to stop the dummy and make it turn. Then the other would aim for the hind legs.

In order to be successful, "hand motion" is important, said 14-year-old Aiden Tackett, who lives in Sandy Run in Calhoun County and was scheduled to compete in the pro-am and open divisions.

"You have to be able figure out how to swing the rope," he added.

To get it to drop over the dummy steer's head, "you need to have a flat loop," Tackett said.

Clint and Heaven Durst of Saluda attended Roping Aiken with their sons — Cash, 8, and twins Stetson and Maverick, 4.

All three boys were entered in the 12 and under beginners division.

According to his father, Stetson is the one who enjoys dummy roping the most.

"He just loves it," Clint said. "He's been toting a rope since he was 2 years old. He sleeps with it. He takes it to the babysitter's. He takes it to church. On the first day of school (for 3K) this past year, I found it in his book bag and I had to take it out."

Clint was planning to team up with Stetson later in Roping Aiken to participate in the pro-am division.

"He can do anything you want him to with a rope," Clint said. "He's better than many adults."

For more information, visit the Southland Farms page on Facebook.