Cowboy and Girlfriend Circa 1939 (Vintage 8mm Home Movie Footage) Cowboy Rope Tricks Circa 1930s (Vintage 8mm Home Movie Footage). A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. Trick roping is an entertainment or competitive art involving the spinning of a lasso or lariat. It is particularly associated with wild west shows or western arts in the United States. There is a well-established repertoire of tricks that can be divided into three fundamental categories: "flat loop", "vertical loop" and "butterfly". In addition there are thrown loop tricks and tricks that involve the use of two ropes.