Steamboat Springs — It is a rancher's answer to Monday Night Football, and the weekly events will give local sorting and penning enthusiasts a chance to stay on their horses at the Two Socks arena near Hayden for most of the winter.

"We started it a couple of weeks ago," local event organizer Bill Montag said of the ranch rodeo-style competition.

The event is a chance for local cowboys and cowgirls to come out to the arena from 6 to 9 p.m. to participate in team sorting, team penning and ranch roping events.

"It's BYOH," Montag said. "That's bring your own horse."

The cost to participate is $20 per person or $30 per couple. The entry fee helps cover the cost of leasing the livestock for the evening.

"We don't have our own steers so we have to lease them for the events," Montag said. "That's what the money is for."

So far this season, attendance for the event has fluctuated. Montage said he had 10 teams one week and just two for another.

"The more people we get to come out, the more fun it will be," Montag said.

The Monday night action includes team penning and team sorting competitions. There is also a session of ranch roping.

Penning is an event where cattle are numbered in groups of three and are settled in one end of the arena. Teams of three riders must ride across the starting line at which time the announcer calls out the number. The team must separate those three cattle and push them to the other end of the arena and into a freestanding pen. The fastest team wins.

The other event, team sorting, starts out with 10 head of cattle numbered consecutively from 0 through 9. The team must push all 10 cattle across the line one at a time in order. If a steer crosses the line out of order, the team is disqualified. Once again, the fastest team wins.

In addition to those two events, Montag said participants could take part in ranch roping events as well.

Montag said the events are designed to keep local riders and ropers active with their horses during the winter months. The indoor facility at Two Socks is the perfect place for local cowboys to maintain their competitive edge.