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About Loop Rawlins and His Show
Loop Rawlins is one of the most versatile Western performers in the world today. His act of trick roping, whip cracking and fancy gun spinning has thrilled thousands of audiences. Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, As a kid Loop loved adventure movies and always had a knack for entertaining. So, when he saw western skills for the first time he was inspired to learn the technique.
At age 16, Loop competed and won five International Wild West Arts Awards in Las Vegas. He continued to grow in his craft Loop was spotted and cast to be a featured act in Cirque Du Soleil's show 'Viva Elvis' in Las Vegas. After a three-year run with Cirque Loop continued performing at several high-end events including opening for country music stars and performing for celebrities.
He also appeared on the summer hit television show, 'America's Got Talent', making it to Radio City Music hall in the Quarterfinals.
Loop was also tapped to perform all the western stunts in the hit Hollywood movie "The Kingsman: The Golden Circle' where he doubled for the cowboy spy.
Loop continues to keep the spirit of the West alive through his performances around the world.
CONTACT US if you want LOOP RAWLINS to perform for your next event!
THE HISTORY OF THE WESTERN ARTS
TRICK ROPING
Roping originated with the raising of cattle and livestock, one of man's oldest occupation. Before the cowboys could get their hands on ropes, it is documented that in 480 B.C. the Samaritans, men in the ancient Persian Cavalry, were expert ropers. In war, they would encircle their opponent, pulling them off their horse. While Loop does not demonstrate this exact skill in his show, he does have plenty of awe-inspiring rope tricks and skills.
When Spain colonized in America, they taught the settlers how to rope. However, the first account of trick rope spinning was in a book written in the early 1800's on ranch life in Mexico. The book stated that "in the hands of certain vaqueros (cowboys), the rope could be made to do strange and wondrous things." Maybe that is why Loop Rawlins was so fascinated when he first saw the art of the lasso. In photos from the 1880s, you can see performers in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show spinning ropes. Trick roping transformed into an entertaining art that is both challenging and visually stunning.
WHIP CRACKING
Whips have been around in one form or another for as long as recorded history has existed. If you look at reproductions of ancient hieroglyphics, you will see many depictions of rulers with their arms crossed across their chests, holding a staff or religious symbol in one hand and a whip in the other. This is not the kind of whip we know today as the bullwhip.
Bullwhips are primarily used for herding cattle. When a whip cracks, the end of the whip called the cracker travels around 750-900 mph, breaking the speed of sound and creating a sonic boom. Cowboys used the sound of the whip to move cattle. Later, whip cracking transformed into an art form with different tricks and techniques. To this day, they hold championships in whip cracking. Loop Rawlins won the title of world champion in the style and technique competition at the WWAC in 2002.
FANCY GUN SPINNING
Gun spinning does not date back as far as ropes or whips, but it does come directly from the Wild West. When Samuel L. Colt created the Colt Peacemaker, it was revolutionary. It was the gun that 'Won the West' and was the firearm that many cowboys heroes, villains and legends used. Considering the fact that the gun was so well balanced and that the trigger guard was so smooth, it is safe to say a cowboy probably spun his gun. It is also safe to say that cowboys sometimes probably forgot to unload it before spinning, resulting in an accident. Gun spinning became popular in Western movies, where a gunfighter would shoot his opponent then spin the pistol back into his holster. The most popular scene of gun spinning is from the movie Tombstone, in the saloon when Johnny Ringo shows off his gun spinning.