How is the cattle run scored overall in working cow horse?

The cattle run in working cow horse is scored as a whole rather than as strictly separate phases, with the judge evaluating the complete run from the moment the cow is released through the conclusion of the circles and assigning a score that reflects the overall quality of the cattle work across all its elements. While judges consider the boxing, fence work, and circles as distinct components of the run, the score reflects the cumulative impression of the horse's cattle-working ability, athleticism, and instinct throughout rather than being a simple arithmetic total of sub-scores for each phase. The cattle run score is influenced by the difficulty of the cow worked — a horse that produces correct, athletic work on a challenging cow that tests its ability will receive more credit than the same level of technical work on an easy, cooperative cow. Judges use a scoring scale above and below a base that represents average correct cattle work, with scores above the base reflecting above-average difficulty, athleticism, or quality and scores below the base reflecting errors, losses of cattle control, or work that fell below the standard for the level of competition. The cattle run score and the reining phase score are combined to produce the overall run total that determines placement in the class, and in most working cow horse formats the cattle run score is weighted at least as heavily as the reining phase score, reflecting the discipline's emphasis on the cattle work as the ultimate test of the horse's capability.