Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i The Team Roping Journal

You’ve heard the comment about six degrees of separation—how we’re never more that six shared connections away from anyone in the world. I think in the rodeo and roping worlds, that’s simply not true. It’s got to be two degrees or less. Part of this connection is that the sports of amateur team roping and professional rodeo are not easy-entry pursuits. By and large, participants are brought up in this world, so there are plenty of people sharing bonds within this industry. What’s more, the industry isn’t really that transient. Folks don’t usually quit team roping or completely step away from rodeo after making it their profession. The abiding nature of the cast of characters involved is truly admirable. One of the most enduring icons of both professional rodeo and…

Nebraska-native Riley Pruitt set a new arena record when he won the short round in the tie-down roping at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver with a 6.9-second run. Pruitt sits atop the PRCA world standings in the tie-down roping after an impressive showing in Denver and at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo in Odessa, Texas. He finished second in the average at Denver to Trevor Brazile and second at Odessa to Tuf Cooper (both Brazile’s and Cooper's earnings are not in the world standings pending the current ERA/PRCA lawsuit). Pruitt had $16,658 won as of press time. Pruitt’s father, Troy, was the 1990 tie-down roping world champion, and Pruitt has already amassed a major win record, including the Pendleton (Ore.) Round Up in 2014 and…

Self-Worth and Your Mental Game One thing I’ve learned in rodeoing for 13 years is you really do have to learn to deal with losing to be a winner. When I was younger, I don’t know how much I cost myself by letting my attitude or my mentality beat me because of a prior mistake. Confidence is a big part of what we do. Mental is at least 80 percent of heeling. And it just goes to show you how powerful your mind really is and how important it is to train your mind the same way we train anything else—our horses or our roping skills. LOSING Attitude is something that obviously affects your mental game. Being able to walk out of the arena after you’ve let not just yourself…

Being in the right position is an individual thing, and varies based on the mechanics of your roping, your personal style and range. Those things have an effect on where you want to be. The strategy of how you compete—whether you’re more on the aggressive side or are more of a catch-every-steer, consistent kind of roper—also have an effect on where you want to position yourself. Your ability and horsemanship capabilities factor into the equation, too. Being able to maneuver your horse to be in the right spot at the right time is a direct result of how you handle your horse and the refinement of your horsemanship skills. The better you are at the relationship between you and your horse—how you control him and give him cues, signals and…

JoJo LeMond won the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo steer roping title in 2013, and since the momentous win he hasn’t taken off the prestigious buckle. “I’ve won the all-around and the steer roping there,” LeMond said. “It’s just my favorite buckle. It’s a prestigious rodeo—one of the bigger winter rodeos. It’s got more meaning to me than the other buckles I have, with the exception of Salinas. I think I put it on shortly after winning it.” LeMond was riding Elmer at the time, who is 20 this year and made an appearance at the 2015 National Finals of Steer Roping. Since winning San Antonio in 2013, LeMond hasn’t qualified in the top 50 in the world to get back in until last year. He finished the 2015…

Sometimes things happen in life that are out of our control. When we’re young we think we’re invicincible. We go 100 mph and burn both ends of the candle. I’ve had ups and downs in rodeo, like everybody else. I’ve had a lot of good things happen throughout my career, but there have been some tough times, too, like losing my thumb (in 2005) and that wreck (in which Jake suffered severe head trauma and a broken left foot and ankle on November 27, 2015). You don’t really have to make any adjustments when things are going your way and it feels like nothing can go wrong. Then there are those other times, when you’re forced to regroup and really think about how bad you want it. I’ve had a…

Jake Barnes and I were a couple of kids when I first started interviewing him fresh out of college. I naturally get to know the guys who win the most the best, because that’s who I spend the most time with when the rodeos and ropings are over. Going all the way back, I remember Jake being a gracious, humble champion and a friendly, stand-up guy. All these years later nothing’s changed there, and my two favorite Jake-isms are “my goodness” and “doggone.” He says “my goodness” when he’s amazed by something—“my goodness, the Finals pays a lot these days.” “Doggone” is his go-to extreme adjective, as in “those fresh black steers were so doggone fast.” I just looked up the actual definition of doggone, and it’s the “polite form…

Biggest Win: Probably my first All-Girl win at the Charlie 1 Horse “Cowgirls Only.” That’s always been a big deal to me. It’s a pick one draw one and I won it with Kayelen Helton as a draw partner. We rope together a lot now. Number and End: I’m a 5 header and a 6 heeler. Association of Preference: I guess I’d have to say the World Series. I’m just now old enough to rope at them. Mike Cullum and I won the #11 division at the first one I went to. I’m not going to rodeo as much this year, there’s a lot more money team roping. I’ve roped more steers this year than I ever have. Rope of Choice: I use all Cactus Ropes. I love the Game…

INNOV8 3-Strand Poly by Cactus Ropes Teamed up with: Lari Dee Guy and Rope Like A Girl to create this uniquely blended 3-strand calf rope In the details: Full body and deeper crowns offer a smooth and balanced tip for a more distinct feel. The Innov8 is designed to have less stretch with optimal body and is perfect for tie-down and breakaway ropers of all levels. More info: $38; cactusropes.com Wrangler Cool Vantage Women’s Jeans Because girls sweat too: Following the launch of Cool Vantage jeans in Wrangler’s Cowboy Cut last spring, the brand is incorporating the sweat-control technology into it’s Ultimate Riding Jean for women, too. Same great fit: The Ultimate Riding Jean with Cool Vantage will be offered in the Q-Baby, a mid-rise, boot-cut fit featuring higher back…

Clay Smith and Paul Eaves are going to have to work hard to top 2015. For Smith, it meant his first WNFR qualification, second consecutive Wildfire Open to the World win and an engagement to long-time sweetheart Taylor Richey. For Eaves, 2015 was the year he married his wife, Amanda, and made his fourth WNFR appearance, winning major rodeos like Deadwood S.D., and Preston, Idaho, along the way. But if their performance at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver is any indication, these two are well on their way to their best year yet. Smith and Eaves roped three steers in 16.7 seconds to win the average and take $7,254 a man from the Mile High City back to Broken Bow, Okla., and Millsap, Texas, respectively. For…

Blaine Linaweaver and Jory Levy had been going through a rough patch before pulling into San Angelo in February 2001. They’d been at Rodeo Austin the night before, and they didn’t have any luck. They checked the leaderboard at San Angelo, and saw just how tough it was going to be. Speed Williams and Rich Skelton had tied the world record at 3.7 the day before, and the quick setup made for a Texas-style gun slinging. “Blaine said, ‘We are going to break the world record tomorrow night,’” Levy remembered. “And I laughed. Turns out we had to be super duper fast because 4.2 or 4.3 was winning last. We looked at each other and thought ‘You bet!’ We had a good steer, and we went at him.” “I don’t…