Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2022 i The Team Roping Journal

Quisto Lopez and Daniel Braman captured their first World Champions Rodeo Alliance Major event title in style on May 14, 2022, when they won their hometown rodeo, Rodeo Corpus Christi, after posting a 4.12-second run during the Triple Crown Round. The boys from Beeville and Refugio, respectively, earned a total of $16,600 apiece during the weeklong run of the rodeo. That included the $15,000 paycheck for the final round win along with a pair of custom Rodeo Corpus Christi surfboards. The pair are lifelong friends but drew each other for partners here in Corpus. They were the most consistent team during the three rounds held in the American Bank Center during a week of “win or go home” runs, besting reigning World Champions Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira in the…

Roping.com, the video streaming site powered by The Team Roping Journal, has a growing selection of ropings like the Danny Dietz Memorial Classic, the Lone Star Shootout, the Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale and the USTRC’s Cinch National Finals of Team Roping, available for members to view any time, on any device. New ropings, as well as new training content from the best coaches in the business, are added weekly. Roping.com is also the only place to watch the 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship from the Lazy E, where Erich Rogers dominated the field to take the $100,000 paycheck back to Arizona. Download the Roping.com App, watch it on your SmartTV or web browser and download videos to watch when you don’t have internet, too.…

Q: Where exactly is Fort Ann, New York, and what’s it like there? A: Fort Ann is in Northeastern New York, about two and a half hours from the Quebec border. It’s a really rural part of the state, and there are a lot of dairy farms. We live out in the country—a long way from the city. There were 25 kids in my graduating Class of 2017 from Fort Ann Central. Q: New York has not historically been known as cowboy country. Tell us about your family’s rodeo roots. A: My whole family has rodeoed, and I’ve been a part of it since I was a little kid. My grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and half-brother have all rodeoed. Q: You’re surely not commuting from New York all the…

May 31, 2022, marks the end of Greg D. Robertson’s lifelong career as Oklahoma’s Kiamichi Conservation District Manager. “When I was in college,” Robertson said, “the job became available and I applied and got it. I wasn’t planning on staying that long, but I ended up staying for 42.5 years.” The Kiamichi Conservation District covers nearly a half-million acres (497,500 to be exact) in southeastern Oklahoma and cozies up to the Texas state line a notch west of the Arkansas state line. “I ENJOYED THE WORK. I ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE KIDS.”— GREG D. ROBERTSON “We do a little bit of everything,” the 4.5. heeler from Hugo said. “We rent equipment out to the landowners. We have programs to help them install conservation practices on their land. We do conservation…

USTRC and Cinch are pleased to announce the continuation of the Cinch Ladies Award program. This has been a great program targeted to lady ropers and the program continues to evolve with a slight change that requires participation at the 2023 US Finals. As a reminder, instead of money won, the heading and heeling award will continue to be determined by accumulated points earned throughout the entirety of the team roping season. This encourage participation not only at the Finals but also at the USTRC Signature events and At Home Challenges. This system levels the field, but still awards double the points for winnings at the USTRC Cinch National Finals. New for the 2022–2023 season, which started May 2, 2022, and culminates at the 34th USTRC Cinch National Finals of…

1. SAFE. I want my kids’ horses safe. That comes above everything else. I don’t want those horses looking for them to be off center or ever get them in a jam. 2. CONFIDENT. It’s no secret we’ve got a lot of good, young horses at the house. But Treston is on older horses right now. At the level he’s roping, he doesn’t need to be learning alongside of a horse to be able to advance. I want to know with confidence his horse will 100% do his job so he doesn’t have to adjust to A, B and C to get the horse to do X and Z. I can work on teaching him to rope, and I don’t have to worry for one second about that horse. 3.…

Kylie McLean and Megan Gunter hauled $128,500 out of the $750,000 Women’s Rodeo World Championship, which played out in May at the world-famous Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. The cowgirl besties were thrilled to take the Showdown and Triple Crown of Rodeo Rounds at event’s end with salty 7.02- and 6.65-second runs, respectively. And as is almost always the case, they gave most of the credit to their horses. McLean’s a 5+ roper who now lives in San Tan Valley, Arizona. She trains rope horses for a living, and rode her 11-year-old bay-roan head horse Red Cloud—who’s registered name is Jackie Lee Valentine—at the WRWC, where she won $63,400 heading for Gunter. “His name is Red Cloud, because he’s a fierce warrior,” Kylie said. “I saw him on Facebook, and…

WHAT NOT TO DO When a horse gets nervous and wants to run backward and hit the corner, your instinct may be to put your hand down since, ultimately, you wanted them to back up. But that’s the worst thing you can do. WHAT TO DO • Keep hold of the reins and ride your horse with your feet into your hand. • Pick up your hand and turn him and keep him in the bridle—don’t pull back, but keep him between your bridle reins, into the bit. You need to be on your feet and maneuver the horse with your feet—not your legs. • Look where you want to go. • Move your feet and put your front end where you want him. Ask him with your feet to get the speed you…

Ten-time NFR header Charly Crawford hosted his first United We Brand event May 22, welcoming veterans of the U.S. Military to a Texas ranch to help brand corriente cattle owned by ropers Tyler Schaffner and Lance Inderman. The event was an expansion of Crawford’s American Military Celebration—a roping school held annually in October at NRS that’s free for veterans and raised enough money in 2022 to build four homes for service members in need.…

The Ariat World Series of Team Roping is excited to announce a new partnership with Superior Sleep Experience. Superior Sleep Experience is a sleep solutions company that offers mattresses, adjustable bases, pillows, linens and massage chairs at factory-direct prices. “The cowboy lifestyle puts a lot of strain on the body,” said Jamie Stewart of Superior Sleep Experience. “Plain and simple. Your shoulders, back, knees, joints and all-around muscles just get sore. There is nothing that helps alleviate the pain and rejuvenate the body better than getting a solid night’s sleep. A small investment in your mattress and an adjustable base can literally change your life. “From our copper-infused mattresses which promote circulation and cellular rejuvenation to our fully adjustable massaging base and mattress packages, we are confident we can offer…

For many makers, the joy in their work is sparked when they’re called upon to build a particular piece or get to the part of the building process that called to them to become craftsmen in the first place. But for Cheyenne, Wyoming’s Justin Erickson, although the making part is certainly enjoyable, it’s the opportunities to contribute his work to the benefit of others that win his heart. “Probably my favorite thing to do is build for benefits,” Erickson said. “I don’t take nothing out of it. I don’t get paid for them and I don’t expect to. It’s helping the community out and donating to a good cause.” When he comes across the right opportunities, the benefits of doing the donated piece far outweigh the costs. First and foremost,…

{ Vital Stats } AGE: 34 ROPE: Powerline Lite M/HM by Classic Ropes HOME: Stephenville, Texas NFR QUALIFICATIONS: 12 This is a series of pictures going back to 2012, and they really show how much the game has changed. Headers are turning steers faster—way faster—without the opportunity to set up the run. The position heelers are required to ride goes against 34 years of my natural ability and what I’ve worked on. What helped set me apart back in 2012 was that I was one of the guys comfortable riding a wider position and allowing the run to develop, then coming in to take my shot. But today, it’s gotten hard enough to win second that everybody is trying to win first. That means headers are turning steers…

In October 2021, Omar Benally and Curtis Imming—both Marine veterans and members of the nonprofit Warriors and Rodeo—were attending Charly Crawford’s American Military Celebration and roping school, where Benally seized the opportunity to approach fellow Navajo and World Champion Erich Rogers to gauge his interest in helping put on a WAR clinic. A short six months later, on Saturday, May 14, 2022, Erich Rogers, Derrick Begay and Aaron Tsinigine hauled their gear and horses into the Navajo Nation’s Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena to spend the day roping with, instructing and honoring 15 Native American veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. WITHOUT HESITATION Thinking back, “without hesitation” is a phrase that stands out in Benally’s mind. That’s how everyone accepted the opportunity to make the clinic happen, starting with Rogers.…

Growing up in Cross Junctions, Virginia, Martha Angelone never dreamed she would be picking up $70,900 with a breakaway rope in one week. On May 18, 2022, the cowgirl now based in Stephenville, Texas, put a loop on in the WRWC Showdown round in 2.05 seconds to lead the breakaway ropers into the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round, where she smoked a 2.04-second run to win $60,000. Add that to her WRWC round winnings, and the $5,000 she won for the year-end championship, and you’ve got enough money to leave Angelone nearly speechless. “They asked me how it felt winning $60,000 tonight, and I didn’t even know what to say,” Angelone admitted. “How do you even describe it? I’ve never had this much money—I never thought I’d have this much…

You’ve got your rope, your horse, your saddle—all selected and purchased after meticulous research. You’re ready to embark upon a great breakaway career and solid practice is the first step. But do you have calves to rope? Owning and using a good set of practice calves can be a key in your development as a breakaway roper and crucial to improving your horsemanship as well. So what do you need to know before you head to the cow sale? BUDGET CONCERNS Look for prices to vary geographically. Expect to pay $350 for dairy calves in the Northwest and $500-$600 for beef calves. In Texas, calves are running around $350-$475. In Wyoming, corriente calves are costing $550-$700 a head. Leasing can be a legitimate option if you have a supplier in…

“There’s been so many women fighting for it to get where it is and I think the whole end game is us wanting it to be in the NFR as an added event. We don’t want to take away from any other events. We just want to be part of the rodeo. So that’s our goal. “We’re spending just as much money as all the other athletes out there, and we don’t rope for near as much in our end game. [And we’re] so grateful for places like this, you know, to come here and win $58,000 in two days and have had this experience. It’s unbelievable. And I know it can get there cause these guys. These guys have done it for us, but we’re going to keep working…

The #9.5 roping has historically been the largest division in the Ariat World Series of Team Roping, including the largest single-division payout each year at the Ariat WSTR Finale in Las Vegas. But in 2022, the ropers in the #8.5 are changing the face of the game as that division moves to the top of the payout list. A few years ago, the industry started seeing a shift as the Baby Boomer ropers’ numbers started to slowly creep down because of Mother Nature and Father Time. Simultaneously, the sport of team roping has been constantly catching on with new ropers coming into the fold each season. Those individuals start at the low end of the classification scale and begin working their way up. The largest amount of ropers now falls…

The American Cowboy Team Roper’s Association will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2022, capped off by the association’s Wrangler/ Professional’s Choice ACTRA National Finals Oct. 15–22 in Reno, Nevada. The ACTRA is the largest non-profit team roping organization in the United States, founded in 1983. It has chapters in California, Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah and Montana.…

Some heelers tend to keep to the outside coming around the corner. That’s their style, and how they like it. Others want their horse to get to the inside as the steer squares up in the corner, so they’re on that left side and can see him clearly on the right side. The style of how you ride position is a personal preference, and there are pluses and minuses on both sides. I started heeling pretty young, and I was watching and studying it before then. I didn’t really think about my position in the corner all that much in the early stages of my roping career. Most guys back then tended to get to the inside, and maybe even a little more to the inside to where they blocked…

I prepare myself for every possible situation on the ground so I’m never thinking about anything when I’m roping. It’s all been thought out long before I ever back into the box. I’ve roped the dummy to win the BFI thousands of times, and I’ve roped the dummy thousands of times from every position so that my muscle memory knows how to react no matter what. DUMMY WORK On the dummy, I’m going to take the eye of my rope to the buckle of the horn wrap. I’m going to use my pinky, which is my bottom strand, to take it under the right horn and push it forward through the horns. Always when I’m roping the dummy, I’m not swinging really fast, like I would be on a horse.…

Setting Up Your Arena for Well-Adjusted Horses We always have a lot of horses tied up on the right fence at my place. There’s a reason for that—and it’s not just because we run out of room from riding so many every day. NO THANKS ON THE HITCHING RAILS The horses will sit there and dig holes and you’ve got to clean it up. At least when I’ve got them all tied inside the arena, I can drag the arena and fill in the holes really easily. HOBBLES NOT NECESSARY I have horses of all ages tied in the same place. They all learn that they’ll be there all day, and they might as well stand there. I don’t hobble them if they paw or throw a fit—they’ll learn to…

What keeps elite heading horses so sound of body and mind they can live a full decade on the highway? Only a handful have done it. It’s an even shorter list than the number of long-lasting heel horses (covered in our next issue). But we picked some brains on just how the likes of Scooter and Walt, Marty and Bob have done what they do for so long. Innate Today’s top 15 look around and agree Clay Tryan’s had more long-timers than anybody. Is it coincidence that the three-time World Champ is also a four-time reserve world champ and the high-money BFI leader? “I’d like to tell you I know something that other people don’t about finding horses that last, but no,” Tryan said. “It’s really just a horse that…

As competitive as breakaway roping is, it pays to lock that tip-down angle into your muscle memory—but with a curl so you get a legal catch in no time flat. Enter the dummy. Heel-O-Matic’s NEX calf roping dummy is endorsed by the likes of Lari Dee Guy and Aspen Miller. It weighs only 29 pounds, has a sturdy base so it stays put, and is made of a cow-hide-like material so your rope doesn’t slide around on it. What sets this dummy apart is the long neck, designed to allow your curl to kick back up correctly, while the angle of the head ensures you’ll keep your tip down. The dummy runs about $500, and you can get the sled for around $550, which is unique for it’s long tongue…

Ropers, Crack out the rope bags and the Gold Buckle Beer - it’s Cowboy Christmas Time! The 4th of July has always been one of the most memorable parts of the cowboy lifestyle. Highschool students are gearing up for the National Finals, the local rodeos are in full bloom, and there tends to be a team roping jackpot in every arena across the country. It is Americana at its finest and the Stars and Bars will be waving as USTRC ropings are kicked off over our country’s birthday weekend. Throughout the years of these letters, you have read countless stories about broken records, unbelievable team counts, trucks and trailers here and the huge payouts there. We don’t get political in our writings and this publication is a place for ropers…