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KISSING SPINE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

TEAM ROPING

The

FEBRUARY 2020

Steady Hands How Thorp’s Patience Pays Off

Coming to Fort Worth April 2020

+

HEAD HORSE BUILD BREAKDOWN BALANCE YOUR HEEL LOOP

JOURNAL

Features

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TRJ FILE PHOTO/G.R. SCHIAVINO

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66 KEEPING IT WESTERN IN EASTERN COLORADO Fourth-generation rancher Jesse Jolly likes to keep it cowboy and has three World Champion Ranch Rodeo titles to prove it.

by G.R. Schiavino

70 KISSING SPINE Everybody’s talking about kissing spine, but what should you believe? Our resident vet separates fact from fallacy about this common condition.

by Barb Crabbe, DVM

74 SIZE MATTERS Does a smaller head horse with quicker strides aid your delivery? Do you need a stout head horse for pulling power? The winningest headers of all time weigh in. by Julie Mankin

WHERE TO ROPE

Full-page flyers on the country’s biggest ropings, from coast to coast. Your number-one source for every World Series of Team Roping qualifier and United States Team Roping Championship event. See page 79.

The Team Roping Journal (ISSN 1096-9772) (USPS 016-024) is published monthly by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company. The known office of publication is at 5720 Flatiron Parkway Boulder, CO 80301. Periodicals postage paid at Boulder, CO and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2019, Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

Printed in U.S.A. Revenue Canada GST Account #825642911RT. U.S. subscription rates: $44.00 (24 issues), $24.00 (12 issues). Canadian subscription rates: US$36.00 International subscription rates: US$48.00 Bulk rate subscriptions for organizations and educational institutions are available upon request. Postmaster: Please send address changes to The Team Roping Journal, P.O. Box 37274, Boone, IA 50037-0274.

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Departments

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54

56

14

HIGH CALL App Attack Pre-Qualified Kicking Off 2020

WORLD SERIES OF TEAM ROPING

Note from Denny Gentry

USTRC ANNOUNCEMENT

6 8 8 10 12

80

BUCKLE UP Dex Maddock

94

ON THE COVER: 2019 WORLD CHAMPION WESLEY THORP; PHOTO BY JAMIE ARVISO

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ROPERS 14

INDUSTRY NEWS 16 New Ariat World Series of Team Roping sponsors and new ProRodeo partners NEW PRODUCTS The latest and greatest from around the industry

58

26

AT THE BARRIER

DEAR ROPER Note from Chelsea Shaffer

120

32

COMPETITIVE EDGE

AT HOME WITH Rube Woolsey

26

FIVE FLAT with Wesley Thorp

38

JAKE BARNES How to be the best partner

30

NEXT LEVEL with Cole Davison

CLAY O What it takes to make it

32

FREEZE FRAME with Cody Snow

48

OTHER GIG Pro Baseball’s Tyson Perez

34

FEED CART BIT JUNKIE

50 52

GO-TO GIRL 2020 Top 5

36

INNER STRENGTH with Tate Kirchenschlager

54

46

22

GAME PLAN with Kollin VonAhn

56

GEAR VET

58 60

THE SCORE Junior Nogueira

120

|Dear Roper

TEAM ROPING

The

JOURNAL

FEBRUARY 2020 • VOL. 3 NO. 6 Editor Chelsea Shaffer Senior Editor Kendra Santos Art Director Eva Young Associate Editor G.R. Schiavino Assistant and Digital Editor Kaitlin Gustave Proofreader Jenny Sullivan Production Manager Diane Paolini TRJ FILE PHOTO/G.R. SCHIAVINO

Prepress Specialist Brad Burleson Executive Director, Consumer Marketing Dana Raven Director, Accounting Shared Services Kelly Baumgardner Publisher Benjie Lemon blemon@aimmedia.com Advertising Sales Nick Griggs nick@myhorse.com ph: 806-622-2225 Classified Advertising trj@aimclassifieds.com Warren Wilson ph: 760-546-1192

Dear Roper, Our February issue comes together at an odd time each year—over the holidays, going to press the first week of January. It’s a weird time, when we don’t know what day it is or where we are or how to spell our names after the chaos of Las Vegas followed up by holiday travel.

It’s always my hope that we somehow pull it off, though, and that this issue comes together just as seamlessly as the other 11 or so we put out annually. Our contributors make that possible, and we’re lucky to have them.

Barb Crabbe, DVM, owns Pacific Crest Sport Horse in Oregon City, Oregon, and has long been a contributor to our sister publication, Horse&Rider. I asked her if she’d be up for tackling some team roping topics a few months back, and she hit the ground running. Her first piece on Hay Cubes ran in our December 2019 issue, and this month she covers the hot topic of Kissing Spine on page 70.

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Julie Mankin, a Wyoming-based writer who has worked for our magazines much longer than me, used her time this month to talk to the top headers in the game about horse size and whether or not it matters. Everyone had something different to say, and you can see where you fit in “Size Matters” on page 74.

Our associate editor Gabriella Schiavino used her holiday break to visit the Jolly Ranch in Agate, Colorado, along with assistant editor and staff photographer Kaitlin Gustave, to check out the cowboy activities that go on at the home of the Working Ranch Cowboys Association 2019 World Champs. Her title, “Keeping it Western in Eastern Colorado” made me laugh, and you can find it on page 66.

The rest of the book is loaded with more of the helpful team roping tips to help you go about your days in the arena.

Let me know what you like, and what you don’t, at cshaffer@aimmedia.com.

Advertising Coordinator Abby McDougall Do you have comments or questions about this issue of The Team Roping Journal magazine?

Write to us at: The Team Roping Journal 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301 or email Chelsea at CShaffer@aimmedia.com.

For Change of Address, Delivery Problems, New Subscriptions or Renewals, call The Team Roping Journal’s subscriber services department toll free at

1-866-343-1801 (US & Canada).

Foreign orders call: 515-237-3669 or email: TRJcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com Or mail to: The Team Roping Journal, PO Box 37274, Boone, IA 50037-0274.

The Team Roping Journal does not endorse and is not responsible for the claims and contents of any advertisement in this publication.

Andrew W. Clurman President and CEO Michael Henry COO, CFO and Treasurer Tom Masterson Vice President of Audience Development Tom Winsor President, Equine Group David Andrick Vice President, Equine Group Barb Van Sickle Vice President, Production & Manufacturing Nelson Saenz Vice President, Information Technology Efrem Zimbalist III AIM Board Chair

High Call

|High Call

| Wickenburg | Las Vegas | Clovis |

APP ATTACK Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves won the Open Big Gamble during Rancho Rio’s

Vegas Week, banking $17,860 for their time of 26.50 seconds on four head. It was the first big win for Graves on his new Appaloosa mount, an 11-year-old gelding named Appy.

CBarC/Andersen Photography 8 | TRJ | February 2020

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February 2020 | TRJ | 9

|High Call

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PRE-QUALIFIED Logan Hefner and Ken Koonsman secured their spots in the Ariat World Series

of Team Roping Finale XV with a win in the WSTR’s #8.5 Outdoor Qualifiers during December’s 2019 Finale. The duo pocketed $22,150 for their time of 40.01 seconds on four head. Photo by CBarC/Andersen Photography February 2020 | TRJ | 11

|High Call

12 | TRJ | February 2020

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KICKING OFF 2020 Holt Shelley and Wesley Gudgell won $10,200 for their in the #11.5 Ariat World Series

of Team Roping Qualifier in Clovis, New Mexico, produced by Mathews Land and Cattle Jan. 4, 2020. Their time of 34.91 seconds on four head bested the second-place team of Pedro Maestas and Taos Muncy by just .33 seconds. CBarC/Andersen Photo

February 2020 | TRJ | 13

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At the Barrier

BUCKLE UP with Dex Maddock, by G.R. Schiavino D

ex Maddock, 30, has a brand new, shiny Ariat WSTR Finale buckle— proof of his $114,000 windfall for winning the 2019 Yeti #13.5 in Las Vegas in December—but he’s not wearing it.

“I’m just going to leave the new one in the case and put it on the shelf,” said the 6.5 header.

Maddock, a rope horse trainer in Filer, Idaho, certainly regards that recent win as lifechanging, but he doesn’t have any plans to swap out his 2018 Jordan Valley Big Loop buckle any time soon.

“It took me three years to do it,” Maddock offered. “I’ve been going to that rodeo since I was a little kid. I always told myself that was one of my big goals—to 14 | TRJ | February 2020

win the Big Loop Muley Roping. It’s a slick-horn muley team roping, and they don’t have them at your just everyday rodeo. You kind of have to know somebody to get into it and they only take a certain amount of teams.”

In addition to the challenge of getting to just compete at Big Loop, the rodeo is also a prestigious cowboy event, which partners well with Maddock’s more ranchy tendencies.

“Team roping, I live and breathe it and it’s what I love to do and it’s why that part of the buckle was so important to me. But I also love the cowboy lifestyle and what it symbolizes and it’s just a pretty prestigious thing in our part of the country.”

And rightly so. According to Maddock, those Great Basin buckaroos don’t mess around.

“We had a pretty good muley,” he said of his run with partner Dusty Easterday. “They’re huge—probably 700, 800 pounds and they’re dead fresh. Ours didn’t run real hard and I scored good, but it kind of switched hard and [Dusty] he reached out a mile to catch it. He pulled off one heck of a heel shot.”

Coincidentally, when it comes to his Finale partner, Rob Webb—a 7 heeler from Gooding, Idaho—$228,000 wasn’t all they shared. Turns out, Webb was also sporting his own Big Loop buckle at the Finale, which he won in 2016. n

TRJ FILE PHOTO

| buckle up | industry news | new products |

|At the Barrier

| industry news

Laredo Truck Conversions, Interstate Truck Center, Pro Earth Animal Health and Ram Truck all joined the Ariat World Series of Team Roping’s sponsorship team for 2020, offering members even more benefits than ever before.

Since 1998, the Azle, Texas-based Laredo Truck Conversions (laredoconversions. com) has been the top converter of trucks in the equine industry, customizing 900 trucks a year.

“We are proud to welcome Laredo Truck Conversions as our newest WSTR partner,” said Lory Merritt, director of sponsorship for the WSTR. “Laredo offers a wide variety of pickup and large truck bed conversion packages as well as truck accessories designed for ropers.”

Complementing that is the sponsorship of Interstate Truck Center (interstatetruckcenter.com), the new official mobile repair of both the USTRC and WSTR. “Interstate Truck Center is our official mobile repair and tow truck partner of both the USTRC and WSTR. With over 350 service centers nationally and more to come, they can come to you for repairs or tows. They specialize in trucks that pull trailers. Discounts are available to all USTRC and WSTR members,” Merritt said.

“We are excited to be a sponsor, because the USTRC and WSTR set the bar in the team roping industry,” Scott Higgs of Interstate Truck Center said. “It just doesn’t get any better. Interstate Truck Center, being owned by team ropers, who are family-oriented, understands the need to be ready to help members, and

16 | TRJ | February 2020

their families when they need it, to get them where they are going, everytime.”

Ram Truck, already the official truck of the USTRC, has signed on to become the official truck of the WSTR in 2020, as it’s been the truck of choice and synonymous with rodeo and the Western lifestyle for nearly 40 years (ramrodeo.com).

“Team ropers nationwide trust Ram with their family and lifestyle,” said Mike Orman, representative for Ram Rodeo. “In addition to partnering with the WSTR to create more opportunities, WSTR members can take advantage of the Affiliate Rewards program to receive special savings on new Ram trucks including the Ram Heavy Duty, which is the 2019 Motor Trend Truck of the Year.”

“Ram Truck has been our truck partner with the USTRC for 30 years and has expanded its support to include the WSTR in 2020,” Merritt added. “Ram Truck is the Official Truck for team ropers. We thank them for their continued support.”

In the supplement category, Pro Earth Animal Health—makers of the popular CattlActive and Zesterra—is now the official digestive supplement of the WSTR (proearthanimalhealth.com).

“Their two products, Zesterra for horses and CattlActive for cattle, are all-natural supplements to support digestive health in both cattle and horses during stressful times, and they encourage added consumption of water and feed. We use it on our cattle at the WSTR Finale and have had fantastic results. This is a perfect fit for our members,” Merritt said. ■

TRJ FILE PHOTO

Ariat World Series of Team Roping Welcomes New Sponsors

We Asked, You Answered: Which horse should be the next to enter the ProRodeo Hall of Fame?

Jackyl .......................63% Scooter .....................16% Roany .........................9% Iceman .......................6% Viper ...........................5% Switchblade ...............1% Viper Iceman

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Jackyl

Join in the conversation in our new Facebook group, Rope Horse Resource, where we cover the trends and history behind making and maintaining great rope horses. More info: facebook.com/ groups/ropehorseresource/

Congratula ons Clay Smith 2019 PRCA World Champion Header

ADMEQUINE.COM • 1.800.680.8254 • AN.EQUINEHELP@ADM.COM

|At the Barrier

| industry news

CBARC/ANDERSEN PHOTOGRAPHY/RANCHO RIO

2019 NTR NATIONAL FINALS #9.5 LEGENDS CHAMPIONS LARRY GOSS AND JOHN PHILLIPS.

NTR Finals Adds #8.5 Championship, Rising Star Dummy Roping in 2020 The 2020 Ariat NTR National Finals VI is slated to take place in Wickenburg, Arizona, March 2-7. Ropers will converge in the Team Roping Capital of the World to vie for thousands in cash and prize payouts including a new RAM truck, fancy Scott Thomas Custom Saddles and top of the line Gist Silversmiths trophy buckles.

In 2019 the NTR Finals paid out more than half a million in cash and prizes to ropers of all ages and levels. In addition to the successful #9.5 Legends Championships—open to ropers over 50 and cowgirls over 40—a new #8.5 Legends Championships has been added. A special Rising Stars Dummy Roping Championships presented by Classic Ropes will award prizes in three divisions to the future stars of our sport.

Notably the fees for the 2020 National Finals are cheaper across the board. Qualified Finale entries (for the #11.5, #10.5, #9.5, and #8.5 National Finales) are only $250 per roper and direct/on-site Finale entries are $300 per roper. In the specialty ropings—including the #10.5 and #8.5 VIP Championships, #9.5 and #8.5 Legends, and the #13.5, #12.5 and #7 Championships—fees are just $150 per roper.

When the Priefert Rodeo & Ranch Equipment chute gates open ropers will 18 | TRJ | February 2020

once again have a chance at $20,000 added cash in the VIP Championships. The VIP Championships are only open to ropers 21 and over with a current NTR VIP membership.

The highlight of the annual Finals is The Horse Sale at Rancho Rio with 60 consignments that sell on Friday night, March 6. You can view all the horses in action at the full sale preview on Thursday, March 5, which is followed by an on-site Roper’s Reception. View the consignments online anytime at RanchoRioAZ.com.

The first full week of March is a must-attend event for the whole family—good weather, good ropings and an all-around good time. For a full schedule of events, additional details, pre-entry forms, qualifier details and more visit NationalTeamRoping.com.

|At the Barrier

| industry news

Yost Events Hosts Record-Breaking Las Vegas Week

CBARC/ANDERSEN PHOTOGRAPHY

CHANCE RAY AND DUSTIN HENDRICK WON FIRST IN THE AVERAGE WITH A TIME OF 35.46 SECONDS ON FOUR HEAD IN THE 11.5 LAS VEGAS AT RANCHO RIO DEC. 5, WORTH $17,340.

For eight days, ropers from across the country made their way to Rancho Rio in Wickenburg, Arizona, along with the state’s iconic Dynamite Arena in Cave Creek, where they competed during

20 | TRJ | February 2020

Yost Events’ Las Vegas Week for a $2.15 million cash payout—a sharp increase over 2018.

Held each December in the Team Roping Capital of the World, Ty Yost’s

Las Vegas Week in Wickenburg is consistently one of the top-five team roping events in the nation, for both payout and total teams. This year, 6,500 teams competed in every division from the Open down to the #8.5, with high divisional payouts across the board. Jaxson Tucker and Mason Saunders picked up the biggest check of the week when they pulled $26,560 in the #12.5 Big Gamble on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

For more information on Rancho Rio and Dynamite Arena as well as a complete schedule of events visit RanchoRioAZ.com and DynamiteArena.com. n

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|At the Barrier

| new products | industry news

PARTNER SWAPS FOR 2020 The end of 2019 also brings to an end more ProRodeo partnerships than in recent memory, with the bulk of the NFR teams splitting up and forming new partnerships.

Here are the ones that stood out: • Clay Tryan & Jake Long (new for 2020, although they roped at the NFR)

• Cody Snow & Paul Eaves • Garrett Chick & Walt Woodard • Tate Kirchenschlager & Ross Ashford • Lane Karney & Jerren Johnson • Britt Smith & Jake Smith

Randy Reid 3R Bits & Spurs [Twisted Square Bit]

$185 The Twisted Square is a popular roping bit that has found its way into the barrel horse world. See more styles at 3R Bits & Spurs on Facebook.

22 | TRJ | February 2020

(Far from a new team, but Britt’s first year rodeoing)

• Ty Blasingame & Cody Hintz (flashback team)

• Andrew Ward & Buddy Hawkins • Wyatt Imus & Joseph Harrison • JoJo LeMond & Thomas Smith • Chad Masters & Wesley Thorp • Clint Summers & Douglas Rich

• Dustin Egusquiza & Travis Graves • Colby Lovell & Jared Fillmore • Tyler Magnus & Truman Magnus • Brooks Dahozy & Matt Kasner • Luke Brown & Patrick Smith • Brady Tryan & Cullen Teller • Kolton Schmidt & Hunter Koch • Matt Sherwood & Trey Yates • Rhett Anderson & Cory Petska • Tanner Green & Rich Skelton • Levi Simpson & Shay Carroll • Jaxson Tucker & Jake Clay • Nick Sartain & Blaine Vick • Thomas Braman & Kory Koontz • Tom Richards & Russell Cardoza • Rhen Richard & Jeremy Buhler n

|At the Barrier

| new products NRS [NRS Swipe Glove, 6 pack]

NRSWorld.com, $20 The NRS Swipe, touchscreen roping gloves have been developed with the roper’s ease in mind. You no longer need to take your glove off when answering a phone call in the roping pen. You simply “Swipe” and keep going! They have a secure, contoured fit that won’t wrinkle or bunch. The material is ultra-durable and cut resistant, aiding in the longevity of your gloves. Exclusive to NRS.

Cinch [Mens Fleece Pullover]

cinchjeans.com, $60 CINCH’s new fleece pullover features a printed blanket stripe pattern, snap closure, pockets and new logo label. It’s perfect for layering, and is a must-have addition to every man’s wardrobe. Available in sizes XS-XXL. Matching boys’ product also available. Item #MWK1514002

Western Essentials, LLC [Chute Hand | Chute Case]

Contact for pricing, (801) 430-3169 Lacking chute help in the practice arena?

This handy invention from Western Essentials lets you open the gate from the heeling box with a quick tap of a button.

The entire system attaches to the head gate in seconds, making it as portable and versatile as your practice session demands. Check them out on Facebook. n

Clinton Anderson’s World-Class Ranch Available For Sale

• Professional horseman’s paradise located in the heart of Cowboy Country in Stephenville, Texas.

• Features multiple barns, arenas and pastures, all custom-designed by industry-leading professionals.

For more information, visit

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To schedule a viewing, call

479-530-2778.

24 | TRJ | February 2020

Coverage That’ll Out-Rope the Competition

Cimmaron Osborn, Cattleman, Horseman and Dedicated American National Agent, Stephenville, Texas.

Cimmaron Osborn grew up on a cattle ranch in New Mexico. He’s a Cattleman and Horseman. He’s in ag. He owns his own business. And we’re darn lucky to have him as an American National agent.

We believe in building strong, trusted relationships with our clients. From understanding your way of life, to providing coverage for your personal, property and business needs, we’re here to help protect what matters most in your life.

No need to rope you in – our coverages speak for themselves. With flexible options, we’ll work to help meet the needs of ropers living life on the circuit, of ranch hands seasoning the new horses and of the families at home cheering on their loved ones for another successful ride.

COVERAGE TAILORED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS: • Agribusiness – Farms, ranches, and country estates – Specializing in Equine and Beef operations • Auto, Home and Life – Protecting your vehicles, property and family • Business and Property – Options for business owners, commercial auto and personal property • Annuity – Preparing for retirement on your own terms • Health – Coverage for a range of medical necessities CONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL AGENT TO LEARN ABOUT CUSTOMIZED AG INSURANCE AND MORE: www.AmericanNational.com American National is a group of companies writing a broad array of insurance products and services, comprised of American National Insurance Company, headquartered in Galveston, Texas, and its subsidiaries. Products and services may not be available in all states. Terms, conditions and eligibility requirements will apply. Life insurance and annuity products may be issued by American National Insurance Company; Farm Family Life Insurance Company, Glenmont, New York; or American National Life Insurance Company of New York, Glenmont, New York. Property and casualty products may be issued by American National Property And Casualty Company, Springfield, Missouri; American National General Insurance Company, Springfield, Missouri; Pacific Property And Casualty Company (California); ANPAC Louisiana Insurance Company (Louisiana); American National Lloyds Insurance Company (Texas); American National County Mutual Insurance Company (Texas); Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, Glenmont, New York; or United Farm Family Insurance Company, Glenmont, New York. Not all companies are licensed in all states. In New York, business is conducted by the above companies with a home office in Glenmont, New York. Each company has financial responsibility only for the products and services it issues.

17-149.257495.V1.5.18

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Ropers

JENNINGS PHOTOGRAPHY

| at home with | Jake Barnes | Clay O | other gig | go-to girl |

(At Home With) Rube Woolsey is a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo header who now does a little occasional heeling at World Series events. Rube, 50, spends most of his time helping other ropers up their game and hosting happy campers at his family’s Walking N Arena. Rube and his wife, Carrie, make their home at the Walking N in Casa Grande, Arizona, with their sons, Rube Anthony, who’s about to turn 19, and Nolan, 17. By Kendra Santos

RUBE WOOLSEY WAS A WORLD-CLASS HEADER BEFORE WALKING AWAY FROM PROFESSIONAL RODEO IN HIS PRIME TO PURSUE A SECOND CAREER AS A ROPING INSTRUCTOR AND RAISE HIS FAMILY. HE NOW HAS FUN DOING A LITTLE HEELING.

Q: Name your NFR years and partners.

A: I roped with Kory Koontz in 1992

good and a hiccup’s just a hiccup. If you go five nights and can’t find it, it’s pretty hard to salvage a good week. The NFR is the easiest place to win and the hardest place to lose.

and ’93, Bobby Harris in 1995 and Bret Gould in 1997.

Q: Name your NFR high and low.

A: I have a couple highs, starting with the

first steer I ever ran there. That feeling of, “I finally made it” is hard to beat. From the time I was a little boy I always wanted to rope there, but you don’t know if it’s just a dream or it’s for real. So that was cool. My next highlight was pretty much 26 | TRJ | February 2020

all of the ’97 Finals. Bret and I placed in seven out of 10 day moneys and won three of them. When you’re on a roll at the NFR, it’s pretty simple. It’s not stressful, it’s easy.

My least favorite moment would have been all of ’93, because we never could put a run together. That’s the back side of the NFR. If you don’t get tapped off and you can’t put your run together early, it’s really hard to put it together late.

That’s just standard NFR. If you can find your run and get that run going in the first three or four nights, it goes pretty

Q: What do you consider the highlight of your roping career?

A: Winning the 1995 BFI with Kory

was a big deal. That stays with you forever. When I was a 10-year-old boy, there were two things every cowboy kid with big dreams wanted to win—the world championship and the BFI. Golfers are

KYLE IRWIN

5x NFR QUALIFIER

CINCHJEANS.COM

| at home with

defined by the four majors. If you win one of them, they never forget your name.

In the seventies and eighties, when I was growing up, those were the two majors of team roping. So when I won the BFI, I achieved one of my goals. That BFI win and the George Strait win (Rube won that with Kory in 1993) have been valuable to me long after I spent the money. These days, I have the most fun when I get to rope with my kids.

I think I’ve had the best life in the sport of team roping anybody could have. I was just turning 29 when I quit, and when I look back on it, it was perfect.

I went to a handful of NFRs and got to win a couple of majors.

— Rube Woolsey

Q: What do you miss most and least about roping on the full-time rodeo trail?

A: I miss the guys. The camaraderie. The

brotherhood. We used to all hang out together. I had a lot of friends, and guys from all the events. We helped each other out. What I don’t miss is the driving, and just sitting behind the wheel thinking about what you’d be doing if you weren’t stuck in a truck. There comes a certain mile where you don’t feel productive anymore.

Q: You walked away from rodeoing full time in your prime. Why? A: Bret and I had a great 1997 NFR.

We were the first or second high-money-winning team, and I finished fourth in the world. I came home and paid all my bills, and I was still broke. I started rodeoing again in 1998, but I was tired of driving and being broke. Roping is the greatest hobby in the world and the worst way to make a living. I was driving at 2 in the morning when I decided I was done.

I had no clue what I was going to do, but that was it. Once that decision was made, I was looking for a job. A guy asked if I’d give him one lesson a week for a month.

Now it’s 20 years later, I guess I’m still looking for a job and I’m having a blast.

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We bought this place 18 years ago, and I think I’ve had the best life in the sport of team roping anybody could have. I was just turning 29 when I quit, and when I look back on it, it was perfect. I went to a handful of NFRs and got to win a couple of majors. I got to experience roping for a living at the coolest level. From 1998 to 2010, I circuit rodeoed. I went to about 10 rodeos a year, the BFI and Salinas. In 2011, I quit buying my card and quit roping competitively to focus on teaching.

Q: Talk in a little more detail about what you’ve done the last couple of decades.

A: I teach roping for a living, and we have

a winter roping camp. We have 16 RV hookups, and people come and stay four or five months a year. We live in the team roping capital. You can rope for money seven days a week in the wintertime where we live. If they choose our place, instruction is part of the deal. I give lessons five days a week to the group. Then after they leave—from April to October—I fly around and do schools. I teach about 2225 schools a summer, and I love it. You can tell when you explain things right, because it shows up in people’s run.

Q: Talk about some of the best friends and greatest influences in your life and career being rodeo royalty.

A: When I was a no-name kid from

Dewey, Arizona, turning 18 and about to start college at CAC (Central Arizona College), Clay (Cooper) told me I could live in a trailer on his place in Chandler. It was the late ’80s, Jake and Clay were the kings, and I got to rope with them there for three years. Then when I was rodeoing in Texas, I was at the Houston Astrodome, back when we ran one steer a week.

I was staying in my camper in the parking lot, and Tee Woolman rode by. He asked where I was going to stay that next week.

I said right there, he said, “Come on,” and I followed him home to Llano from that parking lot. I never left for six years.

At first, I slept on the couch. Then I had my own room. I got to live a Hollywood movie. The way it’s all gone for me has been a fairytale. n

WOOLSEYFAMILY PHOTOS; COURTESY ROPER’S SPORTS NEWS

|Ropers

TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT, RUBE ANTHONY, NOLAN, CARRIE AND RUBE WOOLSEY; MIDDLE, BOB FEIST CONGRATULATING KORY KOONTZ AND RUBE FOR THEIR 1995 BFI WIN; BOTTOM, RUBE FINDS HELPING OTHER ROPERS REALLY REWARDING.

LITE

|Ropers

| Jake Barnes

JAMIE ARVISO PHOTO

JAKE HAS PRACTICED WHAT HE’S PREACHED ABOUT BEING THE BEST POSSIBLE PARTNER HIS ENTIRE CAREER. THE RESULT HAS BEEN A LIFE OF SUCCESSFUL, LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS.

HOW TO BE THE BEST POSSIBLE PARTNER

By Jake Barnes with Kendra Santos

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here’s no such thing as a perfect partnership, just like there’s no such thing as a perfect marriage. But since we’re on the same team as both our team roping partner and our spouse, why not bring as much to the table as we can?

Everybody wins in both scenarios when both people give it their all.

Based on decades of making a living with a team roping partner, I have a list of qualities I look for in a teammate. Since I’m kind of a workhorse-type person, I obviously want to rope with someone who’s putting in the effort, because across all the qualities I’m about to list, staying on the same page on a team is one of the most critical components. If you want to be the best possible partner, keep the fire burning on your work ethic.

Another trait of great partners is that they hold up their end financially. Don’t be that guy who disappears to the bathroom when it’s time to pump and pay for fuel. Always be willing to hold up your end of the deal, from helping pay for the 30 | TRJ | February 2020

practice steers and hay to continually striving to upgrade your horse herd. Pay your fair share of whatever it takes to keep the partnership alive. It never works out in the long run for people who are always trying to shortchange their partner.

Back to the all-important subject of the horses that power your team, it’s not fair if one partner has multiple good horses and the other doesn’t. Ante up, because your team will only benefit from every possible horse upgrade. For best results on any team, commitment needs to be similar from both partners to keep it fair. Being a cheapskate and always trying to cut corners typically ends in a search for a new partner.

Dividing up team responsibilities is another recipe for team success. For years, Clay (Cooper) did all the entering for our team, and I handled the trading. Both are big burdens, so we felt like it was fair to share them. Along the same lines, I’ve booked a lot of our roping schools over the years, and Clay books our plane tickets, hotel reservations and rental cars. It’s a big deal to rope with someone who’s willing to share the load. It may work for a

while when one person does all the work and puts in all the effort, but it usually doesn’t work out in the long run.

The right kind of communication is another big key to being the best possible partner. When things aren’t going well, team ropers are notorious for complaining to their buddies about their partner.

Go to your partner instead, and hash things out about how you can do better as a team. Open communication helps prevent a lot of problems, and backstabbing does not fly.

Confidence is everything in roping, so you want and need your partner to have confidence in you. It’s easy to just switch partners when you aren’t winning, and sometimes it gets to the point where that’s the best option. But while you are on the same team, it makes things worse when you have a fit and throw your head back or throw your rope when your partner makes a mistake. Don’t let leaked-out frustrations demoralize and embarrass your partner. That just tanks your team.

The best thing you can do when your partner is struggling is to assure him that you’re there through thick and thin. Let him know you’ll work it out and get through it together. Rube Woolsey told me one time that he ran through the barrier to win the round at the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) when he was heading for Bobby Harris. Rube said Bobby rode out the back of the arena, slapped him on the back and said, “Hey, pard, keep running at that barrier.” Simple gestures like that are important, and Rube said that gave him so much confidence. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. That tends to hurt you more than it helps you.

I haven’t had that many partners over the years, and I’ve had lots of long-term partnerships. Clay has obviously been my best partner. We didn’t always talk all that much, but we’ve always had an unspoken communication and commitment to each other. Our determination, work ethic and goals were the same. And we never knifed each other in the back. n

|Ropers

| Clay O’Brien Cooper

WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT IN TEAM ROPING

By Clay O’Brien Cooper with Kendra Santos

32 | TRJ | February 2020

CHAMP HAS HAD A LOT TO SMILE ABOUT IN HIS CAREER, INCLUDING SEVEN GOLD BUCKLES, 29 TRIPS TO THE WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO AND 29 NFR VICTORY LAPS.

DAN HUBBELL PHOTO

T

he team roping industry is abuzz at all times these days with more information and tools to take your roping to the next level. It’s all part of the evolution of our event that keeps making it tougher all the time. But in the end, the bottom line remains the same and there is still a set of things you have to master in order to succeed.

Whether you’re heading or heeling— and rodeo or jackpot roping—you have to ride your horse right and control him through the run. That includes staying mindful at all times of the angles that are required at your end of the equation. If you’re heeling, there’s also the timing factor. It’s the key that unlocks the door. If you can’t time the steer and throw at the right time, you’re dead in the water. You also have to get the bottom of the loop on the ground and under the feet.

Roping is a little like juggling four balls at one time. You have to be able to concentrate on each one of those components—riding and controlling your horse, maintaining the correct angles, timing the steer and getting the bottom of your loop down on the ground. It’s hard to break it into segments, especially during a live run, but you have to juggle all those balls while making a run and still be able to execute.

We use a horse as our vehicle, but it’s like any other sport in terms of making a play. The heeler’s goal is to read what the header gives him, be at the right place at the right time, and close the deal. You only have a certain amount of arena space and time to get it all done, and it all has to come together in one moment in time as the opportunity is presented to you. It’s tough to learn, but it’s so addicting, because it’s such a challenge. Once you figure out the elements and learn to manage

them, it’s the ultimate reward when you can achieve the goal and put it all together.

Practice is almost as fun as competing, because you’re just trying to hone, perfect and bring it all together into a reaction and a feel in a consistent way so that it’s repeatable in competition. The ball bounces different every time—the steer might run, check off, get heavy, go left, go right, the head horse may duck, your header might slide you some rope—it takes a lot of runs to develop that database in your mind, so it feels like you’ve seen it before and you know how to react to it.

There’s a process of learning to eliminate your mistakes and bad reactions, where you figure out how to react correctly. You have to react your way through each run to learn it, and that’s the fun part. That’s why I still like to get out there and rope.

You have to be a horseman to the extent you can control your horse and his anxiety, so he’s reliable, trusts you and will do his job for you. That’s a relationship you have to build. Each new horse I get teaches me something. He’s a thinking, feeling

and emotional being, just like I am. Some horses fret and worry; others get confident. They have all the same attributes as people.

Learning how to communicate back to your horse—so he knows you’re partners in this deal and that your goals are the same—is very important. Without a good horse, you’re toast and can’t do what you’re wanting to do. That’s another cool aspect of the process. The first 10 years of my roping career—from 10 years old to about 20—I thought of the horse as my transportation. “Get out of my way and let me do my job” is what I communicated to him. But it doesn’t take long to start appreciating how much that horse means to you and your success.

My whole roping career has been a great experience. It started with my belief that God gave me a dream when I was 6-7-8 years old. Being raised in an environment of team roping, I got hooked on the fascination of it. It’s been like a fairytale life to get to do what I dreamed of as a little kid. Getting to live the life my heroes did is still a really cool blessing. ■

Here are just a few th

ings you will learn by co

1. How to use your eyes 2. Seeing the whol e picture 3. Eyes on your ta rget 4. Using your perip heral vision 5. Reading the run as it develops 6. Watching head horse and steer together 7. Body posture du ring the run 8. How to maintain balance 9. Stand up or sit down 10. Left hand posit ion down the arena 11. Rein measurem ents 12. Left rein short?

13. How to frame yo ur horse up 14. Head, neck, and body position 15. What makes th e swing effective 16. How much roll to

m ing to a Jake and Clay

18. Swing angle 19. Swing velocity 20. Swing position 21. Swinging in tim e 22. Adjusting swing to different speeds of steer stride 23. Positioning goin g down the arena 24. Positioning for training vs. competit ion 25. Positioning for slower vs. faster cattl e 26. Correct time to enter the corner 27. Position squarin g up to steer 28. Matching the ex act speed of steer in position 29. Tip of rope over steers’ back 30. Correct visual of steer in position 31. Aiming points of delivery 32. What makes th e heel loop catch

Roping School:

33. How to get the tip through 34. How to get the bottom down 35. Trap vs. scoop 36. Properly lifting your slack 37. When to go to th e horn 38. How to let your rope slide while dally ing 39. How to teach yo ur horse to stop prop erly 40. How to keep yo ur horse from shouldering in 41. How to teach a horse to rate 42. When should yo ur horse stop?

43. How to free up a horse who is stopp ing too hard 44. When to use sp urs or not 45. Length of stirrup s 46. How to prepare your dally horn with rubber 47. What lay of rope to use 48. How to maintain and manage your ro pes 49. Keeping your ho rse in shape 50. How to keep yo ur horse scoring 51. How to warm up your horse 52. How to feed yo ur horse 53. Shoeing for your horse 54. Vetting your ho rse 55. How to know if your horse is sore 56. How to fix prob lems with your hors e 57. The mental gam e 58. How to get partn ers 59. How to commun icate with your partn er 60. How to be a team player 61. How to work or practice as a team 62. Setting goals fo r practice 63. Setting goals fo r competition 64. How to study yo ur videos 65. How to self inve ntory and find your weaknesses 66. What kind of ste ers to practice on 67. How many prac tice runs should you make?

68. How to practice on ground dummy 69. How to practice on four wheeler du mmy 70. How to climb th e competition ladde r 71. How to strategize your career 72. Bridling, tie-dow n, saddle, padding

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|Ropers

| other gig

FASTBALLS AND FAST TIMES Professional baseball player Tyson Perez swaps his fastball for swinging a rope in the offseason.—G.R. Schiavino

My Other

GIG

34 | TRJ | February 2020

though I already knew what to do.”

The excitement of the Ariat World Series Finale also got to Perez, who, maybe after years of playing in various sports stadiums, is simply tuned to get pumped up by a crowd in the stands. And luckily, he’s now playing for a baseball team that caters to a whole new level of fan.

“I actually played in Mexico last year, which was kind of crazy. I won’t lie, I went because you can make money down there, but I ended up having the best season ever. It was a total surprise. I played with a lot of guys that played in the big leagues for a long time, a lot of guys better than me. I’m really happy that I went down there to play, and I’ll go as long as they’ll have me.

“I live in San Diego and then I cross the border into Tijuana to play. One of the reasons why it was such a fun season is I got to live on the beach and then I got to go play a game that I love in an environment that I had never seen in my life—it was like [having] soccer fans, but they’re going for a baseball game. Crowds pack the stadium every night. Music is playing the whole time. The crowd’s into the game. It’s the most competitive baseball

COURTESY FRESNO GRIZZLIES

SANDY PEREZ GETS IT DONE FOR HER SON, TYSON, FOR A MONEY-EARNING FAST TIME AT THE 2017 ARIAT WORLD SERIES FINALE.

JENNINGS PHOTOGRAPHY

T

yson Perez, 30, grew up in California’s Central Valley in the care of some pretty ropey parents—Frank and Sandy Perez.

“I grew up with a rope in my hand. That was the first thing I did, before I played any sports. When I was just walking, I could swing a rope and rope the dummy, ride the horses. I had a little pony.”

His whole life, roping has been a family affair.

“It’s my whole family. My sister does, and my cousin—she lives there on the property with my parents and she ropes, too, so sometimes it’s a family gathering.

We’ve got to take two rigs to a jackpot just to make sure we’ve got enough horses for everybody to rope. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. To be able to rope with my mom and dad and my little sister and people that I grew with, it’s just special to me.”

In high school, Perez became a threesport athlete and, despite his love of football and basketball, discovered his real talent on the pitcher’s mound.

“As I got older, and I had a chance to play in college, that’s when I realized I had a chance to do something special and I ended up getting drafted and having a chance to have a professional career.”

In fact, Perez was drafted by the Houston Astros right out of college in 2011, and he played within the organization, including for its then Triple-A team, the Fresno Grizzlies, just around the corner from Hanford, where was raised.

For a time, his professional career kept him from roping, but the 5.5/6 switch ender rediscovered the sport in 2015.

“The next time I roped again was in 2015, when I got a little taste of the World Series roping they have at the South Point. That’s when I got the itch back again. There was a bunch of different rope styles and stuff, and it was like getting back into it for the first time, even

I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know what I was getting into. It was a blast.”

Similarly, Perez’s favorite roping moment also hinges on a hyped-up, competitive scenario.

“In 2017, it was my second time going to the South Point, and my mom and I won the Consolation for the #10. It’s one of the highlights of my roping career. I messed up on one of the steers in the big arena, so we had to go to the Consolation and be as fast as we could. I wouldn’t say that being fast is a weakness for my mom, but I would say being consistent and having good horses is her strength. So, watching her go at it and be as fast as she could be was really awesome.” n

|Ropers

| go-to girl

2020 TOP 5: First Look With the USTRC National Finals of Team Roping presented by Cinch moving to April this year, the ladies have a short window to establish the top spot in the Cinch Ladies Standings. —G.R. Schiavino

RUBY MAGNUS Magnus trails Torres by one spot and more than $2,000 with her $2,500 in USTRC earnings, also won at the 2019 Jingle Bell Classic. The 18-year-old, 6 header roped with Ross Ashford in the #15.5, and pulled four tight in 29.34 seconds to earn second place and a team total of $4,000.

COURTNEY SMALL Small, a 6/5 switch ender from Welch, Oklahoma, won the lion’s share of her $2,140 in USTRC earnings heading for Griffin Passmore in December’s Afton, Oklahoma, All Star Team Roping. The team was 28.89 on four in the #14.5, garnering them a win and a shared $3,610. Small, 28, also won $335 heeling for LaRaye Stipes in the Afton Ladies division, putting her a mere $360 behind Magnus.

PAISLEY FOEGELLE Lott, Texas’ Foegelle earned her Top 5 placement in one $1,750 swoop when the 10-year-old, 4 header joined up with Shye Pate in the Jingle Bell Classic’s Super #8.5 and roped three down in 26.68 seconds. Their time was worth second place and $3,500.

36 | TRJ | February 2020

OLIE’S IMAGES

KAITLYN TORRES Torres, a 4 header out of Alice, Texas, claimed the No. 1 spot back in November 2019 when she won $4,650 in earnings from Xtreme Roping’s Ninth Annual Jingle Bell Classic, held in Stephenville. There, the 12-year-old shined particularly bright in the Super #9.5, when she turned four steers for Slade Wood in 35.58 seconds, earning the pair second place and $6,000.

STEPHANIE LIGHT Light clinched the final Top 5 spot with $1,250 when she—a 4 header from Fall Branch, Tennessee—roped with Greg Miller to win the #8.5 Prize at November’s NTRL Northeast Regional in Harriman, Tennessee. Their time of 28.88 seconds on three head was worth $2,500. n

KAITLYN TORRES SETS UP HER STEER FOR HEELER SLADE WOOD IN THE SUPER #9.5 AT 2019’S NINTH ANNUAL JINGLE BELL CLASSIC.

Cinch Ladies Standings —Top 10 RANK/ WINNINGS 1. $4,650 2. $2,500 3. $2,140 4. $1,750 5. $1,250 6. $1,200 7. $1,045 8. $1,000 9. $840 10. $750

ROPER Kaitlyn Torres Ruby Magnus Courtney Small Paisley Foegelle Stephanie Light Hali Williams Dorie Lund Valerie Laufenberg LaRaye Stipes Kay Miller

(as of 1.6.20)

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Competitive Edge

PHOTOS BY OLIE’S IMAGES

next level| freeze frame| feed| bits| inner strength| game plan| gear| vet

5

FLAT with Wesley Thorp

Patience Through the Turn MAKING SMOOTH AND FAST RUNS ON THE HEEL SIDE REQUIRES PATIENCE THROUGH THE CORNER—SOMETHING THAT THORP HAS WORKED ON HIS WHOLE CAREER THAT PAID OFF DIVIDENDS AT THE 2019 WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO. I’ve been working on staying patient and not panicking, no matter the conditions, the steer or the situation. I don’t want to feel behind the run, but I want to relax leaving the box and carry that throughout the run.

{ Vital Stats } AGE: 24 ROPE: NV4 HM by Classic Rope NFR QUALIFICATIONS: 4 PARTNER: Chad Masters in 2020 HOME: Throckmorton, Texas CAREER EARNINGS: $486,622

38 | TRJ | February 2020

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|Competitive Edge |

5 flat

1

I’m patient when the head rope goes on, and I let the steer develop and make my entry. From the start of the run, I want to be patient, even if I get into a bad spot or feel behind.

3

2

What I mean by not panicking is that I don’t want to make any extra movements if I’m in a weird spot. I want to use my left hand to engage my horse as I make my entry into the corner, requiring my horse to be light and coming off my hand, allowing me to use my legs to move him.

40 | TRJ | February 2020

I’m trying to keep my upper body still. I want to use my core and keep my right shoulder back to maintain power on my rope. I want to give myself plenty of momentum through the run and keep my shoulders back to not get off balance. If I get in a bad spot, I have to use my feet to catch up, but the idea is not to panic or overreact. When I do, my upper body gets thrown forward, and my right shoulder leans forward and I lose power in my rope.

I want to keep my upper body still but drive my horse with my legs up under me.

|Competitive Edge |

5 flat

4

This keeps me from rushing a bad throw.

If I can stay patient, and keep my shoulders back, I can see things in front of me better. If it’s bad, I can stay moving, use the momentum and power of my swing so I can feel them later.

WHEN IT WORKED: In Round 1 of the 2019 National Finals Rodeo, Cody Snow and I drew a stronger steer, and I was really happy with how patient I was through the corner. I was patient and kept my shoulder back and didn’t do anything unorthodox but still heeled him on the first or second hop. It could have been a run that got a little out of control—especially on that critical first steer of the Finals that sets the pace for the rest of the week.

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|Competitive Edge |

5 flat

5

Panicking can also mean forcing my rope speed to try to catch up to the run. I don’t focus 100% on my rope speed because I feel like the more I emphasize swinging my rope hard, the more I’ll fight it. I want a fluid swing that’s controlled. I want my shoulder back because that gives me more power in my delivery. And I want more weight in my stirrups to give me more balance in my saddle to help me continue my swing. n

44 | TRJ | February 2020

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|Competitive Edge | next level

HUBBELL RODEO PHOTOS

; NEXT LEVEL

NEXT LEVEL with Cole Davison

Balancing Your Loop

A balanced loop is the key to tip control.

SPOKE LENGTH The old-school rule is that your spoke should be the length of your arm. Sometimes mine gets a little longer but, generally, I want to keep it that length. If it gets too long, you won’t feel your tip and you’ll struggle to turn your rope over. You will be swinging just to swing. Cory Petska can use a lot of spoke, but for me, when I shorten it up, I have more success, particularly jackpotting.

LOOP SIZE I used to use a small loop, until I roped with Rich Skelton. Every time I’d walk into the box, he’d drag my loop out three more feet.

46 | TRJ | February 2020

The bigger the loop you use heeling, the better off you are. That old saying, “big loop, big money,” isn’t a joke. It goes with feeling your tip and everything as you set it on the ground.

Jade Corkill uses a small loop, but he’s a different animal.

FEED I used to rope a lot of calves, so I feed on my first swing a lot. I feed maybe twice through five swings. Once my loop feels good, I don’t feed again. A lot of guys will feed just before their delivery, but that’s a bad habit that will change your delivery. n

{ Vital Stats } AGE: 30 ROPE: Powerline HM by Classic NFR QUALIFICATIONS: 2 PARTNER: Bubba Buckaloo HOME: Stephenville, Texas CAREER EARNINGS: $426,772

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|Competitive Edge

Freeze Frame with Cody Snow Photo by Jamie Arviso SITUATION: Seventh round at the 2019 Wrangler NFR TIME: 3.6 seconds OUTCOME: Won the round and won the average at the 2019 Wrangler NFR.

{ Vital Stats }

d

AGE: 23 ROPE:

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by Classic Ropes

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Los Olivos, California NFR QUALIFICATIONS:

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48 | TRJ | February 2020

a) THE ROUND: Going into it, I guess we had a good steer. It was a real soft round. We didn’t draw very good, so I wanted to take advantage of having a good steer. I wanted to stay with my game plan without having a “Hail Mary” run. I got a good enough start so I could take my first shot and

opportunity. I just made sure I didn’t hit the steer too hard and let Wesley heel him fast and it shaped up really fast. My horse worked really good and his horse worked really good— kind of the perfect run. It went exactly how you’d want it to go.

b) ANNIE: She scored really good and she really kept the steer’s head faced straight. She was as perfect and as automatic as she could have been right there. She was out of my way and let me rope but didn’t cheat me at all. She felt great. She has enough speed as a fast horse, but

T R

of it. I just wanted to get up to where Wesley could keep kicking and heel him—just kick through there. d) WESLEY: He got around him good. He got far enough down the arena. I could see where he was so I knew that if I turned him and got him legal, we were going to be straight from each other.

He was in a great spot and I knew he had him heeled.

f c

e) STEER: He was a softer steer. He was dead straight and got hung on the end of the rope. I knew there wasn’t much to it, once I got a good wrap around the horns I tried to pull him across the arena. He wasn’t much of your standard steer.

a b

c) LEFT HAND: I am just trying to get out to the front of that steer. I knew he was going to hang on it so I didn’t want to come back up the arena and make a “V.” I wanted to get straight to where, when he heeled him, we were going to get a flag right away—no hesitation. I just roped that steer and got my rope tight and pulled him out the front because I knew he was going to hang at the end

gives you a slow horse feel. She’s fast enough to catch any of the steers but she’s easy enough to rope on. It’s hard to find horses that have enough run but also are easy to just catch on.

That’s why I wanted to ride her. She doesn’t duck and going at a steer on her is just making a good, controlled run because she’s so snappy.

There’s not a lot of wasted movement when you ride her.

f) MENTALITY: I try to keep a pretty even mindset all week. I tell myself to try not to get out of my element too much trying to win. It’s hard watching teams win a lot of money in the beginning of the week and you aren’t winning money. This year I just told myself that, no matter what, I’m not going to change what my plan is. It’s just roping the steer whenever it feels comfortable. The good ones you’re going to win big checks on and then decent ones you’re going to win smaller checks on and some people are going to win big checks on decent steers, but they also might go out of the average. My goal this year was to win the average and that’s what we went for. When we make a good run on a good steer, we’re going to win a check. There’s no use in taking ourselves out. I just tried to keep that mindset. n

February 2020 | TRJ | 49

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|Competitive Edge |

bit junkie

Bit Junkie This month’s favorite bit: Wes Griffin Ported Snaffle

JAMIE ARVISO PHOTO

WES GRIFFIN PORTED SNAFFLE “It has a real good feel. It has a ton of release. For me, it’s important that when you turn loose of your reins, the bridle turns loose, too. That bridle has a ton of release in it. The way that mouthpiece sits, it’s kind of like a correction, but kind of like a chain port. It has solid bars, so it’s easier on their bars—not quite as bitey, but you still have a little bit of a chain port and a little bit of a correction in the same bridle.”

—Joseph Harrison Three-time NFR qualifier

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|Competitive Edge |inner strength

THE ALL-IN MENTALITY

Tate Kirchenschlager talks about making the leap to the big-time.

54 | TRJ | February 2020

JAMIE ARVISO PHOTO

Y

ou have to have the all-in mentality to rodeo. People try to take short cuts, but that doesn’t work. Whether that means going to a qualifier to get into a tough rodeo or going somewhere else you don’t want to go, you’ve got to be all in. You have to do stuff like that. It pays off in the end.

There’s 15 guys who go to the Finals every year, and there’s only 30 or 35 guys who have that mentality. You won’t make it without it, and it shows.

Nobody wants to make the long drives to the rodeos that aren’t as good. We all want to go to Houston, San Antone.

They’re a blast. Nobody wants to come to the Denver qualifier, but if you need to win Denver, and you want to make the Finals, you go. You get done at Austin and have $35,000 won.

You think, man, California is fun, but I don’t want to drive out there for a month even if you only win $3,000. But you’re chasing points. You put it on paper, it doesn’t make sense.

You need to be all in from the word “go.” Buddy (Hawkins) made a good point this summer. He said, “People who say, ‘Oh we’re going to rodeo until Cheyenne and see how it looks,’ those guys are who are looking for a time to go home.” The guys who make the Finals every year, they show up to Odessa in January and plan to go until Stephenville. That’s how you have to be. If you look for a spot to go home, you’ll go home.

It doesn’t make sense, and it will cost a lot. But you have to make yourself bare down, and go all the time. I even like going to unofficialed rodeos.

The more steers you can run behind the barrier, the better.

Now, the off months, I’ve always got seven to 10 outside horses to ride. On the months off, I train and ride outside horses and make that $900 a month. Any time I have a chance to make an extra dol-

lar, I hustle around and do it.

There’s always money to be made when you’re at home; you’ve just got to go do it. If you sit around and be lazy when you aren’t rodeoing, you’ll be in a bind. Last fall, I stayed at my dad’s house and we doctored yearlings for 60 days straight. I didn’t want to do it, but it paid good enough I couldn’t not. You just have to find a way to make money and find what it is that works. n

CATCH NFR HEADER TATE KIRCHENSCHLAGER ON SEASON THREE OF THE SCORE, THE TEAM ROPING JOURNAL’S WEEKLY PODCAST, AVAILABLE WHEREVER YOU LIKE TO STREAM OR DOWNLOAD YOUR PODCASTS.

|Competitive Edge |

game plan

GAME PLAN

with Kollin VonAhn Know your roping blueprint.

TRJ FILE PHOTO

WHEN IT’S WORKING When my roping feels good, everything is in sync. The ground, the cattle, the ropes, the draw—everything feels good and I’m not even thinking about it. But that’s when I need to really reflect on what it is that feels good. I need to look at what I’m doing right in my position, my swing, my horse.

WHEN IT’S NOT Sometimes, nothing feels right. We’re drawing bad, my horse feels off, my swing, everything. That is when I have to go back to square one— back to the critical fundamentals of my roping where I can regain my confidence and find success.

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by Classic Rope PARTNER: Brandon Webb NFR QUALIFICATIONS: 5 WORLD TITLES: 2 HOME: Durant, Oklahoma EARNINGS: $984,406

56 | TRJ | February 2020

KEEPING IT SIMPLE Everybody I talk to, even guys who rope great, they all know what their perfect run looks and feels like. When things are going wrong, you can come back to what you know you can do well—your blueprint. If you can return to those fundamentals, you can rebuild your roping from there. You think about it consciously, and that slows your times down because you’re not reacting. But in a slump, you just need to get one caught, and you have another place to start from.

WHERE IT COMES FROM I build that blueprint in the practice pen, day in and day out. I started developing it as a kid, roping with my family and focusing on what felt right and what felt wrong in the practice pen. Now, when I practice, I want to know what I’m doing that’s working and what I’m doing that isn’t. I don’t ever accept that something feels good and I’m reacting. I want to know why my swing feels good, what position my horse is in that’s making my shots easier and where my body is in the saddle to make my horse work that way. That way, it’s no guessing game when I’m struggling and I need to lean on my foundation to fight my way out of a slump. n

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|Competitive Edge |

gear

Winningest Bits in Professional Team Roping

4

2/3

1

From 2000 to 2019, the No. 1 bit that has won the world is the Petska Chain Bit, helping Speed Williams to five gold buckles from 2000 to 2004, Matt Sherwood to one in 2008, Nick Sartain to his in 2009 and Turtle Powell to his in 2011.

More info: $130, rockinmtack.com

58 | TRJ | February 2020

2/3

1

2/3

Since 2000, seven world titles were won aboard horses with a Petska Chain Port in their mouths—Patrick Smith in 2005, Randon Adams in 2008, Kollin VonAhn in 2009 and 2015, Jhett Johnson in 2011, Jade Corkill in 2012, and Levi Simpson in 2016.

More info: $140, thegreen-spur.myshopify. com

2/3

The Perfect Bit is perfect enough to have won the world seven times, as well. Speed Williams used the Perfect Bit (as well as the Petska Chain) to win the world on his horse, Viper, from 2000 to 2004. Sherwood won the world in 2006 with a long-shanked Perfect Bit on his great horse Nicky, and Chad Masters rode a Perfect Bit on his bay, Cody, with a snaffle mouthpiece and medium shanks.

More info: $150–$180; theperfectbit.com

5

4

Mylers won three gold buckles, including Corkill’s 2013 and 2014 titles on Switchblade and Wesley Thorp’s 2019 world championship on his brown gelding, Lexus.

More info: call for pricing: 800-354-3613, mylerbitsusamarshfieldmo.com

5

There’s something about a collectible, hard-to-find Klapper.

Rich Skelton, who won the world in 2000 through 2004 on his horse Roany, rode a Klapper Correction.

The King of the Cowboys, Trevor Brazile, rode a Klapper 122 in 2010 on Sport. More info: call for pricing; 806-665-6454

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|Competitive Edge |

vet trends

RYAN MOTES’ ROCKSTAR REBOUNDS FROM NEAR-DEATH PNEUMONIA JUST IN TIME FOR NFR

MOTES FAMILY PHOTO

IT WAS A GREAT VICTORY WHEN RYAN MOTES GOT TO LOAD UP BOTH STARBUCKS AND ROCKSTAR, WHO ARE FULL BROTHERS, FOR THE 2019 NFR.

By Kendra Santos

T

he way Ryan Motes sees it, he’s had two once-in-a-lifetime-caliber heel horses in his career. The fact that CD Rockstar, who’s 17 now, and CD Starbucks, 22, are full brothers his family raised and trained is pretty cool. But that little fun fact is nothing next to how happy Ryan was to have Rocky return to the active roster right before the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo—which was Ryan’s fifth and Rocky’s first—after nearly escaping a life-threatening case of pneumonia.

“Coleman and I won the first round at Sikeston (Missouri), then won Lawton 60 | TRJ | February 2020

(Oklahoma) on Friday and won the first round and average at Lovington (New Mexico) on Saturday night, all with me riding Rocky,” said Motes, who also was riding Rocky when Ryan and Coleman Proctor won $433,333 a man at The American earlier in 2019. “Then Coleman headed home, and I headed to the Northwest. When I got to Jake and Jessie Telford’s place in Caldwell on Sunday night (before Monday morning slack on August 12, where Ryan roped with Lane Karney), I turned Rocky out in a little trap. He trotted off, and seemed completely normal.

“When I went out and fed 30 minutes later, he didn’t act like he wanted to eat. Another 30 minutes later, he was shaking and cold. We took his temperature and it was high, so we took him to Idaho Equine Hospital in Nampa.

They checked him for colic and a bunch of other things.

He was really sick. Rocky had pneumonia, and a bad infection in his pleural cavity (the thin, fluid-filled space between the two pulmonary pleurae of each lung).”

Rockstar didn’t leave Idaho Equine for about five weeks while the veterinarians there tried various drugs to fight the infection. Ryan’s wife, Courtney, stayed with Rocky to provide the TLC due a family member and make sure he was never alone. Ryan finished out the Northwest run on Starbucks. By the third week in September, the Idaho Equine team felt Rocky was stable enough to take the trek back to Texas.

“We loaded him up and headed for home after Pendleton,” Ryan remembers.

“We stopped every two or three hours and let him out for at least an hour. It was nerve-racking. Rocky wasn’t contagious, so we weren’t worried about other horses. But he had an infection in his lungs, so we were worried about him making the trip.”

When they got back home to Weatherford, Texas, after Pendleton in September, Ryan took Rocky straight to Dr. Charlie Buchanan at Brazos Valley Equine Hospital in Ste-

phenville.

“Charlie pulled blood on him, kept him on a nebulizer and tried another antibiotic,” Motes said. “We ended up having to put tubes in his pleural cavity to drain the fluid. The infection in his lungs finally started to clear up, but it was sure enough a gradual process.”

Ryan and Courtney got to bring Rocky home on October 14, after a month at Brazos Valley Equine. With the 2019 NFR set to start about six weeks later, Ryan revised his plan on what to ride in Las Vegas. Starbucks and his bay mare, Goldy, would get the nod in Rocky’s absence. Then Rocky made the most amazing rebound.

“I didn’t know I was going to get to take Rocky until two or three days before we left for Vegas,” Motes said.

“My thought was that if he was borderline ready, I wasn’t going to take him. I was only going to take him if he was 100 percent. If I didn’t think he was ready to ride in Round 1, I wasn’t going to risk hauling him out there to just stand around.”

Ryan roped three slow steers on Rocky at home, and another four steers “slow enough you could ride a 3-year-old on” at a friend’s house the week before setting sail for Vegas.

“We’d been ponying him once he was feeling better, so he was in pretty good shape, but I didn’t get to run any on him full contact before we went out there,” Ryan said. “I think the fifth time I saddled

him since he got sick was when we ran the steers through before the NFR started. I ran two steers on him during the run-through, and he worked outstanding.

That was the first time I got to dally on him since August.

“Rocky came really close to dying.

They say infections like the one he had happen when you haul horses a lot. I’ve had a lot of people tell me it’s happened to their horse, too, since this happened to Rocky. But it was basically just a fluke deal. The vets and vet techs at Brazos were awesome, and Courtney (who headed on Rocky when he was younger) drove over there every single day to help nurse him back to health. I sure appreciate all they did to save him and help me have him back to ride.”

What’s a horse like Rocky worth to a guy like Ryan who makes his living with a rope?

“You find out how valuable these horses are real quick when you try to live without them,” Motes said. “Successful careers are based on great horses. It’s like a franchise quarterback in football. Great horses are everything. They allow us to succeed.

They are our living, and we can never take these great horses for granted.”

National Reined Cow Horse Association Hall of Famer Teddy Robinson placed on Rocky and Starbucks’ mom, Cari Me Starlight, at the Snaffle Bit Futurity in her youth. Ryan’s stepdad, Winston Hansma, won the National Cutting Horse Association World Championship Futurity on Rocky and Starbucks’ dad, CD Olena, in 1994.

“It’s pretty cool that the two best horses I’ve ever ridden are full brothers,” Ryan said. “This was Rocky’s first year to get to go to the NFR, and I’m so grateful he got to, because it was close.” n

February 2020 | TRJ | 61

66 | TRJ | February 2020

TRJ FILE PHOTO/KAITLIN GUSTAVE

T R

KEEPING IT WESTERN IN EASTERN COLORADO Fourth-generation rancher Jesse Jolly likes to keep it cowboy and has three World Champion Ranch Rodeo titles to prove it. By G.R. Schiavino

A

sign marks the entrance to the Agate, Colorado, Jolly Ranch. It reads, “Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Championship Ranch Rodeo Champion Team 2014.” Technically, and despite its modern, laser-cut steel aesthetic—unlike the well-weathered wood and painted “No Trespassing” sign wired to the fence at the cattle guard— this sign is old compared to the even newer, unhung signs for 2016 and 2019. This is the home of Jesse Jolly—three-time Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Champion, four-time Colorado Pro Rodeo Association All-Around Champion and multi-year Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale money earner.

…

E

xiting the highway, the seemingly endless and sagebrush-less flats of Eastern Colorado’s shortgrass prairie reach for the horizon, fenceline after fenceline. Until you reach the sign. There, the flats give way to the occasional low and wind-whipped evergreen, rocky red outcroppings and yucca-studded, cattle-strewn draws.

The ranch itself is nestled in a wide draw. Jesse’s parents, Kent and Maggie, built the house that sits atop a central rise, overlooking the barn that houses Kent’s father’s 1932 saddle, as well as a few cattle pens and alleys, perfectly poised to collect the cattle as they funnel down off the pasture.

Trucks and trailers hauled in by dayworkers are parked by the barn and Jesse commands the attention of four or five cowboys as he informs them of the day’s mission. It’s a brisk December morning, and the crew mounts up to canvas the pasture and gather its nearly 500 cows, heifers and bulls, and perform pregnancy checks. Gratefully, the day is sunny and windless.

February 2020 | TRJ | 67

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68 | TRJ | February 2020

JESSE HEELING AT A 2019 WSTR ROPING IN GILL, COLORADO.

TRJ FILE PHOTO/KAITLIN GUSTAVE; COURTESY WRCA

t 33 years old, Jesse—a 6/8.5 switch ender—has largely taken over ranch responsibilities. After college rodeoing in steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding and roping, he moved south in search of opportunities to improve his horsemanship.

“I took a couple of jobs in Texas, training horses on some JESSE'S RANCH RODEO TEAMMATE AND BROTHER-IN-LAW, DUSTIN BOWLING, ranches down there, trying to SPORTING A NOW INFAMOUS ARGYLE SWEATER AT THE WRCA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RANCH RODEO. better my horsemanship. That was a place I always thought, growing up, was a little lacking in our part of the world. Horses were more of a tool. Nobody rode real nice horses around here, so that’s what I wanted to do, but it didn’t take long. I think I was 25 when I moved home and started working with my dad.”

The Jolly family’s multigenerational Colorado lineage is rooted in sheep ranching, which remained a part of the operation into Jesse’s childhood. Cattle were worked into the fold by the time a young Kent was heading for his own father out in the pasture. For Jesse, ranching is simply what he knows.

“My sister, Carly, and I are pretty close in age and my dad always had a couple of really good old horses around and, from a very young age, we just went with him. We never went to babysitters or anything, that I can really remember. I think we always thought we were helping. Looking back, I don’t think we probably were, [but] you just kind of learned.

“A lot of people, when they come out, they want to help. And a lot of that stuff, you really can’t describe. You either kind of know it or you don’t. We were lucky there. When you grow up around it, it becomes second nature—how to read a cow or read a horse or even the other things that go along with taking care of cattle.”

Jesse also has two brothers and another sister, but he and Carly, who’s married to the ranch’s sole non-Jolly, fulltime cowboy and WRCA teammate Dustin Bowling, have chosen ranch life for themselves.

“We do a lot of things out here that you probably don’t need to do, you know, as far as trying to keep it a little bit more Western. We sort everything on horseback and we sort a lot of stuff in the pasture and we tie and rope more stuff outside than any-

body needs to. But it keeps it fun, too.

We figure if you don’t do it, you’ll never know how to. We mess around with that a lot and, honestly, I think it keeps us more handy. It seems like a simple idea, but it’s kind of hard to find somebody who can load a cow for you out in the pasture.” …

I

n the past year alone, Jesse has competed at ropings from Kansas to Arizona to the USTRC Finals in Oklahoma, the WSTR Finale in Las Vegas and beyond.

He made a few PRCA rodeos, too, and competed in ranch rodeos sanctioned by both the Mountain States Ranch Rodeo association and the Working Ranch Cowboys Association.

Ranch rodeo teams are comprised of mostly fulltime ranch employees who compete in ranch-work-inspired events like team penning, wild cow milking and bronc riding. Since many ranches’ payrolls include only a few fulltime cowboys, ranches are allowed to partner up to make a full roster. When, in 2013, friend and fellow Eastern Coloradan Phy Lord of S&L Cattle Co. approached Jesse about forming a team, Jesse was only vaguely aware of what he was signing up for.

“I didn’t even know what they were. I’d never even hardly been to any and [the Lords] were just our friends and asked us.

We’ve kept together and we’ve had more success at them since we’ve started than any team and I’m kind of proud of that.”

Since the formation of the Jolly Ranch and S&L team, they’ve clinched November’s WRCA World Championship title in 2014, 2016 and 2019. Even when the team didn’t pull off a championship win, there isn’t a single year since they got their card that they haven’t at least qualified to go to the finals in Amarillo.

Also this year, Jesse and Dustin were on the team that won September’s Mountain States Ranch Rodeo Finals held in Montrose, Colorado.

Jesse takes a lot of pride in the team and the fact that they are precisely what the associations were designed to showcase— real, working cowboys.

“It works good. They’re really neat guys.

We all have fun, so that’s why we all go.”

…

N

ot unlike his father, Jesse has a relaxed and honest demeanor, and it’s paired with a welcoming kindness that his mother offers in spades and food.

“My family works well together. Extremely well. We don’t fight. It’s good, and I’ve got a really good opportunity to do well here and to grow. We come from a successful line of ranchers, but my dad’s always done so much to try to make sure his kids are successful and he’s so easy to work for. He’s so black and white. You could tell me a scenario right now and I could tell you whether he’ll like it or he won’t. You don’t catch him on a bad day, and that kind of makes you strive to be a better person, because that’s not easy to do—to not have a bad day. They’re all that way, so I’d say I’m just lucky with the group I got.”

In truth, it’s partly why Jesse doesn’t have the same kinds of goals in the roping arena as so many others do. His goals, in fact, are barely about roping. Instead, jackpotting gives Jesse a chance to further pursue the opportunities he’s created for himself on the ranch, including his own breeding program. To get started, he looked back to the HK Ranch, where he worked in Texas, that produced Corkill’s Switchblade and Jesse’s go-to, do-anything mount over many years, Frenchie.

“The HK is owned by Tom Nelson, and he’s raised a lot of good horses. I bought that horse after I started there and he was just a colt then. I’ve done just about everything on him. Head. Heel. Rope calves and sort and do all the stuff at the ranch rodeos, and I pick up broncs on him.

Then, [Tom] also gave me two mares and those first colts are turning 2 this year.”

Frenchie has largely been passed on to Kent, and Jesse’s breeding program’s progeny are still a few seasons out from being anyone’s everyday go-to mounts, which isn’t too much of a concern for Jesse considering the cowboy company he keeps.

“On our team, Kyle Spitz raises a lot of horses. His dad, Joe Spitz raises a bunch, too. He raised the horse that Phy’s wife, Shali, rode at the NFR. CanMan is one of his studs. That’s basically where all my

young horses I’m riding now came from, and the horse I’ll ride next year at the ranch rodeo is out of their program.”

And though Jesse isn’t seeking to perfect his loop, necessarily, it’s not as if team roping hasn’t played an important role.

When asked if his ranching experience gives him an edge in the roping arena, Jesse contends it’s actually the opposite.

“I would say it actually helps me more at the ranch rodeos, for the vice versa reasons, just to have a little bit more confidence with my rope than some of those guys there, maybe. But then, we also ride good horses and know how to do everything else, so I would say that probably helps us because you’re not worried about catching. I mean, you’re always worried about catching, but that’s not the first thing on your mind. You just go out there and do your job.”

And have fun. It’s a theme Jesse keeps hinting at and, imaginably, is successful in creating. Consider, for instance, the argyle sweaters he and Dustin have a reputation of donning throughout the WRCA championships—“Look good, feel good, do good,” he quipped to one reporter. “That’s our team motto.”

…

L

iving out off the interstate, tucked in a nook where the plains briefly give rest to their interminable search for the horizon, social calls are rare.

“You can’t just invite somebody to come over and drink beer and hang out,” Jesse explained. “But if you have any sort of little function, then it’s okay. We do a few things throughout the year. Just little pasture ropings or jackpots there or a team tying. Something to where everybody can come out and do just that.

“We didn’t have one last year, but I think it’s been eight years that we’ve had a ranch rodeo and a pasture roping and a fast-calf roping and stuff right there at the house. Part of the ranch rodeo goes from the arena out into the pasture and it’s pretty fun. It’s small. But then we do a dance afterwards, or, I don’t know if you’d call it a dance, but we have a band play.”

So, there you have it. If you want to get Western, head to Eastern Colorado. n February 2020 | TRJ | 69

70 | TRJ | February 2020

Kissing Spine

T R

the true story

Everybody’s talking about kissing spine, but what should you believe? Here we’ll separate facts from fallacies about this common condition. By Barb Crabbe, DVM

E

very decade has its disease, and kissing spine is clearly in the running for the 20-teens. Your roping buddies might tell tales of purchases gone wrong or steady performers dropping out of the arena. One guy had surgery

done on his gelding’s back before it even started having problems, while another woman had to retire her best mare when she suddenly started refusing to go in the box and bucking in the field. Everyone has an opinion or a tale to tell. It sounds absolutely terrifying and, frankly, you’re scared. Is your horse likely to fall victim to this terrible problem? Stories about conditions that impact your horse’s health get told and repeated in the jackpot parking lot or the feed store counter until they become the stuff of rural legend. Kissing spine is no exception. While this condition can be troublesome, it’s really not as devastating as you’ve probably heard. Read on to learn the true story behind those

widespread myths about kissing spine.

February 2020 | TRJ | 71

BACK BASICS Before we explore the myths, let’s take a minute to learn the basics about kissing spine, more correctly called “overriding dorsal spinous processes.” Your horse has 18 thoracic and six lumbar vertebrae that extend from his withers to his sacrum. Each of these vertebrae has a protrusion of bone at its midline that points straight up toward his back—similar to the dorsal fin of a fish. This bony protrusion is referred to as the “dorsal spinous process.” In most horses, there’s a distinct space between each of these spines. The dorsal spinous ligament runs across the top of the spines along the length of the back , and a series of smaller interspinous ligaments run between the spines to help provide stability.

Overriding dorsal spinous processes are a radiographic diagnosis made when the space between two spines is narrowed, allowing the bones to come in contact with one another. In more advanced cases, you can see degeneration of the bone where the spines have rubbed together. When this occurs, your horse can become painful and you may see symptoms such as back pain, bad behavior or simply a decline in performance. The condition is seen most commonly in the 14–16 thoracic vertebrae (which usually sit just under the back of the saddle) where the dorsal spines transition from pointing more backward to more forward, although it can also occur in other locations.

72 | TRJ | February 2020

Myths & Truths

Like many health conditions, there are widespread rumors about kissing spine floating around the horse world. Let’s take a look at the truths behind those myths.

Myth #1

If your horse develops back pain or bad behavior under saddle such as bucking, kicking out or refusing to go forward, he probably has kissing spine.

The Truth: There are many conditions that can cause non-specific bad behavior, ranging from gastric ulcers to osteoarthritis. Even back pain can be the result of a wide variety of different underlying problems—including arthritis of the small joints that help stabilize the spine, soft tissue damage from an ill-fitting saddle or an unbalanced rider. Back pain is also a common secondary finding that can be due to compensation from lameness in the lower legs.

What’s most important to recognize is that any time your horse exhibits symptoms such as subtle lameness, decline in performance or bad behavior, you should request a full examination from your veterinarian before jumping to a conclusion that kissing spine is to blame.

Myth #2

It’s easy to determine when kissing spines are the cause of your horse’s bad behavior. All you have to do is see them on a radiograph.

The Truth: Kissing spines are commonly seen on radiographs of horses with no clinical signs. Surprised? It’s true. In one large-scale study, 55% of horses had radiographic evidence of kissing spine, while only 5% had thoracolumbar pain. And in early studies looking at post-mortem examinations, evidence of overriding dorsal spinous processes were reported in as many as 83% to 92% of horses.

This means it takes more than just a picture to determine whether overriding dorsal spinous processes you see on a radiograph are truly the cause of your horse’s problems. In fact, although identification of kissing spines on radiographs is easy, an accurate determination that those radiographic findings are really causing problems can be much more challenging.

If your vet identifies overriding dorsal spinous processes on a

radiograph, they’re likely to suggest additional diagnostic tests such as nuclear scintigraphy or “bone scan” (your horse receives an injection into the blood stream with a radioactive substance that’s detected with a special camera in areas of active inflammation), or diagnostic blocks (a local anesthetic is injected into the area in question to see whether symptoms disappear when pain is eliminated). Thermography to detect localized areas of heat has also proved to be a useful diagnostic tool in welltrained hands. In any case, a true diagnosis of kissing spine as the underlying cause of symptoms is considered a “multimodal” diagnosis requiring more than one positive test to be confirmed. Radiographs alone are simply not enough.

Myth #3

If you see kissing spines on radiographs taken during a prepurchase exam, you should RUN, not walk, away. That horse will never make it as a performer.

The Truth: We’ve already learned that kissing spines are commonly seen on clinically normal horses. What does that mean? Many horses can have a very successful career with a radiographic diagnosis of overriding dorsal spinous processes.

In fact, a 2018 consensus statement from the European Federation of Veterinarians (FEEVA) stated that “there is no evidence of a correlation between radiographic appearance of the dorsal spinous processes of the back and future risk of disease in asymptomatic horses.” This group concluded that radiographs of the back should not be included in a standard pre-purchase protocol at all.

Does everyone agree? Not necessarily. A radiographic finding of overriding dorsal spinous processes can mean the horse would be at increased risk for back pain if lesions are severe and multiple locations are affected. However, individual, mild lesions may have no predictive value when it comes to assessing risks. If you are purchasing a horse, radiographs of the back can help guide management that might prevent problems from developing. You’d be wise to include back stretching and abdominal strengthening exercises in your training routine, and pay close attention to saddle fit when purchasing a horse with radiographic evidence of close or overriding dorsal spinous processes.

One word of caution—the appearance of the dorsal spinous processes on radiographs is heavily influenced by the angle of the image as well as the position of the horse when the radiograph was taken. It’s especially important to make sure radiographs are good quality when making purchase decisions.

Myth #4

If your horse has been diagnosed with kissing spines as an underlying cause of back pain or behavior problems, you might as well give it up. He’ll never be OK again.

The Truth: Kissing spines can actually be successfully managed in most horses with a variety of treatments. In some cases, physical therapy and appropriate exercise may be all it takes. Other treatments for the condition include acupuncture, shockwave therapy, injections of anti-inflammatories into the affected area, and a procedure known as mesotherapy, where a series of small injections into the skin along the back is believed to reduce nerve pain.

Finally, if these treatments aren’t effective and you’ve confirmed the kissing spines are really the cause of your horse’s symptoms, surgery is an option. Two types of surgery are available, including ostectomy (the top of the spinous processes is cut away) and the newer interspinous ligament desmotomy (the ligaments between the spinous processes are cut to relieve tension). Although ostectomy can be an effective treatment (one study reported 72% of horses returning to full athletic function), it is typically performed under general anesthesia, requires months of rehabilitation and has a fairly high risk of complications. Interspinous ligament desmotomy is a much less invasive procedure that can be performed standing and has a reported success rate as high as 92%, making it a promising option for severely affected horses.

Myth #5

Surgery for kissing spines is a simple and effective treatment. If your vet sees overriding dorsal spinous processes on a radiograph, you should just do surgery right away.

The Truth: As we’ve just learned, surgery can be an effective treatment for a horse with severe kissing spine. That said, it should not be undertaken on a horse simply because overriding dorsal spinous processes have been identified on radiographs.

Remember, kissing spines are a common finding on clinically normal horses. Even when they do cause pain and lead to symptoms, medical management is often successful and surgery is unnecessary. Surgical correction for kissing spine should be considered a “last resort” option that offers hope for horses severely affected with the condition if they have not responded to other treatment options. n

February 2020 | TRJ | 73

Does a smaller head horse with quicker strides aid your delivery?

Do you need a stout head horse for pulling power? Did you know your horse’s stride affects your swing and your heeler’s timing?

Read on for insights from the winningest headers of all time.

By Julie Mankin 74 | TRJ | February 2020

OLIE’S IMAGES

Size Matters

HALL-OF-FAMER JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, 78, headed at 19 NFRs and won four NFR average titles and four gold buckles.

T R

COURTESY PRCA

Little horses can break quicker and get out of the box quicker, as long as they can handle the weight of the steer. The year I won the world with Ken Luman, I was riding a horse that stood about 14.3 hands and didn’t even weigh 1,200 pounds—he was about 1,175 pounds.

But he was stout by the saddle horn. If small horses score as excellent as he did, you can get up and rope a little quicker on them.

My preference is a short-coupled horse about 14.3 hands that will weigh 1,250 and can handle the weight on the saddle horn. Today, bigger horses are a little more athletic. That horse Trevor [Brazile] sold Jake Cooper is bigger and he’s an outstanding horse. Is your horse strong enough to pull up the wall and face right through himself?

JAMIE ARVISO PHOTO

NFR HEADER BROCK HANSON, 34, is co-holder of the team roping world record.

At the pro level, a guy can get away with the smaller horses because an Open horse doesn’t have to pull very far. And if you’re roping behind the World Series score, a smaller horse with a shorter-coupled body has four to six inches more play in the barrier.

Old-timers will tell you that heavier-made horses last longer. But I’ve had

just as many of those go crippled as I have smaller, finer-boned horses. If horses know how to take care of themselves, they do and if they don’t, they don’t. All the true superstars tear themselves up regardless of structure.

The good horses have gotten so scarce that if you find something you can win on, you better ride it regardless of size.

I will say, though, that it seems like small horses try harder.

That little sorrel that Nicky Northcott heels on? He came through Kaleb Driggers but, originally, Seth Jones had him and he was a runt. He didn’t weigh 700 pounds. But you can’t believe how incredible he is to head on.

HALL-OF-FAMER TEE WOOLMAN, 63, won five NFR average titles and three gold buckles at 26 NFRs. I think 15 hands is the perfect horse for me. They’re quicker and their stride is a little shorter. No bigger than the steers are anymore, you can get more use out of a little, quick athlete. People have bred most of the bone out of everything anyway. At 14.3 or 15 hands, I can head or heel on one.

February 2020 | TRJ | 75

HALL-OF-FAME HEADER SPEED WILLIAMS, 52, won a record eight gold buckles.

TRJ FILE PHOTO BY JAMES PHIFER

Long-strided doesn’t work real well coming back up a wall; it’s harder for them.

Bigger horses have more weight pulling down on them as they pull back up that wall and turn around. There have been a few freaks. But most of the time, you want one compact and very athletic to be able to run, pull and face.

I’ve seen some good horses a little on the bigger side; I just didn’t have any. I tried to have five horses and put each in the situation where it could excel. It’s just like different cars for different dirt tracks or different golf clubs for different distances. It depends on the situation. I never tried to ride one horse everywhere.

There are excellent jackpot horses that stand 14.2 and some guys win a lot of jackpots on horses that are 16 hands.

There’s no set deal where they have to be a certain size to be able to win. It’s their heart and their try.

WORLD CHAMPION HEADER NICK SARTAIN, 40, roped at six NFRs and won the ’09 gold buckle.

TRJ FILE PHOTO

a big long-strided horse means the steer will be long-handling and harder to heel and keep the feet.

You can’t ride one that’s tiny. But everyone seems to be going shorter-coupled and shorter-strided. On a World Series barrier, you back in on a big horse and the scoreline is right in front of you with only an inch or two to wiggle. On a shorter-coupled horse, you’re four or five inches away from that eye, which gives you a half-step of clutch room.

The only thing to watch out for, if a horse is too short-coupled, is that it can’t run fast enough. You want a happy medium in there.

I’m not so much worried about how big or little a horse is; I like one with a shorter back and a short stride. A horse with a big stride can run, but it’s hard to get them shut down and get them on their butt and get the steer moving. Also, 76 | TRJ | February 2020

HALL-OF-FAME HEADER JOHN MILLER, 77, roped horns at two NFSRs and six NFRS in the 1960s and ’70s, winning an NFR average title and two gold buckles.

We had to make our money at the jackpots. And if the steers didn’t weigh 500 pounds, we thought they were too weak.

When you’d jackpot on the weekend, you’d better have a horse big enough to stand the heat and the size of the cattle.

The horses I won the world on both weighed about 1,200 or 1,250. One was a sorrel, heavy-made, Gill-bred Pelican horse and the other gray Thoroughbred was 15.1 or 15.2 hands. They both were substantial enough to take the runs and had plenty of power when you needed it.

Rodriguez had a Gill-bred horse that was too big for me—on him you had to give those cattle another six to eight inches or you’d break the barrier.

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T R REIGNING WORLD STEER ROPING CHAMP TREVOR BRAZILE, 43, won the 2008 NFR average title in heading and the 2010 gold buckle.

TRJ FILE PHOTO BY KAITLIN GUSTAVE

I like a head horse to stand about 15.1.

A lot of guys prefer 15 hands, but I don’t mind bigger horses as long as they can move their feet fast. I’ve ridden slower-footed small horses. I think a bigger stride is more forgiving than a real short stride. Everyone wants a forgiving head horse, and they also want a quick, short-strided horse. That doesn’t work.

Quick strides can speed up the tempo of your swing. I’m not saying I like one real long-strided, but longer can be really forgiving. If you reach a coil or two, it’s just smoother. They don’t try to beat you as fast.

It seems like the bigger the horse, the longer the stride. A long-strided horse covers the ground a lot faster, but timing comes into play. Higher-numbered ropers can manage that kind of timing. Just depends on how you like your coffee.

It’s not size but stride length that makes the difference. Smaller horses seem faster-footed and have a little more go to them; they’ve got more moves. It’s easier to rope on faster-footed horses. There’s a happy medium right there. Ideally, you want more size but also the moves and a shorter stride.

J.D. YATES, 59, headed at most of 21 NFRs and won the 2002 NFR average title before recently winning Head Horse of the BFI on a 14.2-hand gelding.

TRJ FILE PHOTO BY KAITLIN GUSTAVE

I have no preference on the size of my head horses. They’ve got to have heart and you’ve got to be able to win on them. That’s the size I like. Larry Bird wasn’t the most beautiful man, but he was the basketball playingest son of a buck I’ve ever seen. I don’t look at size or weight. I look at heart and ability and do they let you win. They’re my kind of horse. n

78 | TRJ | February 2020

IMPULSE PHOTOGRAPHY

DERRICK BEGAY, 36, headed eight times at the NFR and is a former INFR world all-around champ.

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Stephenville, TX • February 13 – 16, 2020 Lonestar Arena • 4696 N US HWY 377 For More Information Aaron (575) 313-2506 Troy (575) 574-8591

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Enter at 9:00 a.m. – Rope at 10:00 a.m

OPEN WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X

#15.5 ADD-ON-$150/Roper • Enter 2X #14.5 $500/Roper • Enter 2x

#14.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback • No Age or Classification Cap

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#13.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback • No cap

NO CHECKS Must be 21 years old or turn 21 anytime during the calendar year to participate in WS qualifiers (*except in the #14.5). A current WSTR or USTRC membership or Key Card is required. WSTR memberships, including The Key Card may be purchased online at wstroping.com, on-site before you rope, or renewing by phone, 505898-1755. WSTR memberships are free to renewing ropers 70 and older.

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#12.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback • No cap

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$100/Roper • Enter 3X • Anyone can rope

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Enter at 8:00 a.m. – Rope at 9:00 a.m.

#11.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Capped at #7 Heeler • Enter 2X • 80% Payback

#10.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Capped at #6 Heeler • Enter 2X • 80% Payback

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$100/Roper • Enter 3X • Anyone can rope

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Enter at 8:00 a.m. – Rope at 9:00 a.m.

#9.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER

Negative coggins required on all horses.

#8.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER

DRESS CODE APPLIES:

$150/Roper • Enter 2X • Capped at #5.5 Heeler • No draw - Must have a partner $150/Roper • Enter 3X • Capped at #4.5 (both ends) • Pick OR Draw • 80% Payback

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Buckeye, AZ • February 28 - March 1, 2020

South Buckeye Equestrian Center • 10300 S Miller Rd.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Enter at 8:00 a.m. – Rope at 9:00 a.m

OPEN WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X

#15.5 ADD-ON-$150/Roper • Enter 2X #14.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback • No Age or Classification Cap

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#13.5 PICK OR DRAW

$100/Roper • Enter 3X • No Age Limit • ANYONE CAN ROPE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29 Enter at 8:00 a.m. – Rope at 9:00 a.m

#12.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback • No cap

#11.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Capped at #7 Heeler • Enter 2X • 80% Payback

#10.5 WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Capped at #6 Heeler • Enter 2X • 80% Payback

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San Antonio, TX • March 5 - 8, 2020

San antonio Rose Palace • 25665 Boerne Stage Road

THURSDAY, MARCH 5 Enter at 10:00 a.m. – Rope at 11:00 a.m

OPEN WORLD SERIES QUALIFIER $150/Roper • Enter 2X

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For More Information Aaron (575) 313-2506 Troy (575) 574-8591

NO CHECKS Must be 21 years old or turn 21 anytime during the calendar year to participate in WS qualifiers (*except in the #14.5). A current WSTR or USTRC membership or Key Card is required. WSTR memberships, including The Key Card may be purchased online at wstroping.com, on-site before you rope, or renewing by phone, 505898-1755. WSTR memberships are free to renewing ropers 70 and older.

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TRIPLE T PRODUCTIONS FEBRUARY 21-22, 2020 • MESQUITE, NV MESQUITE CITY ARENA

FRIDAY, FEB. 21

SATURDAY, FEB. 22

#14.5 World Series Qualifier

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Sign Up 8 a.m., Rope 9 a.m.

$150/roper • Enter 2x • 80% payback No cap • No age limit $150/roper • Enter 2x • 80% payback No cap • Must be 21 years old

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$150/roper • Enter 2x • 80% payback Cap at #6 heeler • Must be 21 years old

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#7.5 Add-On

$150/roper • Enter 2x • 80% payback No cap • Must be 21 years old

$150/roper • Enter 2x • 80% payback Capped at #7 heeler • Must be 21 years old

#10.5 Handicap Saddle Roping Pick one draw two or draw all three for $150 Enter 2x for 6 runs • 1 second off per number

Saddles to average winners • Buckles to second Prizes guaranteed • 1/3 stock 2/3 cash and prizes

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March 13-15: Las Vegas, Nevada • April 4-5: Homedale, Idaho • April 24-25: Pocatello, Idaho

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2 ARENAS USED ALL WEEKEND

MARCH 13-15, 2020

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Stalls available at

Reservations at Southpoint #1-866-791-7626 use group code: WOR0313 February 19 deadline.

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Move out no later than Monday, March 14, 10 a.m.

Stalls are $140/stall (includes 4 bags of shavings).

Tack stalls are required @ $140/stall because of location of trailer parking.

Tack stalls may be shared. Ropers must coordinate shared tack stalls with each other.

Stall mats available @$40/per stall.

Current health and coggins required to unload.

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FRIDAY

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Sign up at 8:30am, Rope at 10am

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Rope at 9am

#10.5

#9.5

• • • • • •

Limited to 425 teams Entries open February 1st Entries must be received or postmarked by March 1st $50.00 late fee after March 1st 1 second handicap per number Capped at #6 Heeler

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#8.5

• $300/man – Enter 3X – Pick or Draw • Capped at #4.5 Both Ends

#7.5 ADD-ON

• $200/man – Enter 3X – Pick or Draw • Capped at #4.5 – Must be 21

Must be 21 years old or turn 21 anytime during the calendar year to participate in WS qualifiers (*except in the #14.5). A current WSTR or USTRC membership or Key Card is required. WSTR memberships, including The Key Card may be purchased online at wstroping.com, on-site before you rope, or renewing by phone, 505-898-1755. WSTR memberships are free to renewing ropers 70 and older. WSTR memberships or The Key Card is required for WSTR Finale accumulated earning discounts. Global Handicaps Only.

www.wstroping.com

ROPING ENTRY FORM:

STALL RESERVATION FORM:

Mail Entries to: TRIPLE T PRODUCTIONS P.O. BOX 1218 LOGANDALE, NV 89021 or call to enter by phone with credit card 208-681-2268 OR 208-681-4423

Mail Entries to: TRIPLE T PRODUCTIONS P.O. BOX 1218 LOGANDALE, NV 89021 or call to enter by phone with credit card 208-681-2268 OR 208-681-4423

HEADER WSTR/USTRC ID# ADDRESS PHONE

NAME: ADDRESS:

HEELER WSTR/USTRC ID# ADDRESS PHONE

RATING

PHONE:

RATING

(Copy as needed or simply put all requested entry info for additional entries on separate sheet of paper)

# of stalls WITH mats:

@ $180 each = $ ______

# of stalls WITHOUT mats:

@ $140 each = $ ______

# of Tack Stalls:

@ $140 each = $ ______ TOTAL $

Lucky J Steakhouse & Arena Feb. 22-23, 2020 Saturday, February 22, 2020

MUST HAVE CURRENT USTRC, WSTR, OR KEY CARD

Books open @ 8:00 a.m. rope @ 9:00 a.m.

ALL ROPINGS SATURDAY 4 HEAD PROGRESSIVE AFTER 1

(MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE ON-SITE)

.

NO CHECKS, CASH OR CREDIT CARD ONLY

$100/Roper, enter 3x, 70% Payback BOOKS CLOSE @ 8:45 A.M. ROPE @ 9:00 A.M.

DRAW OPTION AVAILABLE

#14.5 World Series of Team Roping Qualifier

DRESS CODE: COLLARED SHIRT

$150/ROPER, enter 2X

#13.5 Qualifier

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL OR TEXT

$150/ROPER, ENTER 2X, 80% payback, WILL NOT START BEFORE 11;00 A.m.

#12.5 Qualifier

BLAKE LARMON 918.837.0048 TIM VICTORY 918.798,0159 LEON STIPES 918.857.4401

$150/ROPER, ENTER 2X, 80% payback, WILL NOT START BEFORE 1:00 p.m.

#11.5 Qualifier

$150/ROPER, ENTER 2X, CAPPED @ 7.5 Hl, 80% payback, WILL NOT START BEFORE 3:00 P.M.

WWW.ALLSTARTEAMROPING.COM FOLLOW ALL STAR TEAM ROPING ON FACEBOOK

.

$150/ROPER, enter 2x, capped @ 6.5 hl 80% payback, will not start before 5:00 p.m.

TOP 5 IN THE AVERAGE QUALIFY FOR THE 2020 ASTR FINALS LUCKY J STEAKHOUSE & ARENA 11664 FIR RD. CARTHAGE, MO 64836 STALLS & RV HOOKUPS AVAILABLE

Sunday, February 23, 2020 Books open @ 9:00 a.m. rope @ 10:00 a.m. all ropings sunday 4 head progressive after 1, Except Ladies Open

Enter 1/Draw 1 or Draw 2 for $150/ROPER, enter 3X, 3 head progressive after 1, 70% payback, Books close @ 9:45 A.m.

.

enter 1/draw 1 or draw 2 for $200/ROper, enter 2x, capped @ 5.5 Hl, 70% payback must be 40 years old or turn 40 anytime during the 2020 season buckles to average winners, will not start before 11:00 a.m.

#9.5 Qualifier

$150/ROper, enter 3x, capped @ 5.5 Hl, 80% payback buckles to average winners, will not start before 12:30 p.m.

#8.5 Handicap Colt 45 & Buckle Blowout ENTER 1/DRAW 2 OR DRAW 3 FOR $180/ROPER, ENTER 3X, CAPPED @ 4.5, #7.5 1 second off, #6.5 2 seconds off, #5.5 & below 3 seconds off buckles to average winners, 70% cash & prize Payback WILL NOT START BEFORE 2:00 P.M.

March 21-22, 2020 Amarillo National Center

13th Annual

Wiley Hicks, Jr. Memorial BENEFITING THE HOPE & HEALING PLACE

B oo k s op e n 7 :3 0 , R op e at 9: 3 0am Bo t h Day s

SATURDAY , MARCH 21 #14.5 World Series Qualifier $250/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback No Cap, No Age Limit

#13.5 World Series Qualifier

$250/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback • No Cap

#12.5 ADD-ON

$250/Roper • Enter 2X*

SUNDAY , MARCH 22

#12.5 World Series Qualifier

$250/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback • No Cap

#11.5 World Series Qualifier $250/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback Capped at #7 Heeler

#10.5 World Series Qualifier $250/Roper • Enter 2X • 80% Payback Capped at #6 Heeler

#12.5 ADD-ON

$250/Roper • Enter 2X • 4 steers progressive after 1

• Limited to 150 Teams

• Will not start before 5pm Saturday 3/21/2020

• Must enter at least one qualifier of the weekend to enter #12.5 ADD-ON GIST BUCKLES TO THE AVERAGE WINNERS

$10,000 Added to Average money #14.5, 13.5, 12.5, 11.5, 10.5

• 4 steers progressive after 1• $500/team • 80% Payback • Trophy Saddles to Average Champions in each roping.

• Gist Buckles to 2nd in each roping.

Questions? Call James P. Hicks (806)236-5128 Entries will not be accepted until both sides are paid.

OVER

$470,00

Donated to Charities to-date from this roping.

Thanks for your support!

Must be 21 years old or turn 21 anytime during the calendar year to participate in WS qualifiers (*except in the #14.5). A current WSTR or USTRC membership or Key Card is required. WSTR memberships, including The Key Card may be purchased online at wstroping.com, on-site before you rope, or renewing by phone, 505-898-1755. WSTR memberships are free to renewing ropers 70 and older. WSTR memberships or The Key Card is required for WSTR Finale accumulated earning discounts.

Global Handicaps Only. www.wstroping.com

WESTERN STATE BANK EXPO

MARCH 28

Saturday, March 28

11333 US 283

Dodge City, KS

Entries open @ 9:30, Close @ 10:30

#12.5 SLIDE

#9.5 WSTR QUALIFIER

• 1 second +/- per number • $50/roper, Enter 6X • 75% Payout • No age limit, No Cap • Can Draw in

• $150/Roper, Enter 2x • Capped at #5.5 Heeler, 80% Payback • Must be 21

Jackets to average winners in all ropings

Cactus Saddlery

to high money roper of the day

#8.5 WSTR QUALIFIER

#11.5 HANDICAP

• $150/Roper, Enter 3x, Pick or Draw • Capped at #4.5 Both Ends, 80% Payback • Must be 21

• 1 second - only • $50/roper, Enter 6X • 75% Payout • No age limit, No Cap • Can Draw in

WSTR RULES: Must be 21 years old or turn 21 anytime during

#10.5 WSTR QUALIFIER

(will not start before 2pm) • $150/roper, Enter 2x, 80% payback • Capped at a #6 Heeler, Must be 21

All ropings are 4-steer progressive on 1

the calendar year to participate in WS qualifiers (*except in the #14.5).

A current WSTR or USTRC membership or Key Card is required. WSTR memberships, including The Key Card may be purchased online at wstroping.com, on-site before you rope, or renewing by phone, 505-898-1755. WSTR memberships are free to renewing ropers 70 and older. WSTR memberships or The Key Card is required for WSTR Finale accumulated earning discounts. Global Handicaps Only.

Current USTRC, WS or Key Card required | Can be purchased on site | CASH ONLY for entries

Questions? Call Zane @ 620-855-0911

CHANGES

The rumors and stories are true. On the following pages, and in the next issue of the Team Roping Journal, you will find information on the all NEW USTRC National Finals presented by Cinch. A new date and a new location are not the only things that will be new at this years’ National Finals. Here are a few of the other NEW and exciting changes you can expect to see.

NEW FORMATS

Lower entry fees and simple entry options. This year there will be NO PENALTY for on-site entry. The on-site fees will be $300 per roper (unless noted). Once again you will be able to use your earned monies through the USTRC qualifiers retroactive from April 2019 and use all the savings from the KEY CARD program that you have enjoyed in the past. However, to take advantage of these pre-entry savings scenarios, you must pre-enter by April 1, 2020. Entry forms will be online at USTRC.com and in the March issue of the Team Roping Journal.

NEW SIZZLE

Bringing the Open back. With the hit of the Open at the WSTR Finale this year— estimates had 4,500 spectators in the stands at the South Point—we are going to have the USTRC OPEN Roping. We will feature the best of the best on Wednesday night, April 22, with an estimated start time of 6:00 p.m.—a 5-steer roping, entry fees will be $500 per roper, enter twice.

With the success of The Horse Sale at Rancho Rio, where 60 rope horses are sold in an entertaining atmosphere, the 2020 Finals will be home to The Rope Horse Sale at the USTRC National Finals on Friday, April 24. Watch for some fun and entertaining twists—Texas style. The sale will we be prefaced with a preview on Thursday night, followed by music and entertainment. This promises to be a good time to relax and visit with other contestants while checking out the consignments.

MORE TO COME 2019 USTRC National Finals Cinch Ladies Champion Heeler Martha Anglelone.

W W W. U S T R C . C O M

This is just the beginning as the 31st USTRC National Finals, and America’s Cowboy Sport, launch in to the new decade. We will keep you posted on more NEW plans in the coming months at USTRC.com.

AMERICA'S COWBOY SPORT

31 ST Feb 14-16: Muddy River Classic, Memphis, TN Feb 7-9: Brazos Valley Classic, Bryan, TX Feb 15-16: Triangle Anchor Team Roping, Hurricane, UT Feb 28-Mar 1: Florida Championships, Sarasota, FL Feb 29-Mar 1: Downs Classic, Albuquerque, NM Mar 13-15: Tennessee Championships, Franklin, TN Mar 20-22: Oklahoma Championships, Guthrie, OK Mar 20-22: South Texas Championships, Gonzales, TX Mar 27-29: Northeast Kansas Classic, Topeka, KS Mar 28-29: New Mexico Championships, Clovis, NM

Fort Worth

The Evolution of the Team Roping Handicap System Global Handicaps is an independently operated computer analysis company set up to evaluate roping

will have input when subjection is called into play. After the associations accept or reject the analysis suggestion(s), the Handicap is set. Global Handicaps will also monitor and process appeals that result from the Global interactive website. Ropers themselves will submit their appeal thru this process.

GLOBAL HANDICAPS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS WHAT ARE GLOBAL HANDICAPS AND WHY WAS IT LAUNCHED? • When launched, Global Handicaps system managed by the USTRC. • It is still a 10-point system, with half numbers, to rate a roper's ability.

• Over 130,000 ropers have been tracked over the years and TRIAD—now Global Handicaps—is the industry standard.

• TRIAD was a product of USTRC, and Global is a major shift to have a handicap system operated for the industry that is not solely operated by an association.

• Roper data is analyzed from 350,000 teams per year. Handicap analysis has evolved over 30 years with a multitude of computing algorithms. The analysis covers roping pars, speed indexes, catch percentages (on 1, on 2, on 3, on 4), return on investments, performance trends, and more. It is a complex analysis that does not focus on any one point of evaluation.

• A national handicap system is still absolutely necessary for the production of any roping with a multitude of states in attendance.

WHY DO I NEED A GLOBAL HANDICAP CARD? • All professional contractors want the largest and most accurate handicaps to produce great ropings.

• Over 50 producers, large and small, use the Roping Event Management software that is supported by Global Handicap (GH) information. If you attend any of these events, these producers will require proof of handicap for you to receive winnings.

• USTRC membership and WSTR membership include a complimentary Global Handicap card. Other arenas and producers using this software will require the GH card and if you don’t attend any USTRC or WSTR events, you can purchase the GH card separately for $60.

WHO DO I TALK TO ABOUT MY GLOBAL HANDICAP NUMBER? • Coming online—ropers will be able to track handicap review requests, if applicable, directly through the Global Handicaps website and view the handicap options available to them.

Visit Globalhandicaps.com for more information.

home to LIVE

TimeT

cker

NOTE: A GLOBAL HANDICAP CARD IS COMPLIMENTARY WITH YOUR 2020 WSTR, USTRC OR KEY CARD MEMBERSHIP.

GLOBAL HANDICAP MAJOR ASSOCIATONS AND PRODUCERS

WSTR USTRC NTR Yost Events Inc NTRL JX2 Productions

5 Flat Productions Flying R Ventures Lazy E Flying T Cattle Co Shelley Productions Short Go Productions

Mathews Land and Cattle Jeff Smith Productions Watson Roping Productions Ullman Peterson Events Longhorn Productions LLC All Star Team Roping

X-Treme Team Roping The Roping Co. Hill Productions Robertson Hill Ranch Big Loop Big Money/ Philipp Ranch Roping Productions

Double Dollar Livestock MC3 Cattle Company CK Productions Red Rock Roping Productions Fuller Productions Triple T Productions

NTRL OFFICE 423-575-2295

NTRL NEWS

E-mail: pam@jx2events.com • www.jx2events.com facebook.com/jx2andntrlteamroping or nationalteamropingleague.com

As we begin a new year, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the ropers who made the choice to come to a JX2 or NTRL event. We want to send a sincere THANK YOU to all of the NTRL producers who host NTRL ropings around the East! We would also like to take this time to say THANK YOU to all of the valuable sponsors of JX2 Productions/NTRL! We encourage you to support our sponsors and producers any chance you get, and whenever possible, please let them know how much you appreciate what they do for the sport of team roping.

2020 NTRL Schedule JANUARY January 22-26, 2020 FEBRUARY February 8-9, 2020 February 14-16, 2020 February 28-March 1, 2020 MARCH March 13-15, 2020 March 14, 2020 March 27-29, 2020 APRIL April 14, 2020

Beginning with February, we host the USTRC event, Muddy River Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, February 14-16, 2020, and the Florida Championships in Sarasota, Florida., February 28-March 1, 2020.The Big Ticket will be March 13-15 in Tunica, Mississippi.You can find our new ads in this issue as well as on www.jx2events.com or www. facebook.com/jx2andntrlteamroping.

See ya at a roping soon!

Pam Blevins

A = Affiliate; Q = Qualifier; R = Regionals

Jacksonville, FL

NTRL Finals

Jacksonville Equestrian Center

NTRL

Sarasota, FL

A

Triple J Ranch

Jay Holmes

Memphis, TN Sarasota, FL

NTRL/USTRC/WSTR NTRL/USTRC/WSTR

Agricenter Triple J Ranch

JX2 Productions JX2 Productions

Tunica, MS Campbell, NY Statesboro, GA

NTRL/WSTR NTRL NTRL/WSTR

Tunica Arena Osburn Arena Bulloch Co Ag Complex

JX2 Productions Will Osburn JX2 Productions

Campbell, NY

NTRL

Osburn Arena

Will Osburn

Osburn Arena Campbell, NY

MARCH 14 Books open at 10:00 a.m.

Rope at 11:00 a.m.

All Ropings $25/Roper #15.5 #8.5 (Capped at #4.5) #12.5 #7.5 (Capped at #4) #10.5 #9.5

ADDITIONAL 2020 DATES: 3/14, 4/11, 5/2, 6/6, 7/25, 8/15, 9/19, 10/10 - Series Finals 11/14, 12/12

Info and Directions Call: 607-368-9896 osburnarena@aol.com

Triple J Ranch Sarasota, FL

FEBRUARY 8-9 Check Triple J Facebook or Website for Formats & Details TripleJRanchFL.com Stalls/RV’s Contact: Rhonda Holmes 941.232.4617 Triple J Ranch 861 Sinclair Drive Sarasota, FL 34240

Global Handicaps Only. 2020 USTRC Membership or 2020 WSTR Membership Required. Membership may be purchased on site.

NFTR Earnings

presents A Signature Series National Finals Qualifier Top 3 in Average of USTRC Events guaranteed USTRC Finals Discounts

Brazos Valley Classic February 7-9, 2020 Friday, February 7, 2020

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Open (American Qualifier)

#10.5 X-Treme Gold

Books open at 7:30 a.m. Rope at 9:00 a.m. $200/roper • 5-Steer Avg • Enter 4x

#15.5

$120/roper • 4-Steer Avg • Enter 4x

#13.5

$120/roper • 4-Steer Avg • Enter 4x

Saturday, February 8, 2020 Books open at 7:30 a.m. Rope at 9:00 a.m.

#12.5 X-Treme Gold

$150/roper • 4-Steer Avg • Enter 3x (80% payback) Ropers must be age 25 or older

#12.5

$120/roper • 4-Steer Avg Enter 4x

#11.5

$120/roper • 4-Steer Avg • Enter 4x

#10.5

Books open at 7:30 a.m. Rope at 9:00 a.m.

Pick 1/Draw 1 or Draw 2 for $200/roper 4-Steer Avg • Enter 3x (80% payback) Ropers must be age 25 or older

#9.5 Prize Roping

Pick 1/Draw 1 or Draw 2 for $200/roper 4-Steer Avg • Enter 3x • Capped at 5.5 Heeler Trophy Saddles to Avg Winners Trophy Buckles to 2nd & 3rd Place Avg Winners Trophy Breast Collars to 4th & 5th Place Avg Winners X-Treme Team Roping Insulated Cups to 6th-10th

#8.5 Prize Roping

12 noon Sunday Kids 6 and under, 7-9 and 10-12

Pick 1/Draw 1 or Draw 2 for $200/roper 3-Steer Avg • Enter 4x • Capped at #4.5 Trophy Saddles to Avg Winners Trophy Buckles to 2nd & 3rd Place Avg Winners Trophy Breast Collars to 4th & 5th Place Avg Winners X-Treme Team Roping Insulated Cups to 6th-10th

$120/roper • 4-Steer Avg • Enter 4x Capped at #6.5 Heeler

Cash or Credit Card Only—NO CHECKS USTRC and WSTR Rules. Global Handicaps Only. Must have current USTRC, Key Card or WSTR Membership. Current coggins required for entry into the complex. WSTR Barrier except in Open and #15.

Location: Brazos County Expo Complex Directions: 5827 Leonard Rd., Bryan, TX Producer: X-Treme Team Roping Stalls: First come first served.

Event Info: Ben Clements 432/349-2572 or Jodi Clements 254/592-2692 Hotels: Best Western Plus, 950 Arrington College Station, TX 77845

Hotels are very limited, make reservations early.

presents

The

Big Break

March 14-15, 2020

Lone Star Arena - Stephenville, Texas CHEDULE~

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2020

Trophy Big Break Buckles to the Average Winners of Open, #15.5, #13.5, #12.5 & #11.5 Trophy Saddles to Average winners of #10.5

Books Open at 8:00 a.m. Close at 9:30 a.m.

Rope at 10:00 a.m. Sharp

OPEN (80% Payback)

$200/roper – Enter 4 times 5 head – Progressive after 1 Traditional Barrier in Open

#15.5, #13.5, #12.5, #11.5

Great Prizes and Cash Payout in #9.5 and #8.5 Prize Ropings

All ropings 4-head for $100/roper Enter 4 times – Progressive after 1 Traditional Barrier in #15.5. XTR Barrier in all other divisions

#10.5 X-Treme Gold

$150/roper • 4-Steer Avg • Enter 3x • (80% payback) Ropers must be age 22 or older and have X-Treme Club Card

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 Books Open at 7:00 a.m. Close at 8:30 a.m.

Rope at 9:00 a.m. Sharp

#10.5

OUT & GREAT PRIZES

SADDLE SUNDAY

Saddles to Average Winners & Great Cas y Pick 1/Draw 1 or Draw 2 for $200/roper. Enter 3 times for 6 runs. 4 steer progressive after 1.

• Trophy saddles to Average winners • Trophy buckles to 2nd Place Average winners

Super #9.5 Handicapped Prize Roping Great Prizes and Cash Payout!

Pick 1/Draw 1 or Draw 2 for $200/roper. Enter 5 times for 10 runs. 4 steer progressive after 1.

• Trophy saddles to 1st & 2nd in the Average • Trophy Buckles to 3rd thru 5th

Super #8.5 Handicapped Prize Roping Great Prizes and Cash Payout!

Capped at #4.5 • Pick 1 Draw 1 or Draw 2 for $200/roper. Enter 5 times for 10 runs. 3 steer progressive after 1.

• Trophy Saddles to 1st & 2nd in the Average • Trophy Buckles to 3rd thru 5th

Trophy Saddles to 1st & 2nd in the Average Trophy Big Break Buckles to 3rd-5th in the Average Trophy Breast Collars to 6th-7th in the Average Trophy Classic Rope Bags to 8th-10th Trophy Spur Straps to 11th-13th Trophy Classic Equine Hay Bags to 14th-15th in the Average Trophy X-Treme Team Roping Insulated Cups to 16th-30th in the Average

Plenty of stalls and RV hook-ups available.

Cash or Credit Card Only—NO CHECKS. X-Treme Team Roping Barrier (WSTR Barrier) will be used except in the Open and #15 Divisions, or unless otherwise noted. X-Treme Membership required.

Memberships are available on-site for $40. X-Treme Gold Memberships available purchase on-site. X-Treme Shoot-Outs awarded in all divisions. Producer has the right to make any and all necessary changes.

Event Photos by

Need a partner? You may draw in to any division (except Open)

For more information call Ben Clements at 432/349-2572 or Jodi Clements at 254/592-2692 Appropriate cut-off time may be used.

Meet Cherry...

She came to Mustang Acres sick and underweight but with the proper re-feeding program and veterinarian care she made a full recovery and has found her forever home with a little girl.

Cherry showed us the power of integrity, grit and passion. She reminds us every day that the work we do at The Mustang Acres Farm requires courage and perseverance, that our sleepless nights and often fragile hopes are worth it.

There are approximately 170,000 unwanted horses in the United States. Through A Home for Every Horse and the over 600 rescues involved, horses are given a second chance.

Horses in transition, like Cherry, deserve a second chance.

FIND OUT HOW TO

Heart the Cause Today WWW.AHOMEFOREVERYHORSE.COM

A Home For Every Horse is brought to you by the Equine Network and sponsored by:

|Advertiser’s Index A Cut Above; Andy Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Fastback Ropes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV4

Tony Lama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

A Home for Every Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Gist Silversmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

USRider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

ADM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 53

Gold Buckle Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

American National Property And Casualty Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Hatco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

| ROPING EVENTS

Heel-O-Matic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Lazy E Arena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Ariat International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hot Heels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

WSTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79-82

Big Country Livestock Equipment . . . . . . . 22

Jake Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Shelley Productions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83-85

Billings Livestock Commission . . . . . . . 62-65

Jimmie Stanzel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Triple T Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86-87

Cactus Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

L&H Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

All-Star Team Roping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Cactus Ropes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV2

Les Vogt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

California Shootouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Cactus Saddlery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Lone Star Ropes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Mountain States Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

California Horsetrader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Lubrisyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Wiley Hicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Cavender’s Boot City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Maynard Buckles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Zane Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Cinch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

National Roper’s Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

USTRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93-98

Classic Equine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Noble Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV3

JX2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99-103

Classic Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Premier Livestock Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Yost Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-108

Clay O’Brien Cooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Rattler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

C-S Cattle Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Clovis Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Red River Arena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

XTreme Team Roping . . . . . . . . . . . 110-111

Cowboy Classic Saddlery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Rodeo West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Fire It Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112-113

CSI Saddlepads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

SmartPak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Lone Star Ropes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114-115

Downunder Horsemanship . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

SoftRide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

James Pickens Jr . Foundation . . . . . . . . . 116

Farmtek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Southwest Equine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

JIMMIE STANZEL

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JAMIE ARVISO PHOTO

|Final Thoughts

“My mom, she was a great mom. She was out there for me, and she has the biggest heart ever. At the same time, she was tougher than a dad. I kind of understand now. If she was just too nice, it wouldn’t work. I had no dad so she was tough, too. I remember, when I started roping, she’d turn me some steers… I remember I’d saddle three head horses and three heel horses and have everything ready. I would get her rope on the saddle horn. She’d rope one, I’d miss. She’d turn another, and I’d follow, follow, and miss. She’d back into the box, and she’d say, ‘OK, I’m going to rope him and you can follow him however long you want, but if you let your rope go, you better catch him.’ I’d follow, follow and follow, and boom, let it go and miss. She’d let the steer go, take her rope off, and say ‘OK guys, we’re done for today.’ I’d get so mad! I used to hate it, but now I understand.”

—Junior Nogueira, 2016 All-Around World Champion on “The Score,” a podcast by The Team Roping Journal, available to stream or download wherever you listen to podcasts.

120 TRJ | February 2020

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JOEY

MENEG The Noble Outfitters team caught up wit Joey Menegatti to find out how he found Outfitters brand.

Where are you from?

Walsenburg, CO Is there a big roping community in W Not really!

How did you get involved with roping?

I grew up ranching and that’s what I do every day.

Are you a header or a heeler? Which do you prefer?

Both. I heel more than I head, but I don’t prefer one over the other.

Do you wear Noble Outfitters gloves when you rope?

Yes! There is no better glove than the Noble glove!

Do you remember your first big win?

Yes, Las Vegas 2011, I won the consolation at the World Series Finals!

What is your favorite part about roping?

Spending time with my family and friends.

Do you have a favorite horse?

My heel horse, Little Man. What is a ‘Fun Fact’ about you?: I am a big jokester and I love to laugh. Also, in college I actually worked for Big R. Big R is where I’ve always shopped for all of my ranch supplies and feed as well as clothing. I’ve also been friends with Adam Carroll, Big R’s Chief Operating Officer, for years. Our families have hunted together for a long time.

www.BigRonline.com All Noble Outfitters products can be found at Big R Stores in 27+ locations across CO, NM and TX.

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