SuperLooper-June 2010 by Western Sports Publishing

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SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE

Feature

AppArel ALSO INSIDE:

THE MAGAZINE FOR TEAM ROPERS JUNE 2010

INSIDER Let’s Make a Deal

2010 USTRC Regionals

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7/31/08

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B E S T S E AT I N T H E H O U S E

KORY KOONTZ CHAMPION TEAM ROPER

It is the one seat at the ﬁnals that can’t be bought.

experience and the constant desire to surpass the

This seat combines pride, perfection and the

benchmarks of a traditional past. It is the ﬁt for the

unwillingness to settle for anything less but the

horse and consistency for the

best. It stands for true horsemanship and an

rider. There is no other seat that

athlete’s utter determination to succeed. The

can get you closer to the action

details that make it up represent years of wisdom,

than this one. This is my seat.

E WITH T H

TR UE FIT

DDL

E TR

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07 TOC_TOC 5/12/10 3:05 PM Page 7

USTRC Championship Results 80 84 88 94 100 102 106 112

FEATURES 8 10 12 16 20

Just the Way It Is by Ben Clements USTRC Announcements By the Numbers by John Findlay Gold Plus Report by Ty Hillman Champions Profile Nicholas Thompson & Justin Pruitt

24 26

Top Tips with Rickey Green USTRC Insider Let’s Make a Deal by Gary Poythress

Horsemanship — Setting a Horse in the Box

Horse Health — Treatment for Joints

by Chris Cox with Cynthia McFarland

by Heather Smith Thomas

Profile — Kollin VonAhn

FEATURE

APPAREL

by Melinda Clements

Upcoming Event— Rocky Top Championships

48 50

COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of Equibrand and Lone Wolf Photography Kempner, TX

USTRC On Tap US Open Tour Standings

2010 USTRC REGIONAL FINALS

Oregon Championships Arkansas Championships Texas Championships South Alabama Championships Idaho Championships Missouri Classic Panhandle Classic Blackhawk Championships

08 JTWii_Layout 1 5/10/10 4:00 PM Page 8

JUS T the Wa y IT IS

gain here I sit at the 11th hour preparing my column for this month. It has been a crazy month and I am ready for a little slow down. The summer is upon us and with summer means lots of team roping. It is a really busy time of year for me, so I expect I will have to wait for the slow down. Oh, well, actually I wouldn’t have it any other way. Andrew Young once said, “I have about concluded that wealth is a state of mind, and that anyone can acquire a wealthy state of mind by thinking rich thoughts.” Mr. Young was a politician in the 1970’s and 80’s and was elected mayor of Atlanta. I do not agree with everything that Mr. Young did or stood for, but I do like his quote. Think about it. Wealth is a state of mind. I believe it is. I know people out there who hardly have a dollar to their name, but I consider them some of the wealthiest people in the world. They have their heath, a great family, and don’t want for anything except an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. In turn, I know people who could buy anything they wanted and yet they are not happy and they yearn for something more. They go through life unfulfilled and struggle with every aspect of life, except the fact that their pocketbook is filled to the max. How do we get to be like that guy that has everything and doesn’t want for anything? We do it by thinking rich thoughts and living a rich life. We make the best of every situation and we work hard to be the best person we can be. We fill our lives with love and compassion for others and we trust in God no matter what situation comes our way. As you can see, being wealthy actually has nothing to do with having money in the bank. It has to do with having love in your heart. It has to do with doing the right thing. It has to do with living your life in the right manner and treating people with respect and in a fair and consistent manner. Look at the quote again. “I have about concluded that wealth is a state of mind, and that anyone can acquire a wealthy state of mind by thinking rich thoughts.” Anyone can become wealthy by thinking rich thoughts. It is easy, especially in today’s world to be bombarded and filled with negative and sour thoughts. Everywhere we turn people are upset or have bad attitudes. If you look around, everyone wants something for nothing. The news media is always reporting the bad. It is easy to get caught up in that. It is easy for negative thoughts to outweigh the “rich thoughts.” For everything bad and negative out there, there is tons of good. There is greatness everywhere you turn. Tune out the bad and look for the good. Think only about the good things and strive to be better in all you do.

JUNE 2010 Recently in our community there was a young woman who was attacked by a crazy man in the park. She was stabbed while watching her kids play. She was not killed, but was permanently paralyzed. This woman could have easily gone the poor me route and curled up and withered away, but that is not what she did. She has taken her situation and made the best of it. The community has completely united in an effort to help out. People from all over have stepped up and given in so many ways. It is just proof that there is good out there.* I also have some dear friends whose baby is having some health issues. They are going to have to go overseas for some stem cell treatments that will make him better, but it is extremely costly. They make a good living but are not infinitely wealthy in the ways of cash. However, they are wealthy with friends and family. People in the entire roping community have stepped up and are helping out to make this a possibility. People have given and have been tremendously generous. I am not necessarily talking about just giving money, but support and friendship. Again, this is proof that the world is filled with good and people are not all bad.** As you can see you might not have a lot of money, but you might be wealthier than you realize. I know my life is filled to the max. I have a great family. I have a wonderful wife and her family is awesome. I have tons of friends and support in all that I do. If you are feeling down, look around because I bet you are not as bad off as you may think. Fill your life and your mind with rich and positive thoughts. Be the best you can be and make the best of every situation. There is a lot more to this ol’ world than gold, jewels and cash. Wealth really is just a state of mind, so open your mind and see what is out there waiting for you. Keep your chin up and operate in a positive light and that my friends is just the way it is…… *Neighbors and strangers are working together to renovate the home of a woman paralyzed last month when she was stabbed in a Stephenville park. Brandi Todd, 28, of Morgan Mill was attacked from behind March 14 while she watched her children play, and the attack left her with a serious spinal injury. To make a donation contact Town and Country Bank 254-968-4125. **Joe Ross and Jill Jameson’s son Jade is fighting for his sight. To make a donation contact Members Trust Federal Credit Union 254-968-8543.

09 Masthead_Masthead 5/10/10 4:12 PM Page 9

The Classic ® Feel Cotton glove feel… Synthetic glove protection

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Spandex on the back of the hand gives a personalized fit with no wrinkles

Lycra between the fingers for breathability and easy bending

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127 On the Edge of Common Sense by Baxter Black

128 The Other Half

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130 Sports Medicine Stable by Mark Duncan

Reinforced thumb and index web area for durability

Neoprene wristband offers 4-way stretch, resulting in extreme comfort, a nonslip fit

132 Walt Woodard 134 SuperLooper Events Calendar 137 MarketPlace 193 Advertiser’s Index

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE 2340 Menaul NE, Suite 400 Albuquerque, NM 87107

Palm is Amara, a high quality suede that will not slip even when wet and will not harden after drying. Sensitive enough you can feel the rope’s crowns like you can with a cotton This Classic glove has an optimum fit and comfort that won’t fatigue your hand. The body and finger tops, made of a spandex/neoprene combination, have an ergonomic cut. The palm and finger bottoms are Amara synthetic leather. The burn-resistant material where your rope runs increases durability. Cuffs are adjustable for a perfect fit. Color: Navy Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL. (Right hand only)

Advertising or Editorial: 505/899-1870 fax: 505/792-5678 Produced and published by USTRC EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING USTRC Editor: Ben Clements Associate Editor: Ryan Davis Sales Manager & Event Advertising: John English Advertising Representatives: Elizabeth Dominick Customer Service Representative: Jules Price CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION Art Director: Marcia Rackstraw Production Coordinator: Violet Sue Anderson Graphic Designer: Doug Purdy Administrative Assistant: Kathy Williams OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY Allen’s Rodeo Photos P. O. Box 270428, Flower Mound, TX 75027 1-800-438-8659 • www.allensrodeophotos.com

June 2010 / Vol. 19, No. 6 SuperLooper Magazine (ISSN 1069-5508, USPS No. 009983)is published monthly by Western Sports Publishing, Inc., 2340 Menaul NE, Suite 400 Albuquerque, NM 87107 Subscription price: 1 yr. - $20. Periodicals Postage Paid at Albuquerque, New Mexico and additional mailing offices. © Copyright 2000 by SuperLooper Magazine. Material may not be used without permission from the publisher. Deadline for editorial and advertising is the 25th of the month, two months preceding issue date. Advertising rates on request. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGE TO SuperLooper Magazine c/o Western Sports Publishing, Inc., 2340 Menaul NE, Suite 400 Albuquerque, NM 87107 Advertising claims are the sole responsibility of the advertiser, not SuperLooper Magazine.

Triangle Annual Summer Sales June 5, 2010 • 9 a.m. August 7, 2010 • 9 a.m. CONSIGN NOW Shawnee Oklahoma Expo Center • No Pass Out Fees • Cutting & Roping Cattle Available • Videos welcome and will be shown as horse sells.

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SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 9

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USTRC

ANNOUNCEMENTS

$1M ••••• 950,000

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SHOOTOUT FUND UPDATE Hot, Hot, Hot!!! Team roping is on fire as we approach the summer season. Ropers love the new payout structure and the new draw-in option. The USTRC Shoot-Out Fund in on its way to the boiling point. In fact, the Shoot-Out Fund has already bubbled to just over $490,000. Team roping and the USTRC is on target with some great events coming up, and with summer here people are ready for roping. The USTRC is setting the table for the big picnic and that will take place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma the last full week of October. The Cinch USTRC National Finals is one team roping you won’t want to miss especially in 2010. Get out the sun block and load up because the heat is on and you won’t want to be left in the cold without any USTRC Flex Earnings. Get ready, the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping is on the calendar for October 23-31, 2010 and the payout is going to be phenomenal.

10 / JUNE 2010

Rule Change Reminder: As published in the January issue of SuperLooper Magazine and the 2010 USTRC Rule Book, Rule 4.2.9, Entering with the same partner, has been changed. The new rule states that ropers cannot enter the same division at an event with the same partner more than once. NO EXCEPTIONS! This includes all Shoot-Out divisions at the Regional and National Finals. Ropers, please be aware of this rule change when entering the upcoming Regional Finals events.

Are you QUALIFIED? Be sure to check your Available Earnings for qualification to the 2010 Regional Finals Shoot-Out divisions, where lots of cash and prizes are on the giveaway list. To check your earnings, log on to www.ustrc.com and click on the “member” link at the top left side of the home page. Once you are signed onto your personal page, your Available Earnings are displayed at the top right side of the page. Click on the “Your Available Earnings” link for full details. There are still plenty of events to accumulate Available Earnings

Draw-In Option at Regional’s Ropers will be allowed to Draw-In to the preliminary divisions at the Regional Finals events. Partners will be drawn on site at the event. The Draw-In option won’t be available for any Shoot-Out Division.

Member Reminder You do not have to wait until your 70th birthday to be eligible for the Lifetime Membership. If you turn 70 within this calendar year, you’re eligible now! In addition, after you receive your Lifetime card, you will not be sent another one, unless you lose, damage or request another one.

$1,000 Free Flex Earnings Gold Spur members will receive $1,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings. These earnings have been deposited in your Flex Earnings account and may be used in any Regional Finals or National Finals Shoot-Out division...your choice! Gold Plus members will receive $3,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings. Likewise, these earnings have been deposited in your Flex Earnings account and may be used at your discretion in any Regional Finals or National Finals Shoot-Out division. Gold Spur members that upgrade to the Gold Plus membership will receive an additional $2,000 in Flex Earnings for a total of $3,000. You may view your member services page at www.ustrc.com. Click on the “Your Available Earnings” link on your personal page.

Feedback For Your Roping Future The USTRC wants to hear from you. The USTRC is breaking new ground in the roping industry with its Roper’s Voice Surveys and USTRC web site polls that started in April. Check it out online at www.ustrc.com. To see all previous USTRC announcements made for the 2010 season visit www.ustrc.com and click on the “Announcements” link.

Send Us Your Letter! Do you have a question, concern, complaint or praise you would like to address to the USTRC? In today’s high tech world it is easier than ever to send us your “Letter to the Editor.” We invite you to send us an email at feedback@wspubs.com with your comments about the USTRC, team roping in general or the magazine.

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USTRC

by the

BY JOHN FINDLAY

NUMBERS

A Modest Compendium of Statistical Nuggets from 12 Years of National Finals

Table 1 USTRC National Finals 1998-2009 by State

ach year at the completion of the National Finals in October, I have always regaled you on these pages with tons of statistics derived from that yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s USTRC National Finals of Team Roping. Everything from winners by name, state, zip code and hair length to catch ratios, fast times, aggregate times, where everyone was from, and the list goes on. But if you will recall, in honor of the 20th anniversary of Finals 2009, I gave an overview of the last 20 years in the December and January issues. In those issues I highlighted such things as the total cash payout of each Finals, the number of participants, who won the Open that year and other crowning moments. But what that walk down memory lane forced me to do was gather information from each of those Finals into one place. And then that led me to realize I had never looked at a compilation of all those yearly Finals statistics jointly. With this issue I hope to begin rectifying that oversight. Unfortunately, I found, the early Finals statistics were quite spotty. Over the course of years, with the changing of systems, office moves, turnover of personnel, ownership changes, and the like, many of the first years of National Finals numbers are incomplete. As much as I would have liked to have had a full set of Finals statistics since year one (1990), I found that our numbers were not reliably complete until 1998. But a lot is better than none at all, and 12 years of Finals history is more than sufficient. So with this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue, I will start to mine all that data. And in the months to come I will return to this mine field every once in awhile for more bygone Finals figures for what I hope will be an absorbing read. My initial effort consists of four Tables covering four different cumulative aspects of the last 12 years of USTRC October proceedings. Table 1 looks at state achievements at the Finals, Tables 2 & 3 12 / JUNE 2010

Rank

State

18 6 3 7 37 5 42 10 19 29 26 14 39 38 12 35 8 40 41 43 45 16 11 17 30 25 20 4 13 34 36 2 24 27 32 28 22 21 1 9 33 23 31 44 15

AL AR AZ CA CAN CO CT FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NM NV NY OH OK OR Other PA SC SD TN TX UT VA WA WI WV WY

Total # of # of Years With Amount Won Ropers Checks Earnings

Best Year

Amount Won Best Year

$664,809 $1,747,767 $3,487,356 $1,713,188 $36,600 $2,107,770 $26,225 $1,090,450 $511,425 $139,550 $268,425 $826,339 $32,750 $35,400 $880,763 $42,850 $1,344,525 $28,400 $28,250 $14,800 $6,460 $703,822 $892,525 $701,312 $127,838 $268,800 $483,100 $2,650,278 $846,784 $48,025 $41,550 $5,635,711 $327,600 $145,108 $80,100 $142,845 $367,650 $423,025 $11,857,475 $1,220,708 $77,450 $350,650 $127,368 $9,550 $728,036 $43,291,412

2002 2007 2006 1999 2003 2007 2007 2006 2007 2001 2006 2007 2007 2007 2009 2001 2009 1998 1999 2002 1998 2007 2007 2001 2004 2007 2005 2005 2008 1998 2001 2009 2004 2006 2008 2009 2007 2002 2008 2006 1999 2004 2009 1998 2008

$134,350 $279,700 $576,575 $293,384 $11,250 $335,050 $21,200 $203,250 $120,300 $28,800 $94,800 $126,650 $12,350 $20,400 $160,792 $16,500 $226,875 $28,400 $17,000 $5,700 $1,410 $153,500 $163,850 $123,450 $32,300 $76,900 $67,250 $363,750 $187,350 $28,400 $24,500 $883,442 $60,450 $50,150 $26,650 $34,700 $90,550 $87,800 $1,592,050 $185,750 $26,950 $143,800 $43,275 $6,250 $104,500

105 212 410 293 17 313 4 115 97 34 52 101 13 5 193 12 192 1 5 10 5 143 107 89 37 32 88 421 69 10 15 800 53 29 12 27 76 64 1,679 152 16 35 31 2 128 6304

296 605 1,107 824 38 852 15 444 264 102 128 287 23 9 456 19 537 2 10 19 11 340 264 241 75 84 210 1,180 235 18 28 2,382 145 71 32 60 162 188 4,817 456 34 104 91 12 296 17573

12 12 12 12 7 12 3 12 12 12 12 12 8 5 12 7 12 1 4 6 5 12 11 12 11 10 12 12 12 7 8 12 12 8 6 10 12 12 12 12 8 12 10 2 12

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individual achievements, and Table 4, zip code achievements. Let’s start with Table 1. Table 1 lists the states by the amount of money contestants WHO CURRENTLY LIVE IN THAT STATE have won. I emphasize the “who currently live in” because I want that clear. We do not keep records of where a particular contestant was living WHEN he or she won their money. We only have records of where they are living now or to be really more accurate, the last current address we have that has been provided by the roper. So even though you may have lived in Texas when you won the #9 Shoot-Out back in ‘01, if you are now living in Oklahoma, Oklahoma is going to get credit. The most startling figure in this whole article, I think, is at the bottom of Table 1 under “Total Amt Won” . . . $43,291,412. Over the last 12 National Finals, the USTRC has awarded over $43,000,000! And remember, we are talking just cash here. On top of that impressive figure are gobs of Dodge Trucks, Case Tractors, Tony Lama Boots, Purina Feed, Gist Buckles, Martin Saddles, and oodles of other neat stuff. But in cash, that’s an average of over $3,600,000 each year for the last 12 years. The bottom of the next column reads 6,304 which means that 6,304 different ropers have each won a piece of that 43 million dollar pie. That is,

on average, over $6,800 apiece. I just have to marvel at those numbers. OK, enough marveling, back to the Table. In column order the Table lists for each state: the amount of money it has won, the # of ropers who have won checks, the number of checks they have won, the number of years the state has earned money at the Finals, the state’s best year and the amount of money it won in its best year. The first column ranks the states by money won. The Top Five are, in order: Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Texas has earned a whopping $11,857,475 over the years. That was just about how much Texas Governor Rick Perry spent of federal stimulus money to repair the arson damaged governor’s mansion. Maybe you Finals winners should all go in together and pay the federal government back. (That was a joke, son, a corny side-splitter.) Texas also leads in the number of checks department, to no one’s surprise. The rankings in checks parallel the rankings in dollars for the most part but there were some states that did a few notches better in the check than dollar rankings. Some of them were Kansas (12th to 9th), Missouri (16th to 12th), Alabama (18th to 13th), Hawaii (29th to 26th), Wisconsin (31st to 27th), Canada (37th to

32nd), and Michigan (43rd to 38th). So these guys won more often than the others but did not necessarily get enough of those “really big” checks. A quick word here about checks . . . I included in “checks” ropers that earned Shoot-Out spots in their Finals preliminary but did not actually win any money. Even though there was no money that officially changed hands, I figured these ropers “earned” their entry fees into the ShootOut which is just as good as money. I also included checks earned at the Challenge Arena. After all, it is, technically, money earned at the Finals. There have been 43 states that have taken money back home from the Finals over the years plus several provinces in Canada and a few other countries. The “Other” row includes all those from outside the United States and Canada plus a few ropers for whom we no longer have valid addresses. Out of the 43 states, 25 have earned money at the Finals every year since 1998. And the state that had the best year ever? Texas when in 2008 won nearly 1.6 million dollars. Table 2 lists the 20 individuals who have won the most money during the 12 years of Finals. Scanning the list you will continued on page 14

Table 2 USTRC National Finals 1998-2009 • Top 20 Ropers by Money Won Rank

Roper

Hometown

Total Amount Won

# of Checks

Biggest Win

Amount Won

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

T. J. Teague Speed Williams Clay Tryan Charles R. Pogue Colter D. Todd Cole Echols Britt W. Bockius Rich Skelton Matt Sherwood Cody McMinn Daniel C. Reed Gary Campos Katlen E. Schimmelpfennig Clay O. Smith Rudy Clark Jerry Bailey Brady Minor Travis L. Graves Travis J. Tryan Billy Pipes

Dublin, TX De Leon, TX Lipan, TX Ringling, OK Willcox, AZ Helm Grove, LA Claremore, OK Llano, TX Pima, AZ Caddo Mills, TX Sumner, TX Stephenville, TX Eagle, ID Broken Bow, OK Mammoth, AZ Reddick, FL Ellensburg, WA Jay, OK Santo, TX Salado, TX

$147,100 $141,225 $137,950 $131,633 $130,700 $129,300 $116,183 $115,750 $115,600 $113,600 $106,875 $105,600 $104,850 $104,350 $103,900 $91,258 $89,750 $88,650 $87,425 $85,950

14 26 24 22 10 23 17 24 17 8 14 7 3 17 8 25 20 17 19 9

2007 #12 Shoot-Out 1st 2002 Open Shoot-Out 1st 2007 US Open 1st 2008 US Open 2nd 2006 US Open 1st 2008 #15 Shoot-Out 1st 2008 US Open 2nd 2002 Open Shoot-Out 1st 2005 US Open 1st 2007 #15 Shoot-Out 1st 2007 #15 Shoot-Out 1st 2009 #9 Shoot-Out 1st 2007 #12 Shoot-Out 2009 #13 Shoot-Out 1st 2006 #12 Shoot-Out 1st 2002 #5 Shoot-Out 3rd 2004 US Open 1st 2005 US Open 1st 2004 #9 Shoot-Out 2004 #6 Shoot-Out 1st

$52,850 $36,000 $50,000 $26,650 $50,000 $44,750 $26,650 $36,000 $39,300 $46,800 $46,800 $49,000 $52,850 $46,800 $50,000 $17,500 $35,000 $39,300 $37,200 $48,000

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 13

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by the

NUMBERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE13

Table 3 USTRC National Finals 1998-2009 Top 20 Ropers by Number of Checks Earned Rank

Roper

Hometown

# of Checks

Total Amount Won

Biggest Win

Amount Won

1 2 2 4 5 5 7 7 7 10 10 12 12 14 14 14 14 18 18 18 18

Steven Baber Speed Williams Jake Cooper Jerry Bailey Rich Skelton Clay Tryan Brandon Beers Cole Echols Todd Smith Richard Durham Charles R. Pogue Scott Elliott Jade Corkill Brady Minor Clint Summers Jimmie R. Cooper Allen L. Bach Travis J. Tryan Harold Jones Brock G. Hanson Bubba Bohac

Devol, OK De Leon, TX Monument, NM Reddick, FL Llano, TX Lipan, TX Powell Butte, OR Helm Grove, LA Broken Bow, OK Morgan Mill, TX Ringling, OK Live Oak, FL Fallon, NV Ellensburg, WA Lake City, FL Monument, NM Millsap, TX Santo, TX Paris, AR Casa Grande, AZ Victoria, TX

32 26 26 25 24 24 23 23 23 22 22 21 21 20 20 20 20 19 19 19 19

$32,650 $141,225 $77,800 $91,258 $115,750 $137,950 $70,892 $129,300 $50,736 $47,350 $131,633 $78,225 $81,792 $89,750 $56,050 $72,400 $42,975 $87,425 $60,800 $57,900 $32,700

2000 #8 Shoot-Out 5th 2002 Open Shoot-Out 1st 2007 US Open 2nd 2002 #5 Shoot-Out 3rd 2002 Open Shoot-Out 1st 2007 US Open 1st 2004 US Open 2nd 2008 #15 Shoot-Out 1st 2007 #15 Shoot-Out 3rd 2002 #9 Shoot-Out 4th 2008 US Open 2nd 2005 #15 Shoot-Out 2nd 2008 US Open 3rd 2004 US Open 1st 2005 #10 Shoot_out 4th 2007 US Open 2nd 1998 Open Shoot-Out 3rd 2004 #9 Shoot-Out 1st 2004 #5 Shoot-Out 3rd 2003 #11 Shoot-Out 1st 2000 #6 Shoot-Out 3rd

$9,250 $36,000 $28,650 $17,500 $36,000 $50,000 $21,000 $44,750 $20,900 $11,500 $26,850 $20,550 $35,000 $21,300 $15,000 $28,650 $12,000 $37,200 $18,550 $36,150 $15,800

find that it is primarily dotted with well-known luminaries of the professional team roping world. Familiar names like Williams, Tryan, Pogue and Todd. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not particularly surprising that these are the guys that lead the way in the Finals earnings department. With so many professionals attending the lucrative US Open of Team Roping each year, many of them were bound to come out near the top of this list. By the same token, however, a lot of the gentlemen on this list began winning good-sized purses at the Finals as youngsters or at least before they had advanced fully to the professional ranks. Colter Todd, for instance, won his first check way back in 1999 finishing 26th in the average of the #8 Preliminary at the 14 / JUNE 2010

age of 15. Brady Minor also won his first check in 1999 when he was just 14. He came in 6th in the Average of the #9 Shoot-Out. But over the years, none of these guys have done quite as well as T.J. Teague. He won his first good check back in 2005 coming in 4th in the Average of the #11 Shoot-Out for $13,550. But the year that he had the dream Finals of dream Finals was 2007. With Katlen Schimmelpfennig, who you will find at number 13 on the list, T.J. won both the #13 and the #12 Shoot-Out for a grand total of $103,850 between them. 2007 was the richest Finals in USTRC history with nearly a $5,000,000 cash purse and these two guys won two of the richer Shoot-Outs at that event. TABLE 3 measures not just

money but how many times youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in the money. To me, the ability to earn checks on a consistent basis is just as, if not more, impressive as earning the big dollars. Having a really good 2007 Finals propelled T.J. and Katlen into the Top 20 in earnings. But being consistently in the money over a lot of years is what thrust the guys into our Top 20 in checks list. Number one on that list is Steve Baber of Devol, Oklahoma. While his earnings of $32,650 was the lowest of the 20 guys on this list, the number of checks he earned, 32, was six better than his closest rival. Steve has won a check at every National Finals since 1998 except continued on page 117

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16-18 Gold Plus_Layout 1 5/10/10 3:59 PM Page 16

USTRC

GOLD PLUS Hello Team Ropers,

PHOTO BY LONE WOLF PHOTOGRAPHY

I hope this article finds you all doing well. My new job here is going very well as I am learning all of the responsibilities as your Gold Plus Representative. I have enjoyed visiting with many of you on the phone as well as meeting some of you at the Texas Championships. I appreciate all of your feedback and I encourage you to

by Ty Hillman contact me with any comments or ideas. Like I mentioned last month, I feel very strongly that the most effective way for a business to provide the best service to its customers is to listen to them. Whether you have a praise, problem, concern, or suggestion, please do not hesitate to let me know how we are doing so we can

better serve you. We want to provide you with the best experience possible, but we need your feedback. We have started emailing surveys to ropers after they attend USTRC produced and sanctioned events. This is a great chance for you to tell us how we can improve our service and our organization. Please fill them out, as they will take no more than two or three minutes of your time. We have also begun posting a weekly poll on our website at www.ustrc.com and I encourage you to participate in that as well. Roping and competing in USTRC ropings most of my life, I thought I knew a lot about the USTRC until I started working here. There are many things that I did not know and I held several misconceptions. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few things I have learned since I have started working here. The biggest misconception I had as a roper is that the USRTC withholds 45%

The Canyon, Texas team of Lance Crist and Joe M. Hughes cleaned up big in the Gold Plus roping at the Panhandle Classic. They took the win, worth $3,480 in cash, trophy Gist Gold spurs and a Gold Plus Shoot-Out worth $6,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings after roping four head in 31.99 seconds. 16 / JUNE 2010

PHOTO BY LONE WOLF PHOTOGRAPHY

The team of Brittany Tirpak who hails out of West Palm Beach, FL and Ed Allen, Jr. from Dadeville, AL took home $1,551 in cash, trophy Gist buckles and a Gold Plus Shoot-Out worth $6,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings for winning the Gold Plus roping at the South Alabama Championships, and they did it with a four-head total of 42.70 seconds.

16-18 Gold Plus_Layout 1 5/10/10 4:00 PM Page 17

Hopefully this clears up a few misunderstandings. Also, I have been surprised at how many Gold Plus members I have talked with who do not know all of the individual benefits that come with their Gold Plus membership. Having the ability to rope in the Gold Plus Shoot-Outs at the Cinch National Finals of Team Roping (NFTR) and win a Dodge Truck or Case IH tractor is one of main reasons many members choose this value added membership. What many people do not know is there is a Century Bonus with 100% payback in all of the Gold Plus ropings held throughout the year, excluding the Cinch NFTR. The entry fees are an additional $100 per team and both partners must be 50 years or older during the calendar year to be eligible. Another obvious reason many ropers choose the Gold Plus membership is they can reserve stalls and pre-enter all sanctioned events. You can call the office and I am happy to take your entries and stall reservations no later than the Friday preceding the event. I understand we all have busy schedules and you may not know how many horses you are hauling, but please make these reservations by Friday at 5 p.m. CST so I can help you. Writing checks at “cash only” sanctioned events or affiliate ropings is another great benefit Gold

s s

to 50% stock charge at their ropings. Even though there’s a detailed explanation of payout in the rule book and a percentage breakdown in the results articles of the SuperLooper, I just went along with what everyone else said. While reading the rule book, something I have never done as a roper, I found in Section 7.10 that a producer’s commission cannot exceed 33.33% (1/3) of the total entry fees. In fact, after the producer makes a mandatory Shoot-Out Fund contribution of 1.7% of his 1/3 stock charge, he’s left with only 31.6% to pay for all event expenses. With 66.66% (2/3) left in the ropers’ pot, the USTRC withdraws an additional 5% to add back as added money via the Shoot-Out Fund to the Cinch NFTR. That’s it! Ropers will never rope for less than 61.66% of the total entry fees. Another false impression I had is that the prize line at a USTRC sanctioned roping is paid with money withheld from the ropers’ pot (61.66%). This is also incorrect because the prize line is purchased by the producer out of his 33.33% (1/3) commission; therefore, the prizes are not purchased using money out of the ropers’ 61.66% pot. When you add the value of the prize line back into 61.66% of the ropers’ pot, ropers are usually competing for 75% to 85% of the total entry fees in cash and prizes.

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Contact: Lyn R. Lamon, Sr. teamed up with John M. East to lay claim to the Gold Plus title at this year’s Texas Championships held in San Antonio. Their fast, four-head total of 31.93 seconds earned them $5,660 in cash, trophy Gist Gold spurs and a Gold Plus Shoot-Out worth $6,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings.

w w w. L C I h o r s e . c o m LCIhorse@aol.com SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 17

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USTRC

GOLD PHOTO BY HORSE TALES PHOTOGRAPHY

PLUS continued

PHOTO BY 3 LAZY J PHOTOS

Roping tough, the home-state team of Kailey L. Freed and Cody G. Soffel finished on top of the pack in the Gold Plus roping at the Blackhawk Championships in Salina, Utah. They roped four head in 33.87 seconds to win $1,618 in cash, trophy Gist buckles and a Gold Plus Shoot-Out worth $6,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings.

Bill R. Barcus, Jr. (Paola, KS) and Ross Keesling (Perry, KS) roped four head in 31.38 seconds for $3,914 in cash, trophy Gist buckles and a Gold Plus Shoot-Out worth $6,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings.

PHOTO BY BUDDY BERRY

Home-state cowboys, John Herkner and Troy D. Pfeifer took home the Oregon Championships Gold Plus victory after roping three head in 39.28 seconds. Their hot streak earned them $658 in cash, trophy Gist buckles and a Gold Plus ShootOut worth $6,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings.

The Oklahoma team of Ralph W. Carter and Troy B. Stoner roped four head in 35.23 seconds to take the win in the Gold Plus roping at the Arkansas Championships. The duo collected $3,854 in cash, trophy Gist Gold spurs and a Gold Plus Shoot-Out worth $6,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings.

Plus members receive. If your spouse and/or your children rope, the Gold Plus membership may be the most cost effective membership package. By purchasing one Gold Plus membership, your spouse will also receive a Gold Plus membership as long as he/she is at least 18 years old. If you have children who live at home and who are 20 years of age or younger, they will receive Gold Spur memberships. Gold Plus members receive $1,000,000 excess personal liability coverage for any horse related accident at a USTRC sanctioned event. Other insurance services include $25,000 death or disablement and 18 / JUNE 2010

$2,500 for loss of one or more fingers. Insurance is not automatically included for Gold Plus family members unless purchased for an additional $75. When applying for a double number, Gold Plus members do not pay the $40 fee that is charged to Gold Spur members. When Gold Plus members purchase their membership, they receive $3,000 in Flex Earnings which basically means they qualify for half of a National Shoot-Out that they can use with any partner in any division at the Cinch NFTR or any of the seven USTRC Regional Events. Finally, Gold Plus members receive a 10% discount when purchasing items

from National Roper Supply. As summer is rounding the corner, it is time to start thinking about entering the first few of our seven Regional Finals events. The West Coast Regional Finals in Paso Robles, CA is coming up June 24-27 and the Eastern Regional Finals in Murfreesboro, TN is July 8-11. Please keep an eye on the entry deadlines and feel free to call me to enter, reserve stalls, ask questions, give me some feedback, or just to introduce yourself. I look forward to visiting with you.

Ty Hillman

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20, 22 Champ Profile_ CHAMP PROFILE 5/5/10 4:48 PM Page 20

USTRC

champions

PROFILE

And Then There Was One by Melinda Clements

#12 SHOOT-OUT 2009 USTRC National Champions

Nicholas G. Thompson

Justin L. Pruitt

20 / JUNE 2010

things seemed to be just enough to put together a great heading and heeling duo. The #12 Shoot-Out would pay the first-place team $94,000 plus a Martin Championship Trophy saddle, Tony Lama boots, Western Horseman Collector’s Prints and beautiful Gist Trophy buckles. The prize line was enough to make your mouth water and Thompson and Pruitt felt they had been paired for a reason. The pair was the high team coming back into the short go round for the #12 Shoot-Out. They had a time for 21.87 and the second place high team of Ty Yost and Joseph Kimball were breathing down their necks. There would be absolutely no room for mistakes. This was the real deal and it involved some high stress roping. When Yost and Kimball posted a time of 7.77 to upset the current leaders in the short round they took a very strong lead in the Average. Pressure began to build as the last team prepared to rope. “Pressure!” said Pruitt. “Let me tell you about pressure. You cannot even imagine the pressure that was involved there.” “I so wanted this to all come together,” Thompson

▲ ▲

ne cannot attend the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping without encountering great experiences that transpire during the nine days of roping. It is, perhaps, the one thing that holds the greatest attraction for ropers who do all they can to attend the event. The team roping is one of the best in the country and through the course of the Cinch NFTR lives are changed, people meet under the most unusual circumstances and the event leaves an undeniable mark on everyone involved. Ropers may live far apart and in totally different lifestyles and circumstances but the common thread among them all seems to be the compatible philosophy of winning, roping aggressively and having a good time. That is the common denominator for most all of them. Nick Thompson lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Justin Pruitt lives in Greenbriar, Arkansas and the duo had never ever roped together. They hardly knew each other. However, through an unusual play of events and a little strange twist of fate the pair ended up roping together in the #12 Shoot-Out at the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping. About the only common ground between them was they both wanted to win and they both were sponsored by Revolution Ropes. Those

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20, 22 Champ Profile_ CHAMP PROFILE 5/5/10 4:48 PM Page 22

said. “I’m not sure I honestly had one conscious thought as I rode into the box. At that particular point in time it really didn’t matter if we won or lost. We were the high team back in the #12 Shoot-Out at the National Finals of Team Roping and not really much else mattered after that. We had never practiced or roped together and yet had done remarkably well to have been thrown together. We had accomplished so much. It was unbelievably exciting.” Both men wanted to rope aggressively. When Thompson nodded and the gates banged open, Pruitt had a reality check. His focus realigned when Thompson roped the horns. He had one thing on his mind; two feet. “I just wanted to knock one down,” Pruitt said. “I wanted to take a smart shot and bring all this together. We got together and prayed it would work and it did.” The pair needed a 9.72 to take the lead and win the #12 Shoot-Out at the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping. When the dust cleared a 7.98 illuminated the dial of

the clocks. It had happened almost too fast to register. “There is no way we could have planned all this,” Thompson said. “We live in two different states, too far away to rope or practice. We came together for one reason and that was to do well roping with each other. We accomplished more than we ever thought possible.” “I have been roping all my life,” Pruitt commented. “This is just so unbelievable. You always want to rope and rope right and you don’t want stupid shots and you try to practice to get it all right. Here we came together and it worked. Unbelievable!” You will find as you travel life’s highways that things happen for reasons we never fully grasp or understand. The pairing of Thompson and Pruitt was one of those phenomenal events that thrust them into the limelight and changed them forever. When it was all over Then There Was Only One, the #12 ShootOut Champions of the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping—Nick Thompson and Justin Pruitt. ■

2 CHAMPIONS0 0 9 Nicholas G. Thompson and Justin L. Pruitt at the 2009 Cinch USTRC National Finals in Oklahoma City. 22 / JUNE 2010

S06DF_MGMGrndH_P_Layout 1 5/3/10 1:31 PM Page 1

24-25 Rickey Green_Project1 5/11/10 10:55 AM Page 24

with

Rickey Green Smooth Delivery

o be smooth and consistent in your heeling delivery, there is a certain feel that you need to have. That feel takes a lot of practice to master. What does it feel like to have a pure delivery that comes from the swing and moves into the delivery with a smooth, effortless motion? It feels like pouring water out of a glass. Only the higher numbered heelers ever really develop it, and maybe that’s how and why they become higher numbered heelers. I would like to share a drill with you that can help you master your delivery so it smoothes out and you stop fumbling your slack as you deliver. Take the tail of your rope – Photo 1. Then swing the tail and swing it planed out toward the bottom of the front feet. This is the correct plane of the delivery – Photo 2. I remember Clay and I were practicing and Bailey, Clay’s

Photo 1

Photo 2 Photo 3

24 / JUNE 2010

daughter, was having a bad day. Clay said, “Bailey aim at the front feet and hold onto your loop as long as you possibly can.” All of a sudden the loop stops hitting in the dirt and starts coming through. Notice Photo 3, as the tail swings out toward the legs, my thumb is on the left side of the top strand so I can feel the contact on the leg with my index finger. Then you just roll your hand over the top strand and you have your slack, so you will be smooth and not fumble your slack. After you master the one strand of the tail, then get your loop and try to hit the front feet with your loop,

24-25 Rickey Green_Project1 5/11/10 10:56 AM Page 25

Photo 4

but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t release the loop until it has crossed to the left, like in Photo 4. Make sure you keep your thumb on the left side of the top strand like Photo 5. Then, after the loop is in place roll over and pick up your slack. With this drill it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be any time at all and you will start to feel a big difference in your delivery. Your Friend,

Photo 5

Rickey Green Proverbs 18:24

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August 20-22 Craig, CO Sheila Brennise 970/824-4767 970/629-1396

September 1 & 2 Quincy, CA Whip and Spur Productions Betty Estep 916/782-8969

September 11 & 12 Calera, AL Phillip Kelce 205/903-6462

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 25

26-27 Insider_Layout 1 5/11/10 1:54 PM Page 26

by Gary Poythress

ome people avoid conflict at all costs, most people avoid conflict if possible, and a few people thrive on conflict. This explains why most ropers get involved in classification issues only when they affect them directly. USTRC welcomes your suggestions about improving classifications, but a recent call from a roper in Colorado demonstrates that not enough has been done to explain WHY classifications are determined the way they are. The Colorado roper is a #5 heeler. His problem is that USTRC lowered a local #6 heeler to an Elite #5. Since in his area there are very few “Elite” ropers for partners, he contends that for all practical purposes he and the Elite #5 now have the same number. He insists that USTRC made him lose his partners and must now make him an Elite #4 to be fair. So Now What? How would you find a solution to this problem that works fairly for everyone? You might consider the easy options first. Why not just lower this guy to an Elite #4? That will make HIM happy. You on the other hand, can plan on giving the same answer to the #4 heeler that loses his partner. That will be followed by the #3 and so on until you run out of numbers. Why not raise the Elite #5 back to a #6? Elite TRIAD gives all ropers a chance to be competitive based upon their performance, or lack of it. Performance (how the roper competes) gets ropers lowered and performance will get them raised. How do you explain to the newest #6 heeler in the USTRC that you raised his number because he was taking another ropers’ partner?

26 / JUNE 2010

TO BE FAIR, THE BIG QUESTION IS WHETHER A ROPER AND HIS PARTNER ARE COMPETITIVE AS A TEAM. The only way to know is to find out what happens WHEN they compete. Would data from jackpots held last summer be accurate enough to prove that the #6 heeler should not have been lowered to an Elite #5? Are all teams entered at local events competitive? Does the Elite #5 have an advantage with the new partners he can acquire? Is the caller competitive with his new partners? How competitive will teams containing these ropers be if they went to Arizona, Florida, or Texas for the winter? What will happen when Arizona and Texas ropers visit Colorado in the summer? The old way of solving classification problems involved using the best tool available, the telephone. When confronted with a complaint it was a standard practice to begin calling the “good ‘ole boys”. Many of those contacted are the most reputable and honest people I have had the pleasure to know. Everyone enjoying our sport owes them a great deal. But, as you might imagine, they were not involved in EVERY dispute. As a result things did not always go well for the roper. When asking the “good ‘ole boy” his opinion on a roper, you may get the following responses: “I don’t like it at all. You can’t trust him.” (What you do not know is that the roper sold this “good ‘ole boy” a lame horse two years ago.) “I heard a couple of months ago he won a roping -he’s doing alright.” “I think if you lower this guy he will

go to every little punkin’ rollin’ he can and embarrass us.” “He used to rope awfully good, don’t think you should take the chance.” “Nobody likes him because he is kind of a jerk, don’t listen to his whining.” Or: “I swear he’s never roped anywhere but on the ranch before.” “But he is only 14. Oh, no! He doesn’t take after his 4-time world champion father.” “We just want to rope together in the eight-point. He’s not really working on his roping. Playing varsity basketball, baseball, and football take up most of his time.” “He only won those trucks because nobody else could catch.” “You’ve got a number 4 over here that ropes way better. I think you need to give him a chance.” “You let that kid from Oklahoma win over $500,000 my boy hasn’t won near that much.” If all else failed, the roper or parent would keep complaining louder and louder until he reached the “top dog” and either cut a deal, wore him down, or if possible, played one association against another. The hard part of refereeing these disputes was not what you heard, but trying to determine what was TRULY being said. “High rollers” seemed to have little or no difficulty working the deal making system of classifying. Others found that if they were not overbearing and abrasive they got frustrated in an endless loop of “he said-she said.” This cycle of frustration was responsible for a great many hard feelings and the creation of more than one team roping association. More important than WHO makes the decision, is the REASON the decision was made. Usually it takes a few years of “deal making” to drive that point home. You know you have reached that point when one morning: The NUMBER MAN wakes up to find himself in hot water with all the ropers because of his “deal making.” The ROPER wakes up to find that he did not make nearly a good enough deal. Remember, if you were able to make a deal so did at least 50 others. If your deal wasn’t the best of the 50, YOU LOST! The PRODUCERS wake up to find that they are losing teams to other

26-27 Insider_Layout 1 5/11/10 1:54 PM Page 27

arenas in a bidding war over numbers. In team roping, paying more, better prizes, better cattle, or even free beer take a back seat to giving away numbers. Getting the opinion of a different group of “good ‘ole boys” does not solve problems, it just changes names. In the beginning, deal making was the best classification method with the tools at hand. The fact that it is impossible to do fairly and makes everyone feel like banging their heads against a brick wall has always kept it from being supported by the majority of ropers. The day of deal making has finally come and gone! Only a complete change in philosophy and years of hard work allowed USTRC to end this process even though it continues to be used by others. Nowhere but Elite TRIAD, do ropers find their information taken seriously enough to truly help them solve their problems. This brings us back to our Colorado #5 heeler. He may have a valid point when he suggests that the small number of Elite ropers in his area puts him at a disadvantage. Today

that roper and the producers he supports can prove his case. This will benefit both of them. Producers, all other things being equal, accurate classifications are the best way to keep ropers from becoming discouraged and moving on to other arenas. The fastest, easiest way for our Colorado #5 heeler to prove he deserves help is for USTRC to receive the local roping data and let the computer analysis determine the solution. The more data submitted, the sooner the answer. This will allow him to quickly receive the help he needs. Let an impartial data analysis look at how you compete. Then we can work together to “make it right.” It is as simple as it sounds! USTRC is committed to creating a level playing field, and will EVENTUALLY find an answer to this roper’s problem. In Colorado this may mean several months of waiting for help if the USTRC only receives occasional data on the roper. It does not have to be that way! For the first time local producers are actually in a position to TRULY HELP THE ROPER!

A producer submitting roping data will further your cause far more expeditiously and accurately than calls being made on your behalf will. USTRC no longer uses opinion to determine classifications. If you are not competitive, the computer analysis will prove it. Let the facts speak for themselves. This is a huge opportunity for ropers to support local producers that will help them fix their number problems. Producers can finally show ropers how much they appreciate their support. Both groups can do themselves a favor and become part of the solution and not the problem. Do you have a question, concern, complaint or praise you would like to address to the USTRC? In today’s high tech world it is easier than ever to send us your “Letter to the Editor.” We invite you to send us an email at feedback@wspubs.com with your comments about the USTRC, team roping in general or the magazine.

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 27

he roping box is, without a doubt, a pressured environment for the horse. Going from standing still to running as fast as he can in mere seconds to catch a steer or calf definitely puts pressure on the horse’s mind. Roping horses can develop a variety of problems in the box. Most of the time, these problems start as mental issues, but if not dealt with, they can lead to physical problems over time. I’ve been fortunate to learn to

28 / JUNE 2010

understand how a horse thinks, and I use this knowledge more than any method or technique. Being able to understand and guide the horse’s thought process in the box is key to solving problems, and most importantly, to avoiding them in the first place. The horse usually has a great deal of anticipation when he goes into the box. We have to learn how to put the horse in a mindset where he can be supple and relaxed. Once he can get to this point, he’ll be able to read the situation and

By Chris Cox with Cynthia McFarland

SETTLING A HORSE IN THE BOX

Photo by David Stocklein

28-30 Horsemanship_Layout 1 5/10/10 4:09 PM Page 28

the steer/calf, and do his job. We do this by giving the horse specific exercises in the box. I’ll do this during initial training and later on, I’ll use exercises as “maintenance” on an older horse. There’s a common thread that relates to everything we do with the horse during training. My cues for ground work are similar to my cues while riding; there’s a system that all ties together. For starters, before you ever go to roping a steer or calf, your horse needs to be truly broke. This means you must

28-30 Horsemanship_Layout 1 5/10/10 4:09 PM Page 29

be able to move all his body parts through your cues without any resistance on his part. He also needs to be familiar with cattle and feel comfortable tracking them in the arena. Before you put a horse in the box, you should teach him his job outside. A lot of ropers miss because they’ve never given the horse the opportunity to learn to read and rate cattle first. If the horse offers any resistance when you’re riding in the arena or outside, this will only be magnified in the roping box. You need to get any resistance issues out of the way early on before you ever think about roping off that horse. The horse must be soft and supple through the poll, ribcage and shoulders, as well as balanced on both leads. When I say “soft through the poll,” I mean that I want the horse to immediately give me vertical flexion when I pick up my reins. This softness will carry all the way through his body and down to his feet. If a horse is stiff through the poll, he’ll be stiff and resistant through his body and may lock up his hind end. When a horse is “soft” through the face and head, this doesn’t mean his head is against his chest. Softness is so desirable because it shows a total lack of resistance. When I pick up those reins, I want vertical flexion and softness because this will help his back come up under the saddle and his hind end become more collected. If he’s pushing on my hands, he’ll be hollow in his back and his hindquarters will be unbalanced; he’ll be stiff and jerky when he leaves the box.

Practical Exercises

Be Prepared Remember that preparation is your key to success. I always do my dry work until the horse is responding well and with consistency before ever putting a steer/calf in the chute. A lot of horses have trouble in the front of the box, but this is because they have not been properly prepared. For instance, if a horse is ducking his shoulder, this is because his weight isn’t distributed evenly on his two hind legs. If necessary, I will back my horse straight back into the box and get his hind end up underneath him. When I go

out of the box, I always want the horse to be relaxed and straight. With a young horse, I also like to pick the stock I’m working with to help the horse. I don’t want to use fresh steers or ones he’ll have to struggle with every time. I want to build up gradually to working tougher cattle so my horse becomes more and more confident. Any time I’m developing a young horse in the early stages, I don’t always want him coming out of the box at full speed. It’s easy to get a horse to go fast, but it’s harder to get him to be relaxed, so we can develop speed as we go along. As ropers, we have to understand that the horse must come first; then we can concentrate on the roping. In putting the horse first, we have to develop feel, trust and confidence. You can’t achieve this if the horse has too much pressure, too many runs, or is going too fast too soon. You want to create a situation so that when the horse backs into the box and you nod for that steer, your horse is confident and ready, and not having to scramble to get in position to do his job. We must set things up so it’s the horse’s idea. Once the horse’s mind accepts and understands something, his body will easily follow. If it’s the horse decision, he’s more determined and focused. As a horseman, you have to help horse make that decision so he wants to be relaxed and focused. Because of the way the horse’s mind works, you must maintain his dignity and build his confidence every time you work with him. You can’t just run steers over and over when training a horse. Be aware of his mental attitude so you aren’t putting him in a situation where he’s going to feel overwhelmed and pressured. You want him confident in the box and as relaxed as possible. To do this, you must be able to reward him and scoring can be part of that reward. Always keep in mind that the 10 x12foot area of the roping box should be a safe place for the horse. Just as when you teach a horse to load in a trailer, you want the box to feel safe and comfortable for him. It shouldn’t be something he dreads and wants to leave as soon as possible.

s s

I like to take a young horse in the box and teach him to maneuver within the confines of that box. I’ll do circles, back up, sidepass in both directions and even do rollbacks off the rails. If I have control of the horse, I should be able to put him in any position I want in any area of the box. The more I can use the horse this way, the more relaxed he becomes, and relaxation is my goal. If a horse is getting upset or

nervous, I make him move his feet by giving him exercises to do. The more I do this in a confined area, such as the roping box, the more the horse wants to relax. Even though relaxation is the goal, it must become the horse’s idea. You can’t make a horse relax by trying to force him to stand still. This will just make him want to move, so that’s where doing exercises comes in handy. A lot of people do repetitive exercises in the box, but I like to change things up and not keep to a set pattern. I don’t want the horse anticipating what I’m going to ask him to do next. I’ll do an assortment of exercises, including wagon wheels, sidepassing and rollbacks to move the horse’s hindquarters around, make him bend his ribcage and get his body supple. With any pressure situation, you want to take away the anticipation. Scoring is good for this, but I also like different drills when developing and training a horse in the box. Even with an older horse, I will still do maneuvers with him in the box, but I’ll expect those moves to be more refined than with a young horse. Whether I’m riding a young or mature horse, my goal is that when I put my hand down, the horse should be willing to stop and relax. Once a horse lowers his head, endorphins are released that automatically help him to relax. Think about a horse grazing; his head is lowered and he is relaxed. A nervous horse has his head elevated and you won’t see him casually grazing. When the horse does stand, I always reward him. Scoring is one way to do this.

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 29

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Team Roping & Horsemanship Seminar with Chris Cox & Rich Skelton Photos Courtesy of Connie Bally Photography

Two-Time Road to the Horse Champion, Chris Cox, has been ranch roping most of his life, but recently started competing in USTRC and other roping events as a header. For the past two years, Chris has been invited to the prestigious Reno Rodeo Invitational Team Roping, and this year heeled for World Champion Jack Roddy.

n April 12 – 14, Chris Cox and 8 Time World Champion Team Roper Rich Skelton held a Team Roping and Horsemanship Seminar at Chris’ Diamond Double C Ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas. Over 30 participants from several states, including World Champion All-Around Cowboys Larry Mahan and Chris Lybbert, took part. With students ranging from beginners to a #7 heeler, it

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World Champion All-Around Cowboys Larry Mahan and Chris Lybbert with Cox and Skelton

was a diverse and enthusiastic group. Chris worked with the students on fine-tuning their horsemanship and gaining control of the horse from nose to tail in order to improve their runs and overall ability. Rich offered ground instruction for both headers and heelers, focusing on position, building a balanced loop, swing, feeding the loop, target, and delivery. Speed Williams, Rich’s former team roping partner, was

also part of the clinic, and showed how headers can handle cattle to result in a more successful team effort. Watch for scenes from the seminar to air on future episodes of “Chris Cox Horsemanship” on RFD-TV. After a tremendous response to the event, Chris and Rich plan to hold another seminar in the near future. Visit www.chris-cox.com or call 888-81-HORSE to learn more.

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HORSE HEALTH

Treatments for Joints By Heather Smith Thomas

oday there are hundreds of treatments and therapies for joint problems. Some treatments are therapeutic, aimed at helping an injured joint heal or to minimize the pain and inflammation within a joint, while others are prophylactic—given to the horse in order to prevent joint damage and injury. Dr. David Frisbie, Associate Professor in Surgery at the Orthopaedic Research Center at Colorado State University and partner in Equine Sports Medicine, Pilot Point, Texas, says that corticosteroids are still the mainstay, in joint treatment. “These have been in use since the 1950s and are still probably the best medication we have, in many ways. There are basically 3 common steroids used. They all reduce inflammation, but one of them (triamcinolone acetonide, trade name Vetalog) has actually been shown to be protective to joints with arthritis. Some steroids, even though they reduce inflammation, can be detrimental to the tissue. Vetalog is the one we most commonly use,” he says. There are a few contraindications for steroid use, such as in horses that have a metabolic disturbance and/or are old or have Cushings syndrome or previous laminitis. Many people mix steroids and HA (hyaluronic acid) together for a joint injection. “There is evidence that the combination has an added beneficial effect since HA is a natural lubricant and helps reduce inflammation. This is one of the most common mixtures used. If you look at 100 32 / JUNE 2010

horses that have had joint injections, most would have received some form of corticosteroid mixed with HA,” says Frisbie. The HA is the more expensive portion of the mix, costing two to three times more than the steroids. Some people just use straight HA or a steroid in the joint. “The people using just HA would be a small minority, since the potency of that particular drug alone in the joint is low. With the other medications we have, I’d have to question the use of HA by itself. There are a few specific indications, such as following surgery, however, where this might be appropriate, using HA without the steroids,” he says. From there, treatments may become more exotic, depending on what your veterinarian thinks the horse needs. “Some joints are nonresponsive to corticosteroids so you have to use something else. One of the newer treatments is called IRAP (interleuken 1 receptor antagonist protein) a natural anti-inflammatory protein that is produced by the body. This is injected into the joint,” he explains. There are several ways of creating IRAP. The gene sequence for that protein can be put into a virus, fooling the virus into making the protein in the joint for us. This is one of the few therapies that’s actually been shown to be more effective and more protective than corticosteroids. The problem is that it’s basically a one-time shot. It is very effective once,” says Frisbie. After that, the body builds some resistance to the virus, just as humans develop resistance to a cold virus after experiencing a cold. This defense process does not allow the treatment to take affect a second time. “The other way to make the protein is to take whole blood from the horse, and use some of the white blood cells, which when stimulated in the correct fashion increase their concentration of that particular protein. This is a treatment you can repeat, even though the concentration if IRAP is not nearly as high. It is still effective in treating joint disease and at this point is the only commercial method of using IRAP right now. When people talk about IRAP it’s a bit of a misnomer, because the term just denotes that one particular protein. The commercial

kit is called IRAP, using this technique of stimulating blood cells to produce serum that has a higher concentration of IRAP, but there is also a high concentration of a lot of other things in this serum as well, that you inject back into the joint. It’s actually an autologous conditioned serum (ASC),” he explains. The IRAP treatment is usually one injection weekly, for 3 weeks. “You have to pull blood, culture it, then get the product and inject it 3 separate times. By the time you are finished with this, it’s about $1500 to $2500, which makes it more expensive than the steroid injections. The good news is that it’s a natural product and people like this idea. There are cases where steroids don’t work and the IRAP does work,” he says. “In our practice, this is how we tend to use it—reserving it for cases that are nonresponsive to steroids, or for a surgery case where you don’t want to put steroids into the joint because they do affect the immune response. So we use the IRAP instead. There are definitely indications for use of IRAP, and it’s a good product,” says Frisbie. “To date, we’ve found no contraindications for this therapy.” Adequan (polysulfated glycosominoglycans, or PSGAGs) is another treatment, given as in injection either into the muscle or directly into the joint. “Some recent work suggests that this is more potent and also protective to the joint when used straight into the joint rather than the IM route. So intra-articular PSGAGs in the U.S. translates to Adequan since there is no other PSGAG that has been tested or licensed here. There may be some people compounding it, but we know nothing about the efficacy of those compounded products,” he explains. “Adequan is a good product and we often use it post-surgery because it seems to reduce the amount of scar tissue in the joint capsule and soft tissues that surround the joint. This can be very beneficial when there’s injury,” he says. There is another drug called Polyglycan which is a combination of chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine and hyaluronic acid. “This particular product right now is licensed for use to treat osteoarthritis in the horse, but is only registered as a post-surgical lavage in the joint. Arthrodynamic, the company that makes Polyglycan, has been conducting research on the usefulness of this product for treating equine arthritis. Until it is licensed for treatment of OA, it is technically illegal to use it for that indication, since there are other drugs that are licensed for intraarticular treatment of OA,” he explains. The veterinary community

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acknowledges its use but doesn’t talk about it much because of the licensing issues. Arthrodynamic has funded a major study using Polyglycan both IV and IM, to test its efficacy. The work has been completed, but the data has not been analyzed. There are other things that may be beneficial for joints, including oral and intravenous products. There have been some beneficial effects from use of intravenous HA, for instance. “The only licensed intravenous HA product is Legend. It is being used for treating joint disease, and there is some potential for a prophylactic effect as well. The standard procedure is three treatments if you are treating a disease, or giving it once or twice a month if using it as a prophylactic to try to keep a joint healthy,” says Frisbie. “The important thing in looking at treatments is to consider the potency factor, and the relationship of potency to cost. Some of these things are a lot more potent than others. If you are using something that isn’t very potent but costs a lot, it may not make as much sense to use it. Most of the oral medication/supplements fall into that category, with the exception of one, which is ASU (avacado/soybean unsaponifiables). The oil from the soybeans and avacodos (the part that can’t be used for making soap) is used as an oral supplement. Work in the lab, and clinical trials in people, have shown that this supplement is effective. We recently tested it in the horse and have shown it to be effective in arthritis in the horse,” he says. “The particular product we tested has not been brought to the US market. But Nutramax combined ASU with Cosequin, and more recently Platinum Performance has combined their Platinum products with ASU to create what they call a complete joint supplement. We haven’t tested either of those, but the ASU by itself has shown significant beneficial results. So if we recommend oral products we suggest that horse owners use something that contains ASU. Anything short of that, we usually don’t recommend. We’ve tested oral HA products, with less than significant results,” he says. “Oral products are something that can be used if the horse doesn’t have a specific problem and the owner has the money to spend. They may be worthwhile as a protection, especially those with ASU component. The potency of that component is relatively high. But if the horse has a problem, it’s better to treat that specific joint directly,” he says. Prices for oral products will vary. “ASU as a product is pretty expensive. Most horses in working careers get some

form of routine maintenance. Their hocks get injected once or twice a year, for instance. The ASU products, given routinely, will come to about that same price. In the end you have to decide whether you are getting the biggest bang for the buck. Oral products probably aren’t that great a deal unless you are actually getting some prophylactic benefit from them. We tend to tell people that if they want to do some prophylactic things, IV Legend once or twice or month is probably helpful. If they want to do more than that, we recommend they use an oral product containing ASU. But none of that would be as good as treating the joint directly, if the horse is actually sore,” he explains. “About a year ago I went through the lay magazines and came up with more than 200 different oral products that are being used to improve joints. The problem is there is no regulation of these, so we take a practical stance. There are so many products out there that you’ll have to choose, and you don’t know if they will work. What we do know, without a doubt, is there is a huge variation in quality and concentration of those products. Unless it’s one that has been tested and shown to work, we don’t recommend it,” says Frisbie. “There’s been some work done in humans and repeated it in veterinary medicine, in which they took oral products and checked them to see if they contained what the labels said were in them. There was a very poor correlation between what the label said was in the bottle and what was actually in the bottle. And there was no correlation of price, relative to what was in it. There were a lot of expensive products that didn’t have what they said they had, and there were a lot of cheap products that had what they said they had. In the end, the researchers recommended using a midrange product, based on those data. But the bottom line is that there is no real way for a consumer to know what’s in it, unless it’s a product that has been tested,” says Frisbie. “You can only go by the reputation of the company. When somebody asks us, that’s what we tell them. We are not saying that any particular product is a bad product; there is just no clinical research that says it’s a good product. We do know that there’s a lot of good research on products that have been put out by Nutramax, for instance. They do their homework and do what needs to be done,” he says. If you are going to spend money on oral products you should spend it on something that gives some assurance about what you are getting. Another class of therapies is the nonsteroidal antiinflammatories (NSAIDs). “These are good, for short term use. If

there is inflammation in a joint you might use NSAIDs for a 2 week period. These can work for a soft tissue injury such as a pulled ligament, or a flareup of an older injury. The NSAIDs (bute, Banamine, naproxine, etc.) can be a good short-term fix,” says Frisbie. “There is also a new product that works fairly well. There are good and bad inflammatory cascades that result from injury. COX2 is the one thought to be the bad one we want to inhibit. Celebrex and all of the newer human drugs are COX2 inhibitors. There is now a COX2 inhibitor for the horse, called Equioxx. For joint-related issues we tend to use it, rather than bute, Banamine, etc. There is still a place for those, but from a GI side effects standpoint, Equiox would be safer to use, especially longer-term” he says. Another drug, called sodium diclofenac (Surpass) is also in the non-steroidal class, but is used topically. “If you have a solitary joint injury, this drug works really well on the soft tissues. In fact, we did a study where we showed it could actually protect the joint or decrease the progression of arthritis,” he says. Some adjunctive therapies are being used for joint injuries, and these include things like cold saltwater spas, electromagnetic therapy, laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, etc. The most potent adjunctive therapy, according to Frisbie, is shock wave therapy. “That has been shown to be significantly beneficial in joint related problems. With other therapies it boils down to potency/efficacy relative to cost. With some of the adjunctive therapies, the potency is low yet the cost is about the same as other therapies that we know are effective,” he says. Cold water therapy, salt water, etc. might help an injury, since it tends to relieve pain and inflammation. “These would help pull out edema, which helps with blood flow, which helps reduce inflammation. Those are good things, but they are adjunctive and not very potent compared to a medication or therapy that works.” They might be most helpful when used in conjunction with other treatment, but are usually not the primary modality. In some instances, the therapy of choice would obviously be surgery. “If there’s a chip, for instance, the inflammation will not go away until that chip is removed. There are a lot of cases, however, that are just strain issues or repetitive trauma, and there’s inflammation we need to quiet down.” In these instances the joint can be treated non-surgically, with one of the many options now available to the horseman and veterinarian. n

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 33

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Shooting Three Pointers Sound Advice from 2009 World Champion Heeler

Kollin VonAhn PHOTOS COURTESY OF LONE WOLF

By Melinda Clements

He speaks with a voice of authority. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t his first rodeo. For 2009 World Champion heeler, Kollin VonAhn, there is a subtle air of humble confidence that radiates from his being, that defines his mental toughness, his aggressive roping ability and his commitment to hard work and discipline. He has champion written all over him and yet his polite manner makes him accessible and easy to talk to.

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It is evident he knows what he wants and he goes after it with a flair for planning, commitment, courage and talent wrapped tightly into twenty-seven years of roping. VonAhn has been at it all his life. He definitely remembers roping his first steer off a horse at age five and ever since it has been a life of working hard to make it all happen. Following graduation from high school in Sac City, Iowa VonAhn made the move to attend college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. He snared the College National Finals Rodeo Team Roping championship in 2005 and his resume began to grow. He joined the PRCA in 2006 and with one world title under his belt his PRCA career earnings amount to approximately a little over $237,000.

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VonAhn consistently challenges himself to always be the best he can be. Wondering if his life had changed dramatically since nailing down the World Championship in December of 2009 he explains it has changed in some ways but not all that much. “To me nobody ever gets it completely mastered,” VonAhn elaborated. “If you aren’t working at it every day there is always someone out there who is. It takes working your tail off every day. The hard work, the commitment, the discipline, it all stays the same.” VonAhn points out the challenges are always there. He explains you need the mental toughness and the hard work to stay on top of your game. “You get out of it what you put into it,” he says. “Those guys that put in the extra hours are always working to beat you. Someone is always putting in the effort and time and doing what it takes to win and you have to maintain the discipline and hard work or it won’t work. I don’t know that you ever truly relax or take it for granted.” VonAhn feels he ropes with the caliber of ropers who always keep him on top of his game. He believes in a strong work ethic and putting in the time it takes to win. “All these guys rope good,” he said. “At this level where I rope every single roper ropes good. You take the good with the bad and maintain a work ethic that will give you the advantage of staying on top. I’m blessed. I want to show up confident and do my best. If I’m not busting my tail consistently I will be beat.” VonAhn believes there is a fine line involving the head games. He has a set run in his head that he calls “par.” He knows beyond any doubt that he can pretty much maintain par. “I pretty much have a set run in my head that I’m sure I can always execute,” he continued. “I aim for a short five second run and I feel I can make this run consistently. That is par for me, so to speak.” Perhaps the greatest issue for VonAhn as a heeler is the fact he cannot always keep enough horses on hand and have someone turn cattle for him if his header isn’t there.

“I want to keep myself sharp and it is hard to have someone to rope with when my partner cannot always be there for practice,” Von Ahn commented. “It is hard to find someone to turn cattle at the caliber I need them turned to keep myself sharp.” VonAhn makes both rodeo runs and slows things down for his horses in the practice pen. He wants to slow things down to help keep his horses honest. “You want a controlled run,” he said. “Sometimes just riding your horse is enough. However, you won’t shoot three pointers if you aren’t practicing three pointers.” A good philosophy, no doubt! VonAhn struggles unfailingly with keeping enough horses and keeping them sound. It is a daily battle to keep them healthy, in shape and sound to haul. He feels horsemanship is essential and he works hard to keep enough horses on hand and ready to go. “It is a constant battle to keep horses ready and healthy to haul,” he explained. “Hauling is hard on them. You have to take care of them, keep them in shape and conditioned. The key is to have enough horses to turn to in the event you need them. You hate to have a $25,000 heel horse at home and not hauling him but there again if something happens you have him to fall back on.” Despite hauling about the same as last year VonAhn and his partner are being much more selective about where they go. Last year he felt he rodeoed so hard he wore his horses out by the time the Fourth of July rolled around. He has more or less backed off some and works at choosing better in order to keep his horses fresher before the coming Fourth of July run this year. “We are hauling about the same but we are doing a better job of picking and choosing so our horses stay fresher and at the top of their game,” he explained. “Last year we just overdid and so we are backing off and choosing more carefully.” At the end of April VonAhn and partner, Nick Sartain won the Open at the Sweetest Loop 2010 held in Hamilton, Texas. They made a haul from Guymon, Oklahoma to Hamilton, Texas because with the added money the roping paid well. They felt it certainly was worth the trip and the miles to get there. The Open put $10,000 in the pair’s pockets and made the trip quite worthwhile. The pair rope well together and VonAhn feels blessed about the pairing. “I’m fortunate enough to have found a partner like I have,”

“ . . . you won’t shoot three pointers if you aren’t practicing three pointers.”

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“If you aren’t working at it every day there is always someone out there who is.”

VonAhn commented. “We sat down and planned it out and we are on the same page as far as roping is concerned. When you get two guys who have the tools to do what we do and want the same things, well, I am blessed that has happened and came together the way it did.” VonAhn plans to continue roping for awhile. He figures there are records at the finals that are made to be broken and he wants to take a shot at those records. “I want to rope for awhile while the roping is good,” he reiterated. “Maybe someday I’ll have some good horses that people will come look at and know they are good horses.” The statement I couldn’t get out of my mind as I visited with Kollin VonAhn was, “You don’t shoot three pointers if you aren’t practicing three pointers!” With the competitive edge and discipline that VonAhn exhibits it is obvious his philosophy leans a bit in the direction of “you have to work and practice at the level you want to compete.” He has been doing that a long time and it has worked incredibly well to his advantage. Perhaps as team ropers we could all take a lesson. Hard work is essential. There is always someone waiting in the wings; someone out there working as hard or harder than you are and you have to maintain that winning edge and mental toughness. 36 / JUNE 2010

Don’t let his quiet demeanor and humble air fool you. Beneath that exterior is a champion who works his tail off to stay there. He shoots three pointers because he practices and ropes that way and if there is any doubt just take a long look at his track record. It speaks for itself. Kollin VonAhn is a man doing what he wants to do and is willing to make it happen through hard work, discipline, commitment and the control of making those winning team roping runs happen. There is no doubt he is going to show up confident, ready and tuned in to doing all it takes to win. He ropes and competes at the level that makes him a well defined champion and they don’t get any better than that. ■

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Fashion

ach weekend, from coast to coast, thousands of individuals chase their dreams inside the team roping arena. Some of these folks are descendants of cowboys of long ago, while others come from totally different backgrounds but together they have found the sport of team roping and its addictive and fun competitive nature. These mingled groups of individuals have all brought their own fashion styles to add to the true Western flair of the sport. Head to any event and you can find the traditional cowboy look with the wild-rag snapping in the wind, to the more popular rodeo cowboy styles with starched shirts and jeans. Not to be outdone, the women team ropers bring their appealing flair to the sport with sparkling belts, colorful boots and, more often than not, the lively, bright colors that make

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them shine. To say the least, today’s team ropers have a fashion style that is as unique as the individuals that fill the arena floor. Clothing manufacturers have caught on to the new team roping and Western image phenomenon. Hats, boots, shirts and jeans, seem to bring out a style all their own for today’s team ropers. There is no doubt that the cowboy style is still alive and well, but the evolution of these fashions continue to drive a market in new directions. Not only do these manufacturers consider new styles to keep contestants looking good, but they keep comfort and durability a high priority to fit the sport at hand. Look ahead at this year’s cowboy and cowgirl fashion catwalk and see for yourself the latest trends of today’s top manufacturing companies that set the pace in this market.

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CinCh the CinCh summer 2010 Line You can always depend on Cinch to bring the best treatments, patterns and colors to the scene. Two great new jeans blast into this summer season. The favorite Fastback is released with a saturated dark rinse and tantalizing tint. This is a great addition to a stellar and sought-after fit – if you haven’t tried the Fastback, start here! The new Logan jean complements the Fastback with a fitted hip, relaxed thigh and fitted knee. This medium stonewash jean has a clean, heavy back pocket stitch and thicker belt loops to help make your subtle statement. The great Cinch shirt collection warms up May with rich brown and gold and is accented with hints of bold turquoise and smooth dusty rose. Bright orange and yellow brighten June with strong green and a bit of navy. July booms with electric lime and shocking red, both muted with olive and sea blue. Cinch is proud to present fresh, clean patterns and classic plaids to outfit the best in the industry. Don’t forget to check out the Cinch Logo Collection – our best selling shirts, caps and sweatshirts emblazoned with the Cinch crest. www.cinchjeans.com

CinCh. LeaD, Don’t FoLLoW® Fastback Dark For the guy who enjoys the fit of the Fastback, here it is in an eye-catching new finish. Aqua Paisley Aqua, green brown paisley print. Long sleeve button down or Western. Tortoise buttons. Neck tape.

Davis Western traDin’ Company The good folks at Davis Western Tradin’ Company offer a variety of great fashion for today’s team ropers including these two 2010 boot collections. The first is the Anderson Bean Coffee Buffalo with turquoise tin roof wing tip. This special design by Davis Western Tradin’ Company is a great combination of brown and turquoise with a wingtip like an old tin roof. A great vintage look! Next is the Anderson Bean Tan Old West with orchid top. Another special design found exclusively at Davis Western Tradin’ Company. Oxbow sole offers all the same features as leather but wears a lot better and more comfortable. Check out these and lots of other styles found only at www.davisboots.com.

tony Lama Boot Company ameriCana CoLLeCtion Tony Lama Boot Company celebrates its American roots, announcing the latest in Western footwear: the Americana Collection. Once again, Tony Lama delivers with this stylish line of quality boots all handcrafted in the U.S.A. The Americana Collection will be available in stores beginning in June, 2010. Bold colors and traditional styles make the Americana Collection a must for summer wardrobes for both men and women. Genuine leathers, comfort insoles and leather outsoles are sure to satisfy the modern day cowboy’s need for function and quality. “Tony Lama’s Americana Collection gives consumers options that guarantee performance, comfort and style at an affordable price point,” said Tony Lama Brand Manager Mike Fuller. “We are proud to say that the entire collection is handcrafted in the U.S.A. with the care and attention to detail that you have come to expect from Tony Lama.” The Americana Collection will be marketed through print advertisements, social media promotions, and in-store displays. Retailers will also be given additional opportunities to market the collection with a CO-OP supported t-shirt gift-with-purchase program. For more information about the collection, visit www.tonylama.com, www.facebook.com/tonylama or www.twitter.com/tony_lama.

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 39

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CRuel GiRl summeR 2010 ColleCtion Cruel Girl leads the way with fresh new denim packed with all the best details for summer. There are six sensational new fashion jeans and a dazzling dark stonewash Capri to show off your summer skin.

The season gets warmed up with the Maya Capri, a stretch denim accented with contrasting stitching, tulip-style front pockets and tonal embroidered flap back pockets.

Want to go out? Slip on the studded Madeline jean! This dark rinse stretch jean features a lowest rise with a sweet and slim silhouette and is embellished with a brand new back pocket stitch and gradient pewter studs.

The tops collection from Cruel Girl features fabulous new prints and colors to make your summer pop! May starts off sizzling with Solar Yellow and contrasting Pink Salmon with hints of Neutral Taupe and Poplin Beige. Lollipop, Royal Blue and Green Flash make a strong statement in June, and July blooms with Patio Orchid, Rose Water, Blush Peony and Teak Deck. Cruel Girl’s spectacular colors are sure to help you leave your mark, in or out of the arena. www.creulgirl.com 40 / JUNE 2010

The next star in May is the asymmetrical Kinsey jean, with different back pockets. With one flap and one welt, you get the best of both worlds. This lowest rise jean has the right amount of destruction to make them fit like your tried-andtrue jeans.

June introduces the Elizabeth, a low rise jean based on the favorite Georgia fit, but with a great new finish and new back pocket stitch.

The unique Heidi jean was made to complement the fabulous shirts for June! Green Flash and Royal Blue pops in the details of this jean, and you’ll love the stretch lowest rise fit.

The Carly jean explodes into stores in July, bringing with it a super-pumped firework stitch and embroidery details. Strong saddle stitching around the pockets, tacking and hand sanding means this jean has everything you could want in a great fit.

Love the best-selling Cruel Girl Utility jean? The new Whitney jean is going to be your next favorite! This stretch jean has an awesome dark rinse and front flap pocket.

Resistol Resistol hats is “The best All-Around” hat standing true to the name. Resisting all types of weather, Resistol Hats offer a stylish look and an unmistakably quality cowboy hat. With over 80 years of experience Resistol is a name that many have grown to trust. Demand for Resistol hats continues today making Resistol the largest manufacturer of headwear in the world, as a part of Hatco, Inc. Resistol and the USTRC go back a long way and today’s lineup of Resistol hats reflect the long standing partnership with the traditional style of a true American favorite cowboy hat banded and buckled with the USTRC Shield. For more information about Resistol Hats, to see available colors and styles, including the USTRC line of Resistol hats, or to see Resistol’s latest line of Western wear, head to www.resistolhat.com

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HOOey After many requests from the HOOey girls, the brand known for its progressive hat styles has now created a ladies shirt line. Expect plenty of leading designs and a fit that’s comfortably hip. The “Dakota” is one of the cornerstone designs of this new launch. This nativeinspired creation is on a super-soft, antique washed baby doll short sleeve tee with a distressed neckline. To see all the new styles and for a full list of places you can get your HOOey in the U.S. and Canada, check out www.getyourhooey.com. The new HOOey Black Pinstripe “Scoreline” has arrived and is moving fast. One of the many new hat designs available from HOOey, this slick Flexfit hat incorporates metallic pink or purple stitch streaked down the side with the classic “hands-up” logo on the wearer’s back right (Pink stitch only available in S/M). For more choices and a list of places you can get your HOOey, visit www.getyourhooey.com.

Wrangler The Wrangler National Patriot program is the brand’s latest patriotic and charitable initiative supporting wounded or fallen military veterans and their families. The program launched during the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the first line of products will hit shelves in May with a portion of the proceeds being donated to charities providing support to military veterans and their families, much of which will stay in local communities across the country. The Wrangler National Patriot program is also designed to generate success by uniting the entire rodeo and Western communities to join forces in the support of our country. Employing the power of the masses, the Western apparel brand is calling on rodeo committees across the country to get involved by creating their own unique programs to benefit locally based charities of their choice.

Cavenders Cavender’s is your one-stop source for Western gifts, accessories, and Western wear for men, women, and children. Since 1965 the Cavender family has provided quality Western wear in the true spirit of the Southwest, with over 42 Cavender’s Western wear store locations. We have been outfitting cowboys and cowgirls for a long time. Ariat® Men’s Slider DuraCrepe™ Brown Oiled Rowdy & Twilight Sqaure Toe Crepe Boots You’ll get comfort – and good looks, to boot with the new Ariat® Slider DuraCrepe™. This style features the ever-popular wide square toe so you can really put your best foot forward! With the new DuraCrepe™ outsole (30% thinner than traditional crepe), you’ll get a lighter weight and greater flexibility, yet keep the same level of comfort and durability thanks to the Ariat exclusive Duratread™ heel and forefoot anti-wear zones. Brown oiled rowdy premium full grain leather foot and twilight blue shaft, Goodyear® Welt Construction, six-row stitch pattern, and ATS Technology for superior stability. Ariat® Men’s Tombstone™ Black Wide Square Toe Western Boots Make a statement with the flashy new Ariat® Tombstone™ boot, a crossinspired boot with a decorative cross stitch pattern and bug and wrinkle. You’ll get maximum comfort and durability thanks to the popular wide square toe and the Ariat® exclusive Duratread™ outsole. These premium Western competition boots feature the highest quality black full grain leather, eight-row stitch pattern, handed nailed shank, Goodyear® leather welt construction, and ATS Technology for stability. Ariat® again delivers performance and comfort for the avid horseman. SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 41

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TwisTed X Twisted X Boots® is dedicated to making a better boot. They’ve been doing the boot deal a long time and this is the best overall boot package we’ve ever been associated with; this is a better boot. You can bet they will continue to search out the newest and best components available for your footwear demands.

Cowgirl Tuff For the ladies of team roping, Cowgirl Tuff has a 2010 line up of jeans that not only hit high marks in today’s fashion, but are guaranteed to turn heads. You can find your pair of great Cowgirl Tuff jeans at a store near you by heading to www.CowgirlTuffCo.com for a list of dealers in your area.

don’T fenCe Me in These are the jeans for the everyday cowgirl. A little bit of edge with a lot of comfort. They are great for riding or just hangin’ out at the ranch.

TwisTed X BooTs spring 2010 line! Womens Rough Stock, Peanut with hazel embroidered 13" top. Leather outsole. Available in B 5 ½ - 10 and C 6-9. MSRP 229.99

Womens Rough Stock, Cognac Gator print, Purple embroidered 13" top. Available B 5 ½ - 10 and C 6-9. MSRP 189.99

Our newest edition to the Joe Beaver calf roper line in a square toe! Peanut with white zig zag embroidered 11" top. vailable in D & EE widths 7-12, 13, 14 MSRP 159.99

Mens Rough Stock Peanut with olive embroidered 14" top. Leather outsole. New wide square toe. Available in B 9 ½ 12, 13, 14, D & EE 7-12, 13, 14 42 / JUNE 2010

wild & wooly These jeans come standard with extreme comfort with some “Tuff” lookin’ pockets. They too include a great everyday fit.

AriAT Ariat was founded with the simple objective of creating the most advanced performance footwear and apparel for the world’s top equestrian athletes. We’re driven by design, innovation and technology – all focused on delivering the highest-quality products possible. As the world’s leader in performance equestrian apparel, Ariat has combined premium fabrics with sophisticated technologies to create the most advanced collection of apparel worn by top riders everywhere. The Ariat Apparel Collection showcases features such as garment engineering and construction for superior fit, plus technical materials that block harmful UV rays, defend against pesky insects and wick perspiration – all to help you take your ride to the next level. Our men’s shirt line features yarn dye plaid with Moisture Movement Technology, which pulls moisture from skin and allows it to evaporate quickly outside of the garment. An SPF finish protects from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, while a breathable mesh yoke and underarm gusset provide additional ventilation. Greater Arm Mobility includes an extended inseam construction that improves range of motion so shirt cuffs won’t ride up and shirt tails stay tucked in. Get a great fit and superior performance from Ariat shirts.

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Iron Horse Jeans

Petrol desIGnInG for tHe next GeneratIon The Petrol men’s collection has been a huge hit everywhere, winning over new fans with our premium denim and cool details. In addition, the trendy woven shirts feature edgy screen prints and embroideries, offering a contemporary twist for the next generation cowboy. Highlights from our Fall 2010 collection: The Seth jean sports a flap pocket with distressed leather details and the Petrol signature embroidery design.

The Alpine Meadow shirt is in a black dobby shirting fabric embellished with an intricate western cross in earth-tone embroidery Petrol women’s fashion jeans continues to dazzle customers with its fashion forward washes and trend-setting design details. Our to-die-for knit tops feature cool rocker graphics bejeweled in crystals and studs, all specially finished with a super soft touch for extra comfort against your body. Fall 2010 highlights include the Sophie jean with studded and embroidered cross design and pick stitching details, slightly distressed in a light finish.

Tattoo Rock is a lipstick red tee featuring an electric guitar design and a printed Petrol logo on the back.

Petrol invites everyone to visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/PetrolJeans, where you can find the latest news about the company and the Petrol Posse (our endorsees). You can also participate in our contests for a chance to win free products! Come join the Next Generation!

tHe WIld West Is about to Get a WHole lot WIlder It’s bazIne! Street-smart and urban cool, Iron Horse Jeans Company breaks new ground with “Bazine,” the ultimate fashion statement that’s getting raves from the Underground to the Girl-Next- Door. Thanks to our position in the international world of fashion, we’re one step ahead of everyone else in the Western market. In fact, what designers in New York and L.A. know about jeans is now yours at an affordable price and available in the first of three fashion deliveries made up of eight styles per delivery. Mark Wentura, President of Iron Horse Jeans, says “Women will love how it’s long in the leg and low in the rise with a contour waist for reduced gapping that comforts every figure.” Take a close look at the total effect: a touch of glam shines in our rustic aged tin copper hardware trim and there’s extra surface interest like whiskering, and backflap pockets with studding and embroidered embellishments. Available in today’s all important medium 12 ounce stonewash finish with a light sand blast, look no further for the answer to “what’s new” or “what’s hot?” Bazine, like all our jeans, are custom fabricated and backed by our exclusive one year guarantee against workmanship. If any seam, button or zipper fails, we’ll replace or repair the jeans for free, no questions asked. And don’t forget—there’s a full line of Western-inspired knit tops and street cool belts from Iron Horse Jeans to give your customer what she wants, all at the same time. For exclusive images go to www.ironhorsejeans.com/primages SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 43

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Rocky Top Championships Bristol, TN June 19-20, 2010

magine if you will, an almost perfect place. Imagine blue tranquil lakes, peaceful mountains and gently rolling hills. Imagine USTRC team roping coupled with the soft easy medley of country music and a laid back living atmosphere. Imagine history, antiques and days gone by. Couple that with caverns, exploration and NASCAR. Imagine back streets with hideaway restaurants, historic store fronts and shopping galore. Imagine the perfect location to spend a weekend roping, exploring and just getting away from it all. Tucked away just off a major interstate connection lies Bristol, Tennessee where your access to all these perfect little tidbits makes life easy, fun and worry free. Bristol, Tennessee will welcome USTRC team ropers to the Rocky Top 46 / JUNE 2010

Championships the weekend of June 19th through the 20th and ropers are in for a really great time. With John Johnson and his crew at the helm ropers can expect a weekend of fun, excitement and interesting things to do. With those caverns and lakes and the sounds country music embedded in the history of the area visitors are offered as well some great shopping, a historic downtown district lined with shops, boutiques and a farmer’s market. Bristol also offers one of the country’s most elite NASCAR venues. Add that to the roping and the excitement will be in constant motion. The area has grown in legendary proportions. With the impact of country music and the involvement of NASCAR the area is a hotbed of activity and entertainment for anyone taking the time to stop and visit the area. The “World’s Fastest Half Mile Track” Bristol

Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway are fan favorites for high-powered stock car and drag racing. The USTRC brings the speed and action of the Rocky Top Championships to the area and it will be showcase to remember. The Bristol area has a rich frontier heritage, and attractions like Tales and Trails and Rocky Mount help bring that history to life. And if you like to go way, way back in time, there’s the fascinating Gray Fossil Site and Museum with fossils dating back four million years! Regardless, the area is an endless list of learning and experiences. Families can play and picnic at Steele Creek Park, Sugar Hollow Park, and South Holston Lake. Special nearby attractions include the 35-mile long Virginia Creeper Trail for hiking or biking and the challenging Appalachian Trail. If you love to venture underground, don’t miss Bristol

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Caverns and Appalachian Caverns. In 1998 the U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the official Birthplace of Country Music. Today the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is helping keep the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical traditions alive by planning for a new

cultural heritage center in historic downtown Bristol. Bristol remains true to its roots with live music performances throughout the year. Pairing this kind of activity with a

great USTRC team roping makes for a very memorable weekend. Ropers, if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t set the Rocky Top Championships as a priority on your team roping calendar now is the time to do so. It will be a fun, impressive and memorable weekend for some great team roping. Be There! n

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USTRC

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Choice Hotels www.choicesportstravel.com • Special rate ID #00214570

Oklahoma Championships July 1-4, 2010 Lazy E Arena Guthrie, Oklahoma Produced by USTRC

www.guthrieok.com www.ustrc.com

Great Eats, Entertainment and Visitor Info K Sleep Inn (405) 260-1400 Hotel K Best Western Territorial Inn (405) 282-8831 Hotel K Arby’s Roast Beef Restaurant www.arbys.com Restaurant K Stables Cafe stablescafe.com Restaurant K Vallarta Mexican Restaurant (405) 282-2202 Restaurant K Granny Had One (405) 282-4482 Restaurant K Johnny’s Original Rib Shack (405) 282-0031 Restaurant K Hastings Steakhouse www.hastingssteakhouse.com Restaurant K Cimarron National Golf Club www.cimarronnational.com Golf K Guthrie Golf & Country Club (405) 282-1315 Golf K Beacon Drive-In Theatre www.beacondrive-in.com Entertainment K Oklahoma Sports Museum www.oklahomasportsmuseum.com Entertainment K Oklahoma Frontier Drug Store Museum www.drugmuseum.org Entertainment K Oklahoma Territorial Museum www.oklahomaterritorialmuseum.org Entertainment

Eastern Regional Finals July 8-11, 2010 Tennessee Miller Coliseum Murfreesboro, Tennessee Produced by: USTRC

www.ustrc.com

Great Eats, Entertainment and Visitor Info K Baymont Inn and Suites www.baymontinns.com Hotel K Holiday Inn Express Murfreesboro Central Hotel www.hiexpress.com Hotel K Red Roof Inn www.redroof.com Hotel K Outback Steakhouse www.outbacksteakhouse.com Restaurant K Demos’ Steak & Spaghetti House www.demosrestaurants.com Restaurant K Longhorn Steakhouse www.longhornsteakhouse.com Restaurant K Bonefish Grill www.bonefishgrill.com Restaurant K Red Lobster www.redlobster.com Restaurant K Old Fort Golf Course www.murfreesborotn.gov Golf K Indian Hills Golf Club www.indianhillsgc.com Golf K Stampede Dance Hall & Saloon www.stampededancehall.net Entertainment K GO USA Fun Park www.gousafunpark.com Entertainment K Premiere 6 Theatre www.premiere6.com Entertainment K Stones River National Battlefield www.nps.gov Entertainment K Oakland’s Historic House Museum www.oaklandsmuseum.org Entertainment

Nebraska Championships July 16-18, 2010 Custer County Fairgrounds Broken Bow, Nebraska www.brokenbow-ne.com Produced by: Jeff and Cindy Smith 620-422-3632 Great Eats, Entertainment and Visitor Info K Gateway Motel 308-872-2478 K Americas Best Value Inn 308-872-6428 48 / JUNE 2010

Hotel Hotel

K Bosselmans Motel 308-872-6842 Hotel K Wagon Wheel 308-872-2433 Hotel K Bonfire Grill www.bonfire-grill.com Restaurant K Emily’s Soda Fountain (308) 872-5200 Restaurant K Cattlemans 402 Central Ave, Eddyville Restaurant K Steakhouse 206 N Main St, Litchfield Restaurant K Broken Bow Country Club www.brokenbowcountryclub.com Golf K Sylvesters, Inc. (308) 872-6204 Entertainment K Historical Museum www.rootsweb.ancestry.com Entertainment K Tiffany Theatre www.tiffanytheater.com Entertainment K City of Broken Bow Swimming Pool (308) 872-5177 Entertainment

Colorado Championships July 23-25, 2010 Penrose Stadium Outdoor Arena Colorado Springs, Colorado www.springsgov.com Produced by: Jeff and Cindy Smith 620-422-3632 Ike and Mary Cox 660-425-6087 Great Eats, Entertainment and Visitor Info K Travel Lodge 719-632-4600 K La Quinta Inn 1-800-531-5900 K Double Tree 719-576-8900 K Travel Lodge South 719-632-7077 K Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. www.phantomcanyon.com K Giuseppe’s Old Depot Restaurant www.giuseppes-depot.com K Olive Garden Italian Restaurant www.olivegarden.com K Famous Steak House www.restauranteur.com K Flying W Chuckwagon Suppers www.flyingw.com K Outback Steakhouse www.outbacksteakhouse.com

Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel Restaurant Restaurant Restaurant Restaurant Restaurant Restaurant

48-49 On Tap_Layout 1 5/12/10 2:47 PM Page 49

K Lone Star Steakhouse www.lonestarsteakhouse.com Restaurant K Saltgrass Steakhouse www.saltgrass.com Restaurant K Cherokee Ridge Golf Course www.cherokeeridgegolfcourse.com Golf K Springs Ranch Golf Club www.springsranchgolfclub.com Golf K Colorado Springs City Govt: Valley HI Golf Course www.springsgov.com Golf K Loonees Comedy Corner www.loonees.com Entertainment K 13 Pure Night Club & Bistro (719) 635-0999 Entertainment K Garden of the Gods Visitor Center www.gardenofgods.com Entertainment K Ghost Town Museum www.ghosttownmuseum.com Entertainment K Cheyenne Mountain Zoo www.cmzoo.org Entertainment K Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame & Museum www.prorodeohalloffame.com Entertainment K World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame ww.worldskatingmuseum.org Entertainment

K Putt Putt Golf & Games (479) 646-3677 K Electric Cowboy www.electriccowboy.com K Fort Smith Museum of History www.fortsmithmuseum.com K Choctaw Casino-Pocola www.choctawcasinos.com

Turquoise Championships Entertainment Entertainment Entertainment

July 30-August 1, 2010 Kay Rodgers Park - Harper Stadium Fort Smith, Arkansas www.fortsmith.org Produced by: Denny and Lynn Flynn 479-965-6800 Great Eats, Entertainment and Visitor Info K Comfort Inn 479-484-0227 Hotel K Hampton Inn www.hamptoninn.com Hotel K Outback Steakhouse www.outbacksteakhouse.com Restaurant K Olive Garden Italian Restaurant www.olivegarden.com Restaurant K Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon www.lonestarsteakhouse.com Restaurant K Logan’s Roadhouse www.logansroadhouse.com Restaurant K Lin’s Garden Chinese Restaurant (479) 484-5090 Restaurant K Links At Fort Smith Golf Golf K Fort Smith Country Club www.fortsmith.com Golf K Grand Slam Golf & Baseball www.grandslamfun.com Entertainment

(505) 879-6191 www.ustrc.com

Entertainment Great Eats, Entertainment and Visitor Info

Alabama Championships July 30-August 1, 2010 W.O. Crawford / Garrett Coliseum www.garrett.alabama.gov Montgomery, Alabama www.visitingmontgomery.com Produced by: Ed Allen 256/825-8171, USTRC www.ustrc.com Great Eats, Entertainment and Visitor Info

West Arkansas Classic

July 30-August 1, 2010 Gallup, New Mexico Red Rock State Park Produced by: Red Rock Roping Company USTRC

K Town Place Suites by Marriott 334/396-5505 Hotel K Quality Inn & Suites Convention Center www.qualityinn.com Hotel K Outback Steakhouse Restaurant www.outbacksteakhouse.com Restaurant K Olive Garden Italian Restaurant www.olivegarden.com Restaurant K Texas Roadhouse www.texasroadhouse.com Restaurant K Longhorn Steakhouse www.longhornsteakhouse.com Restaurant K Bogies Bar & Grill www.riverrungolfcourse.com Restaurant K Montgomery Country Club Golf Shop www.montgomerycountryclub.com Golf K River Run Public Golf Course www.riverrungolfcourse.com Golf K Hank Williams Museum www.thehankwilliamsmuseum.com Entertainment K Troy University (Montgomery) Rosa Parks Museum montgomery.troy.edu Entertainment K Old Alabama Town www.oldalabamatown.com Entertainment K Deja Vu Billiards www.dejavubilliards.com Entertainment

K Best Western Red Rock Inn 505-722-7600 Hotel K La Quinta Inn and Suites 505-722-2233 Hotel K Quality Inn 505-726-1000 Hotel K Best Western / Royal Holiday 505-722-4900 Hotel K Best Western Inn and Suites 505-722-2222 Hotel K Earl’s Restaurant www.foodandwine.com Restaurant K Golden Corral www.goldencorral.com Restaurant K New Mexico Steakhouse www.aznmfishsoup.org Restaurant K Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill www.applebees.com Restaurant K Gallup Municipal Golf Course www.ci.gallup.nm.us Golf K Zuni Mountain Golf Course (505) 287-9239 Golf K Rex Museum www.ci.gallup.nm.us Entertainment K Aztec Twin Theatre www.allentheatresinc.com Entertainment K Southwest Indian Foundation: Gallup Cultural Center www.southwestindian.com Entertainment

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 49

50 Open Tour_Layout 1 5/5/10 4:40 PM Page 50

$10,000 to Year End High Point Header and Heeler $5,000 to runners-up.

US Open Tour

STANDINGS

HEADERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Chad Masters................65 Luke Brown..................45 Derrick J. Begay............42 Tate Kirchenschlager .....42 Matt Sherwood .............38 Gable Hilderbrand.........33 Mikey E. Fletcher, Jr. .....30 Justin V. Davis ...............29 Clay Tryan.....................28 Shane Philipp ...............28 Ty N. Blasingame ..........25 David Key.....................25 Travis L. Bounds ...........25 Ken Miranda.................25 Andrew E. Ward............24

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Pace Freed ...................24 Trevor Brazile ...............23 Bubba S. Buckaloo........23 Joel Bach .....................22 Morgan Jones ...............22 Adam Rose...................21 Cody McMinn................21 Drew Horner.................20 Aaron Tsinigine.............20 Garrett L. Tonozzi..........20 Jake Barnes..................20 David Motes .................19 Kaleb Driggers..............19 Ryan VonAhn ................18 Tanner Bryson ..............18

31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45.

Clayton Vanaken............18 Cory W. Kidd V ..............18 Charles R. Pogue...........17 Cody Odell....................17 Tee Woolman ................17 Jesse L. Stipes ..............17 Kelly Barker .................17 Clay White....................17 Tyler Schnaufer.............17 Waylon McCurley ..........16 Cody L. Mora................16 Jimmy D. Tanner............16 Edward Hawley, Jr. ........16 Grant B. Shumway ........16 Clay O. Smith ...............15

46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

Erich J. Rogers..............15 Jay D. Ellerman.............15 Turtle B. Powell ............14 Britt C. Williams ...........14 Jade P. Anderson ...........14 Nick L. Pullara, Jr..........14 Jesy C. Austin ...............13 Troy B. Hudson .............13 Quincy Kueckelhan........12 Justin L. Lovell..............11 Clay D. Hurst ................11 Justin D. Yost ................11 Justin W. Parish ............11 Charly B. Crawford........11 Jake W. Kropik ..............11

Braden Harmon ............17 Kyle Lawrence ..............17 Derrick D. Crawford ......16 Ryan Motes ..................16 Chad R. Mathes ............16 J.W. Borrego .................16 Cody Hall .....................16 Jade P. Anderson ...........15 Steve Northcott ............14 Paul Eaves....................14 Boogie B. Ray...............14 Robert Murphy .............14 Wade Clayton ...............14 Jake E. Freeland............14 Josh A. Fillmore ............13 Jake Smith ...................12

49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61.

Casey Stipes .................12 Tanner L. Braden ..........12 Dustin Davis .................12 Jeff S. Brown ................11 Blake D. Stocker ...........11 Arky Rogers .................11 Clay O. Cooper..............11 Mickey J. Gomez ...........11 Dakota J. Kirchenschlager.10 Paul D. Tierney..............10 Evan A. Arnold..............10 Jason L. Thompson ........10 Cody Cowden................10

HEELERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Jade Corkill ................105 Britt Bockius ................49 Buddy E. Hawkins II......49 Caleb C. Twisselman ......42 Travis Graves ................39 T.J. Watts......................39 Brock G. Hanson...........37 Will M. Woodfin ............34 York Gill.......................33 Cory Petska ..................31 Rich Skelton .................31 Shay D. Carroll .............30 Tommy Zuniga, Jr..........29 Martin Lucero...............29 Zak R. Dobbins.............28 Cesar DeLaCruz ............27

50 / JUNE 2010

17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.

Nick P. Rowland ............26 Anthony Calmelat .........26 Dusty Pulsipher ............26 Travis Woodard .............24 Adam G. Plyler .............24 Patrick Smith ...............23 Trevor B. Connolly.........23 Jory M. Levy .................21 Jimmie R. Cooper..........20 Brady J. Minor ..............19 Craig Branham .............19 Kory Koontz .................18 Bobby Baize .................18 Ryan H. White...............18 Brad Culpepper.............18 Monty Joe Petska..........17

33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.

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1,000 in Flex Earnings

Membership Benefits + & OUJUMFT ZPV UP SFDFJWF JO 'MFY &BSOJOHT + $BSE XJUI ZPVS OBNF 6453$ *% OVNCFS BOE IBOEJDBQ DMBTTJÂ¾ DBUJPO + .POUIMZ JTTVFT PG 4VQFS-PPQFS .BHB[JOF + "MMPXT ZPV UP DPNQFUF BU 5FBN 3PQJOH &WFOUT /BUJPO XJEF

Gold Spur Options Gold Spur Double Number Membership + *ODMVEFT FWFSZUIJOH JO UIF (PME 4QVS NFNCFSTIJQ CVU XJUI B VOJRVF DMBTTJÂ¾ DBUJPO OVNCFS JTTVFE GPS CPUI IFBEJOH BOE IFFMJOH Additional Family Membership + "WBJMBCMF UP JNNFEJBUF GBNJMZ NFNCFST SFTJEJOH JO UIF TBNF IPVTFIPME 0/-: + $IJMESFO NVTU CF ZFBST PG BHF PS ZPVOHFS BU UJNF PG BQQMJDBUJPO + "MM BEEJUJPOBM GBNJMZ NFNCFST XJMM SFDFJWF JO 'MFY &BSOJOHT Jr. Looper Membership + '3&& UP DIJMESFO ZFBST PG BHF PS ZPVOHFS BU UIF UJNF PG BQQMJDBUJPO + *ODMVEFT B +S -PPQFS DBSE XJUI OBNF 6453$ *% OVNCFS BOE CJSUI EBUF + 7BMJE QSPPG PG BHF SFRVJSFE CJSUI DFSUJÂ¾ DBUF CBQUJTN SFDPSE FUD + %PFT OPU SFRVJSF BOOVBM SFOFXBM + 4PDJBM TFDVSJUZ OVNCFS SFRVJSFE Lifetime Membership + *ODMVEFT FWFSZUIJOH JO B (PME 4QVS NFNCFSTIJQ GPS B POF UJNF POMZ GFF + JO 'MFY FBSOJOHT FBDI ZFBS + "WBJMBCMF UP UIPTF ZFBST PG BHF PS PMEFS International Gold Spur Membership + 4BNF BT UIF (PME 4QVS NFNCFSTIJQ XIJDI JODMVEFT JO 'MFY &BSOJOHT + 4VQFS-PPQFS .BHB[JOF TFOU 6414 'PSFJHO .BJM 4FSWJDF + 'PS /PO 6 4 3FTJEFOUT

3,000 in Flex Earnings

Membership Benefits + & OUJUMFT ZPV UP SFDFJWF JO 'MFY &BSOJOHT + "MM UIF GFBUVSFT PG UIF (PME 4QVS NFNCFSTIJQ 1-64Â© Gold Plus Ropings + 0GGFSFE BU 6453$ TBODUJPOFE FWFOUT + (PME 1MVT NFNCFST BOE PMEFS BSF FMJHJCMF UP SPQF + (PME 1MVT /BUJPOBM 4IPPU 0VU QPTJUJPOT UP UIF UPQ "WFSBHF XJOOFST BOE UPQ *ODFOUJWF "WFSBHF 8JOOFST Check Writing Privileges + "WBJMBCMF BU Â²DBTI POMZÂ³ SPQJOHT BOE GPS JODPNQMFUF FOUSJFT QBJE BU UIF SPQJOH PGÂ¾ DF 1-800 Direct Calling + "U UIF UPVDI PG ZPVS QIPOF ZPV DBO DPOUBDU UIF 6453$ (PME 1MVT TFSWJDF SFQSFTFOUBUJWF + *U IBT OFWFS CFFO RVJDLFS PS FBTJFS UP IBOEMF RVFTUJPOT BOE QSPCMFNT PS UP FOUFS B SPQJOH

Appeals Service + (PME 1MVT TFSWJDF SFQSFTFOUBUJWF XJMM Â¾ MF UIF OFDFTTBSZ BQQFBM GPSNT XJUI OP IBTTMF BOE OP GFF + $BMM FYU Extended Entry Deadlines + "MMPXT NFNCFS UP FOUFS VQ UP POF XFFL BGUFS UIF SFHVMBS QSF FOUSZ QPTUNBSL EFBEMJOF XJUIPVU MBUF GFFT /'53 FOUSJFT NBZ CF FYDMVEFE + +VTU QIPOF ZPVS FOUSJFT JO BOE ZPVS GFFT XJMM CF DIBSHFE UP ZPVS DSFEJU DBSE + 'VMM QBZNFOU SFRVJSFE BU UJNF PG FOUSZ Need a Partner? + " (PME 1MVT TFSWJDF SFQSFTFOUBUJWF XJMM NBLF FWFSZ FGGPSU UP HFU ZPV KVTU UIF SJHIU OVNCFSFE QBSUOFS UP SFQMBDF UIF POF XIP IBE UP DBODFM Personal Liability Insurance Policy & Insurance Services + "VUPNBUJD DPWFSBHF GPS BMM (PME 1MVT NFNCFST /PU BWBJMBCMF UP BEEJUJPOBM GBNJMZ NFNCFST PS TQPVTFT 4QPVTF JOTVSBODF NBZ CF QVSDIBTFE GPS BO BEEJUJPOBM

+ QFSTPOBM MJBCJMJUZ DPWFSBHF GPS BOZ IPSTF SFMBUFE BDDJEFOU XIJMF VTJOH UIF 6453$ DBSE

Phone Entries + %POÂµU XPSSZ BCPVU Â¾ MMJOH PVU FOUSZ GPSNT

+ EFBUI PS EJTBCMFNFOU DPWFSBHF

+ :PVS (PME 1MVT TFSWJDF SFQSFTFOUBUJWF XJMM UBLF ZPVS FOUSJFT PWFS UIF QIPOF BOE DIBSHF GFFT UP ZPVS 7JTB PS .BTUFS$BSE

+ %JTDPVOUT PO IPSTF NPSUBMJUZ JOTVSBODF BOE PUIFS JOTVSBODF TFSWJDFT

+ " TFSWJDF DIBSHF XJMM CF CJMMFE UP ZPVS BDDPVOU GPS DSFEJU DBSE FOUSJFT Double Numbers + 5IF EPVCMF OVNCFS BQQMJDBUJPO GFF JT XBJWFE GPS (PME 1MVT NFNCFST + (PME 1MVT TFSWJDF SFQSFTFOUBUJWF XJMM UBLF ZPVS SFRVFTU GPS B EPVCMF OVNCFS PWFS UIF QIPOF + "MTP BWBJMBCMF UP BEEJUJPOBM GBNJMZ NFNCFST

+ GPS MPTT PG POF PS NPSF Â¾ OHFST

Stall Service + "WBJMBCMF XIFO BEWFSUJTFE BU TFMFDUFE SPQJOHT + 1MFBTF DBMM (PME 1MVT TUBMM SFTFSWBUJPO TFSWJDF GPS FBDI SFTFSWBUJPO + -JNJUFE UP UXP TUBMMT QFS (PME 1MVT NFNCFS BU FBDI SPQJOH UIBU PGGFST UIF TFSWJDF

Project1_Layout 1 11/5/09 2:21 PM Page 2

Become a Member of the USTRC

Gold Plus Options Gold Plus Upgrade + "OZ (PME 4QVS PS Â¾ STU UJNF NFNCFS ZFBST PS PMEFS NBZ VQHSBEF UP (PME 1MVT NFNCFSTIJQ BU BOZ UJNF

The Official Home of

AMERICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COWBOY SPORT

Lifetime Gold Plus Upgrade + "WBJMBCMF UP MJGFUJNF NFNCFST POMZ + 3FRVJSFT BOOVBM SFOFXBM Additional Family Membership + "WBJMBCMF UP JNNFEJBUF GBNJMZ NFNCFST SFTJEJOH JO UIF TBNF IPVTFIPME 0/-: + 4QPVTF SFDFJWFT (PME 1MVT NFNCFSTIJQ BOE DIJMESFO SFDFJWF (PME 4QVS NFNCFSTIJQT -FHBM QSPPG SFRVJSFE &MJHJCMF DIJMESFO NVTU MJWF BU IPNF BOE CF MFTT UIBO ZFBST PG BHF

2010 Membership Application : 1MFBTF JOEJDBUF JO UIF CPYFT UIF OVNCFS PG NFNCFSTIJQT BU FBDI MFWFM GPS XIJDI ZPV BSF BQQMZJOH =

Gold Plus Membership $300 1MFBTF MJTU JNNFEJBUF GBNJMZ NFNCFST PO BQQMJDBUJPO GPSN

/FX 3FOFXBM 6453$

Gold Plus Upgrade 200

Gold Spur Membership $100

First Time Membership $100

Additional Family Membership 50 =

Gold Spur Pre-Approved Double = Number Membership $120 'PS NFNCFST XIPTF NPTU SFDFOU 6453$ DBSE DPOUBJOFE B EPVCMF OVNCFS $

First-Time or Expired Double 40 5P SFDFJWF B EVBM DMBTTJÂ¾ DBUJPO GPS UIF Â¾ STU UJNF PS BGUFS BO FYQJSFE EPVCMF OVNCFS QMFBTF DPNQMFUF UIF JOGPSNBUJPO CFMPX

/BNF

3FMBUJPOTIJQ /BNF #JSUI %BUF 44 6453$ *% JG SFOFXBM

.BMF 'FNBMF #JSUI %BUF 6453$ *% 44 * BN QSJNBSJMZ B )FBEFS )FFMFS &NBJM 0DDVQBUJPO

1IPOF %BZ &WF

Payment Information * BN DVSSFOUMZ DMBTTJÂ¾ FE BT B OVNCFS )FBEFS )FFMFS * BN SFRVFTUJPOH EPVCMF BT B )FBEFS )FFMFS

1MFBTF NBLF DIFDL PS NPOFZ PSEFS QBZBCMF UP 6453$ BOE NBJM UP

International Gold Spur Member $120 =

USTRC Membership P.O. Box 1198 Stephenville, TX 76401

JR. Looper Membership FREE

1MFBTF QSPWJEF UIF GPMMPXJOH JOGPSNBUJPO XIFO QBZJOH XJUI 7JTB .BTUFSDBSE PS %JTDPWFS

/BNF

6453$ *% JG SFOFXBM

/BNF UP BQQFBS PO DBSE

$JUZ 4UBUF ;*1

3FMBUJPOTIJQ

#JSUI %BUF 44

-FHBM OBNF

"EESFTT

.VTU CF B DVSSFOU NFNCFS DMBTTJÂ¾ FE BT B PS IJHIFS UP BQQMZ "QQMJDBUJPO GFF JT OPO SFGVOEBCMF

#JSUI %BUF 44 6453$ *% JG SFOFXBM

Personal Information

Lifetime Gold Spur Membership $100 = $

Lifetime Gold Plus Upgrade 200

$BSIPMEFS OBNF $BSE

3FMBUJPOTIJQ

7JTB .BTUFSDBSE &YQ %BUF

/BNF

4JHOBUVSF

#JSUI %BUF 44 6453$ *% JG SFOFXBM

Grand Total =

:PV NBZ BMTP DBMM JO DSFEJU DBSE BQQMJDBUJPOT BU PS GPS SFOFXBMT POMJOF HP UP 6453$ DPN

3FMBUJPOTIJQ IMPORTANT: Memberships are NONREFUNDABLE, NONTRANSFERABLE. All USTRC memberships expire on January 3, 2011. The only exception are those memberships purchased Labor Day weekend and before January 3, 2011. Memberships purchased during this period will be valid until January 2, 2012. Allow 3-4 weeks for 2-way mailing & processing for receipt of your membership card. Allow up to 6 weeks for delivery of the first issue of SuperLooper Magazine. USTRC reserves the right to obtain a payment electronically for any check or other instrument that you send us by initiating an ACH (electronic) debit in the amount of your check or instrument to your account. Your check or instrument will not be returned to you by us or your bank. Your bank account may be debited as early as the same day we receive your payment.

1:17:31 PM

2010 West Coast Regionals_2010 Regionals 5/10/10 4:50 PM Page 1

WEST COAST Regionals

California Mid-State FAIRGROUNDS Paso Robles CALIFORNIA

JUNE 24 THROUGH

27, 2010

ANYONE CAN ENTER You do not have to be qualified to enter the West Coast Regional Preliminaries

2009 Total Payout $298,154 Cash & Prizes

All entries must be postmarked by

Draw In Option in effect in Preliminary Divisions only

JUNE 11, 2010 Draw positions will be available on 6/23/2010 at the USTRC website: www.ustrc.com

Prizes

Will Accept One Rotation of Late/Incomplete Entries per Division

SHOOT-OUT PRIZES

PRELIMINARY PRIZES

12 TROPHY MARTIN SADDLES ◆ Average winners of #15, #13, #12, #11, #10 & #9

10 TROPHY MARTIN SADDLES ◆ Average winners of #13, #12, #11, #10 & #9

GOLD PLUS BONUS PRIZE TROPHY GIST GOLD BUCKLE ◆ High Point Gold Plus member of the weekend

◆ 2nd place Average winners of #13, #12, #11,

21 TROPHY GIST BUCKLES #10 & #9 ◆ 1st through 3rd place Average winners

of the #8 Pick/Draw ◆ Incentive Average winners of the Gold Plus

Century Bonus in the Gold Plus Roping

A Laug Series hlin T Roping eam Event

◆ Winners of the Jr. Looper Divisions

2 TROPHY LEATHER BRIEFCASES ◆ Average winners of the Gold Plus 4 TROPHY GIST BITS Average winners of Open & #15

◆

This is a Pre-Entry Event 2010 USTRC membership required and may be purchased on your entry form, or at this event before you rope.

Guaranteed Minimums

$1,290,000 in Flex Earnings Awarded

$5,000 to Average Winners of the Open

$5,000 to Average Winners of the #15 Shoot-Out

$10,000 to Average Winners of #13, #12, #11, #10 & #9 Shoot-Outs

2010 West Coast Regionals_2010 Regionals 5/10/10 4:52 PM Page 2

Preliminary Ropings

◆ Double US Open Tour points awarded to 1st through 10th place in the Average. ◆ 5-steer Average, progressive after one. Entry fee is $200/roper, enter two times. Incentive is a #15 and will be determined on four-head. (Top five Incentive teams will earn $2,000 in Flex Earnings and advance to the #15 Shoot-Out with fees paid.)

Shoot-Out Ropings

Ropers may not enter with the same partner more than once in any Shoot-Out Division

Schedule

◆ Qualification for a Regional Shoot-Out requires $2,000 of available earnings, which may come from either partner or a contribution from both partners. You may use a portion (increments of $100) of Available Earnings (sum of Flex Earnings and Applied Earnings) toward a Shoot-Out qualification. For example, if the Header has $1,400 in Available Earnings and the Heeler has $600 in Available Earnings, they can combine their Available Earnings to qualify for a Regional Shoot-Out. ◆ Shoot-Out ropings will not be handicapped. ◆ No more than two entries per roper is allowed in each division of the Shoot-Out roping. ◆ Shoot-Out ropings will be progressive after one in all ropings. Entry fee is $150 per roper. ◆ #15 and #13 Shoot-Outs are five-steer Averages. #12, #11, #10 and #9 are four-steer Averages. ◆ All teams that qualify to the short round will receive $6,000 in Flex Earnings.

Thursday, June 24

10:00 a.m.

Open (with #15 Incentive) #15 Handicap #15 Shoot-Out

Friday, June 25

9:00 a.m.

#13 Handicap #13 Shoot-Out Gold Plus #12 (with #10 Incentive) #12 Handicap Gist Gold Buckle Roping (won’t start before 5:00 p.m.)

Junior Looper Roping

Saturday, June 26

9:00 a.m.

#12 Shoot-Out #11 Handicap #11 Shoot-Out #10 Handicap (capped at Elite #6)

Sunday, June 27

9:00 a.m.

Stalls Available Reservations will be taken from Gold Plus members only. Reservations must be made no later than 7 days prior to the event. Call your Gold Plus representative, Ty Hillman. All others are on a first-come, first-served basis. No tie-outs allowed. $25 a night plus shavings.

Host Hotel Best Western Black Oak Motor Lodge 1135 24th Street 805/238-4740 Ask for USTRC Rope Rate Must reserve by May 25, 2010 Within walking distance of event In-room coffee and refrigerator

Current Coggins Required

101 13th Street

10th Street

BUCKLES IN THREE DIVISIONS: 6 & under; 7-9; 10-12 years old

California Mid-State Fairgrounds

Hwy 46 Exit

21st Street

#10 Shoot-Out (capped at Elite #6) #9 Handicap (capped at Elite #5) #9 Shoot-Out (capped at Elite #5) #8 Pick/Draw (capped at a #4)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Hwy 46 East

24th Street

Paso Robles Street Exit

Golden Hills Road

Roper Outerwear West Coast Open

Produced by USTRC For information call 254/968-0002

Riverside

◆ Any current USTRC member may enter the Preliminaries. ◆ #15, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9: 4-steer Average, progressive after one. Entry fee is $150/roper. May enter two times in each roping. #14 team - 1.5 sec. off and a #13 & under team - 3 sec. off in the #15. 12 & under - 1.5 sec. off in the #13. #11 & under - 1.5 sec. off in the #12. #10 & under - 1.5 sec. off in the #11. #9 & under - 1.5 sec. off in the #10. #8 & under - 1.5 sec. off in the #9. Top 20 teams to the short round. Top 30 to the short round of the #9 only. ◆ The top five placing teams in the Average of the Regional Preliminary ropings will receive $6,000 in Flex Earnings. ◆ All teams that qualify to the Short Round will receive $2,000 in Flex Earnings. Teams placing in the top 5 percent in the Average of the Preliminary ropings, will automatically earn a position in the Regional Shoot-Out roping with entry fees paid. ◆ #12 Gold Plus with #10 Incentive, 4-steer Average (Incentive determined on 3-steer Average), progressive after one. Entry fee is $150/roper. May enter twice, any combination of Incentive and/or Non-Incentive for a maximum of two entries. $6,000 in Flex Earnings will be awarded to teams placing 1st through 5th in the Average and Incentive Average. ◆ #8 Pick/Draw (capped at a #4), pick 1, draw 1 for $120/roper. 3 steer, progressive after 1. #7 team - 2 sec off. #6 and under team - 3 sec. off. Top 30 teams to the Short Round. On-site entry only. Books close at 11:00 a.m. Top 10 placing teams will receive $6,000 in flex Earnings.

S05UF_GistGdBk_P_Layout 1 5/4/10 3:24 PM Page 206

P A S O R O B L E S

Friday, June 25, 2010 Held during the West Coast Regional Finals following the #12 Preliminary

C A L I F O R N I A

Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start before 5:00 p.m.

#11

$250/Roper, Enter Twice 3 Full Rounds 20% Stock Charge 4 Steer Average with 3 Steer Consolation, 2 Fast Times Overall All teams with 3 steers down will advance to the Short Round All teams with 2 steers down will advance to the Consolation Short Round

Two $6,000 Gist Gold Buckles to the Winners of the Main Average Courtesy of Gary Gist Diamonds sponsored by Reno Rodeo Invitational Team Roping & Perry DiLoreto

Gist Silver Spurs to the Winners of the Consolation Average Courtesy of SuperLooper

1. 2. 3. 4.

ESTIMATED PAYOUT BASED ON 100 TEAMS 4 Steer 3 Steer Average Consolation $12,800 + Nat. S/O 1. $3,000 9,600 + Reg. S/O 2. 1,800 6,400 + Reg. S/O 3. 1,200 3,200 Fast Time Overall (including both short rounds)

1. $1,200 2. 800 MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AS OF JUNE 25, 2010 or FEMALE ANY AGE

Sponsor left 5_10_ *Sponsor Page right 5/4/10 2:47 PM Page 1

PROUD

Sponsors

of the

速

Purina Mills

USTRC

Eastern Reg. Entry #2-back_Eastern Reg. Entry #2-back 5/11/10 11:45 AM Page 71

2010 ENTRY FORM Page 2

Signed ___________________________________________________________________________ Date ______________________________ Parent or Guardian

Roper comments or additional information:

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 71

USTRC ENTRY FORM • EASTERN REGIONAL PRELIMINARY

Eastern Format 2 Regional_Eastern Format 2 Regional 5/11/10 12:40 PM Page 72

USTRC ENTRY FORM • EASTERN REGIONAL PRELIMINARY

2010 REGIONAL PRELIMINARY ENTRY FORM • ANYONE CAN ENTER

REGIONAL PRELIMINARY

Team Roper’s • Entries must be postmarked by June 25, 2010 to avoid Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ late charges. Payments must be made by personal

check, cashier’s check, or money order. Personal checks WILL NOT be accepted from members who have writEASTERN ten bad checks in the past. REGIONAL Phone No. ( ) ____________________________________________________________________________________________ • Entries postmarked after the deadline must include a $40 per team late fee, and must be paid with cashier’s ADDRESS_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ check or money order only! • Make entry fees payable and mail to: USTRC CENTRAL ENTRY, P.O. Box 1198, Stephenville, TX 76401. For _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Roping or Classification Information call the USTRC ATTENTION: YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR OWN AND YOUR PARTNER’S USTRC ID#. National Office, 254/968-0002.

ID No. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open Roping • (#15 Incentive) • May enter any combination of Incentive and/or Non-Incentive. Maximum of 2 entries, $200/roper Guaranteed Minimum $3,500 to the Average Winners