Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i The Team Roping Journal

Dear Roper, With more than five years as The Team Roping Journal, it occurs to me that, perhaps, I’ve failed at introducing the team that produces the tens of thousands of words you read and the dozens of videos you see each month. G.R. Schiavino, aka Gabby, hired on with American Cowboy nine years ago and has been with TRJ since its 2017 start. Originally from Baltimore, she's resided in the West since 2004. As senior managing editor, Gabby keeps our print and digital coverage trains on track. She’s our clutch writer and proofreader and, over the last six years, she’s learned the sport of team roping and its subculture flawlessly. Art director Eva Young has been with our company—in all its iterations—for 15 years, and she brought to TRJ…

Ropers at home with at home with | Jake | Clay O | other gig | military salute | USTRC standings Q: How old were you when you knew you wanted to rope for a living? A: Being my dad’s son and growing up in that circle, that’s, just what I was going to do. By the time I was 12 or 13, I knew that I was at least going to try to make the NFR. My dad rode outside horses, so I got to ride a lot of different horses growing up, and kind of got groomed that way. Q: How old were you when you started roping for a living? A: I filled my permit at Red Bluff (California) when I was 18 roping with Steve Northcott. I…

Ropers | other gig In the last 16 years, the Wiley Hicks Jr. Memorial Roping has made more than $670,000 and, for the last 16 years, James P. Hicks has given it all away. “This is the 16th annual,” Hicks said of the Amarillo, Texas, roping that will take place March 18-19 this year, “and my goal at the 20th anniversary roping is to give away $1 million.” In 2008, the Wiley Hicks Jr. Memorial started at the suggestion of a non-profit after the passing of James Hicks’ father. “He was my very dear friend,” Hicks said of his dad. “He and I, we were more like brothers than we were father and son. We ran around together. We went to bars together. We rode motorcycles together. We jackpotted together.…

I’ve heard people worrying lately about whether or not futurities are bad for the rope horse as an animal, pushing one too hard too soon to compete at these higherdollar events. The first thing I think about, in response to that, is how many rope horses came from reining, cutting or cow-horse programs where they were ridden hard as 2- and 3-year-olds first? And there, a trainer decided, after pushing him in an arena that he didn’t excel, that he wasn’t good enough? Those horses already had their own set of issues that we’re trying to avoid on this side of the business. We believe that keeping a horse on pace from their 2-year-old year on, doing each stage in its time, is key. We let them learn and, then,…

I’ve always been a believer in the fact that if you have enough slow cattle, you don’t need to score as much because you’re not maxing your horse out every run. And by not maxing your horse out, you can work on more control and position. THE START On a head or heel horse, you can walk-start them with a scoring lane and wait until they’re a steer length or two into the lane before you ease out. If you’re on a more seasoned horse, you can see them out farther. I don’t want to feel late, but I want my horse to know that if I put him back behind a steer, I want him there on purpose. DOWN THE PEN That doesn’t mean he needs to go faster…

HOW AND WHEN TO ENTER The USTRC Cinch National Finals of Team Roping is the largest team roping event of the year! In 2023 there will be different levels of entry fees which are based on event-specific criteria. One sidenote before we dive into the specifics: 80% of all shoot-out paid entry fees go into the pot at all levels. There are NO late fees, fees vary based on each roper’s personal circumstance. WHO CAN ENTER Ropers, with a 2023 USTRC, Key Card/Key Card Max or WSTR membership and have attended at least one USTRC Signature Series Event or WSTR Qualification Event between April 1, 2022 thru March 31, 2023 or last year’s USTRC NFTR. There are no age restrictions unless noted. DISCOUNTED ENTRY FEES: HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF…

“Since 2021, everything was on the uptick. And the uptick has remained. About the time you think there’d be a leveling off in the market, along comes the Riata Buckle and, then, the Royal Crown, and so we’ve got some more futurity incentives going on. And they’re big-money deals. The Riata Buckie has made a huge difference in the market on some of these 2- and 3-year-olds, and even the yearling market. A lot of the questions have been, ‘Is he Riata eligible?’ And that's breathed some new life into the market. There are people standing around waiting on the sky to fall, and that’s really not happening. At the NCHA futurity, we sold two 2-year-olds for over $1 million a-piece, and we sold a yearling for $985,000. So that's…

At the Barrier industry news | new products For the past six months, Johnny Johnson has been working at the Equine Network and has recently accepted the position of USTRC President. Johnson is the founder of JX2 Productions and has been the largest roping producer east of the Mississippi for nearly two decades. Johnson brings his personal brand of charisma, dedication to his customers and game-day production experience to the USTRC. Ty Yost will remain as WSTR President. Smarty The United States Team Roping Championships welcomes Smarty as the official training machine of the 2023 season. Smarty is headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, with a satellite office in Stephenville. Smarty has grown to be one of the top training tools used by many of the best team ropers in the…

At the Barrier | news The National Team Roping League’s 18th annual finals—held in Jacksonville, Florida—hosted a massive 2,800 teams and paid out more than $908,000 Jan. 25-29, 2023. This marked the largest NTRL Finals payout in history, hosting ropers from 21 states. The NTRL Finals’ growth highlights the steady increase in East Coast roping. “Our staff was on point,” NTRL founder and USTRC President John Johnson said. “The cattle were good, and the weather was outstanding. We hosted more than 600 ropers this year, and it was a fantastic week in Jacksonville.” WINNERS:…

Ropers | military salute In 2001, Omar Benally was getting ready to graduate from St. Michael Indian School near Window Rock, Arizona, when he picked a fight with his parents. “I don’t want anybody yelling at my son,” Benallys dad—a Green Beret— responded when he learned his son wanted to join the Marines. The men talked through the disagreement and Benally explained that he already knew college wasn’t for him. “I said I wanted to travel,” Benally remembered. “I gestured with my fingers and said, ‘I’ve seen this much of the world.’ I put my arms out and I said, ‘I want to see this much.’” As an aircraft mechanic in the Marines, Benally was able to see more of the world that most ever will. “Being a C130 mechanic,…

Competitive Edge 5 flat 5 CRITICAL FUNDAMENTALS FOR KIDS Kory Koontz has stepped away from ProRodeo and is focusing his time on helping ropers improve their game across the country. He keys in on fundamentals— no matter how skilled the ropers are—and uses them to up the game at every level. With kids, teaching these core skills, whether they’re heading or heeling, will save them headaches for years to come and will help them climb the ranks of the number system. 1 SPOKE LENGTH This photo shows an ideal spoke length. The length of your spoke is what balances your loop and determines how much tip you have. That determines the length of your top strand and bottom strand. It balances together how you swing and how you create power, and that…

There have been so many amazing working moms in the rope-horse world over the years. And when you get to ride a great one, like, say, Junior Nogueira’s Hali, Dustin Bird’s Dolly or Cody Snow’s Annie, why wouldn’t you want a rerun? It’s a long haul—and maybe even a long shot—for history to repeat itself when your hopeful expectation is greatness. But modern veterinary medicine makes it not only possible, but a bet with odds more ropers find worth taking all the time. A big, stout gray mare by the name of Apache R Hali is reigning World Champion Heeler Junior Nogueira’s all-time favorite horse. “When you have a great mare, she will try harder than a gelding or a stud,” Junior said. “Not all of them, but the special…

Competitive team roping, at any level, comes with an inherent amount of pressure. This pressure to win is ultimately what drives all of us to compete. You throw in the love of horses and the people, and the mix is perfect for the high-stakes, high-reward platform that we all enjoy especially at premium events. But there is a whole hidden, behind-the-scenes world driven by a group of individuals who feel the pressures of team roping—but from a whole different set of angles. “These things are pressure cookers!” laughed Shanon Hunt, Director of Software Engineering and Solution Architecture for Equine Network. “You have all of these ropers, the staff in the office and the announcers all relying on your software to work flawlessly plus handle all of the money and handicaps.…

Select Genes is the first-of-its-kind,. custom ICSI operation, providing access to world-class maternal genetics that allow breeders to design their dream cross. Developed by Solo Select's Melanie Smith, who helped reshape the industry with her online horse sales of proven performers and top-tier prospects, Select Genes creates a simple, economically feasible way to buy embryos out of proven mares. “We’ve built our business on bringing the best in the industry together,” Smith said. “I’ve worked diligently to put together the best facilities, the best horses and the best customers. And now we’ve created Select Genes to showcase the genetics of premier mares from multiple disciplines to make a complicated process hassle-free. We’ll be adding new mares daily, and the ones we have lined up are what dreams are made of.”…

Ariat [Leo Classic Fit Shirt] ariat.com; $63—$68 Our casual shirts stand up to serious wear and look good doing it. Combining classic styling, rugged comfort and quality construction, they’re an all-day, everyday staple. The men’s Leo Classic Fit features greater arm mobility for freedom of movement, extra length to ensure the shirt stays where it should and classic, button-down style. It’s available in XS to 3XL as well as tall sizing up to 2XL-T. Classic Rope [Powerline 4 Lite] nrsworld.com; $46 The Powerline4 combines four-strand construction with the feel and handle of our best selling blended rope, the MoneyMaker®. It consists of four strands of twisted nylon and polyester filament wound around a Coretec nylon core. This increases the rope’s weight and body, allowing you to throw with more accuracy…

TOP 5 TAKEAWAYS As of Jan. 26, the Top 5 headers in the USTRC Resistol Jr. Champion race remained the same, save for a point increase earned by No. 3 Parker Guy. On the last day of December, Guy roped at the South Georgia Super Qualifier produced by JX2 Productions to earn a 6-point gain in the standings. However, despite being the only header to earn points since last reporting, he maintains his third-place position, and the Top 5 heading rankings remain the same. The heel side tells a different tale, though. While the ropers ranked first through third maintain their position and leads, Georgia’s Trevor Miller managed to climb five holes from a tie for ninth to the No. 4 spot after seizing 24 points at the same South…

OFF THE WALL Roping a steer by two feet along the wall of an arena is one of roping's toughest shots. Here’s how to pull it off. The goal in almost every setup is to not have to take a shot along the pipe fence or wall of an arena. But it happens if a steer goes left or if something goes wrong tracking across the pen. POSITION PLAN When I find myself in that spot, I know I have to stay into the turn a little longer. The header is having to come back up the wall, making the steer’s hips swing farther down the arena. You need to ride more around the cow to get a good throw Everything flows and stays the same. That’s the only trick…

Horses that come with a lot of natural ability and power usually require ropers to manage their minds, ensuring that they’re ready to perform and comfortable with control. Here’s how I keep one that’s strong and fast under control. 1. REPETITION These kinds of horses need lo spend their time in the practice pen making smooth runs. I don’t like to ask them to do anything drastic. 2. CALM IN THE BOX On horses like this, I want to ask them to stand in the box without picking on them. I don’t want to fight. Don’t beat them up over every little thing. If he wants to move forward, that’s fine. Just go forward and back and navigate him where you want him to go calmly with your feet and…

SPONSOR ROPING EVENTS USTRC is proud to showcase its sponsors who have stepped up to award top-of-the-line prizes. These title sponsorship divisions for 2023 include: Open Shootout, Lawley’s 16.5, Yeti 15.5, Cowboy Tack 14.5, Priefert 13.5, Resistol 12.5, Total Feeds 11.5, Yeti 10.5, Lawley’s 9.5, Classic Equine 8.5, Ram 9.5 Truck Roping and the Smarty #7 and the Smarty Jr. Looper as well as the Total Feeds Breakaway Championships. When you are choosing products or services, please show your support to our fabulous USTRC partners by giving them the first chance to fulfill your consumer needs. RESISTOL JUNIOR CHAMPIONS RESISTOL is awarding the high point header and heeler who are 18 and under on or before April 23, 2023. At the end of the NFTR the top header and heeler…