superlooper-may 09

INSIDE:

FeatureHauling & PullingALSO

USTRC Insider:Flex Earnings Q&A2009 George StraitTeam Roping Classic

May 09 Cover-final:Cover 4/13/09 3:38 PM Page 1

1 / APRIL 2009

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Saturday, June 6, 2009Books open at 7:30 a.m. Books close at 9 a.m.Rope at 9:30 a.m.#12 Jackpot -$50/man for 4 head, PA1, limit 8 entries#11 Jackpot - starts after #10 Jackpot, $50/man for 4 head, PA1, limit 8 entries#10 Drawpot - starts after #11 Jackpot$120/man, enter 1/draw 2 or draw all 3, #6 cap, 3 head, PA1, limit 6 entries or 18 runs

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Sunday, June 7, 2009Books open at 8 a.m. Books close at 9 a.m. Rope at 9:30 a.m. Trailer awarded to Hi-Point roper of Saturday

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S05DF_NtlRprsS_P:Layout 1 4/8/09 11:45 AM Page 1

SLM_GistSlv_P2:Layout 1 12/10/08 3:43 PM Page 1

USTRC Championship Results70 Florida Championships

74 East Texas Championships

80 Wyoming Spring Championships

84 Colorado River Classic

90 Oklahoma Winter Classic

96 Louisiana Championships

100 Northern California Classic

106 Tennessee Championships

110 Northeast Kansas Classic

114 Washington Championships

On the Cover: This monthswinning cover photo wastaken by April Barnett ofOklahoma. This great shotearned Barnett $200 in cashand the photo will beentered in the SuperLoopercover of the Year contest.Congratulations!

USTRC Flex EarningsAnswers to Some Good Questions

FEATURES

8 Just the Way It Is by Ben Clements

10 USTRC Announcements

12 By the Numbers by John Findlay

16 Gold Plus Report by Shawn Vargas

22 Champions Profile Ross A. Elliott and Steve M. Pinckley

26 Top Tips with Rickey Green

28 Horsemanship Starting the Young Rope Horse

by Chris Cox with Cynthia McFarland

32 Horse Health The Latest in the Battle of

Navicular Syndrome

by Dr. Klotz, Legacy Equine Centre

50 Upcoming Event

North Country Classic

52 USTRC On Tap

56 Roper US Open Standings

USTRC INSIDER

40HAULING & PULLING

FEATURE

362009 George Strait Team Roping Classic

24

07 TOC:TOC 4/14/09 10:53 AM Page 7

various motivational and rewarding reasons and some-times those that mean the most to us are slighted insome small way, and usually that is in what they ask ofus. Think about that for a second.

Ive thought about it recently, especially as I approachone year into married life. I have looked at my tasks andevaluated what I do and why I do it to receive a pay-check. On the other hand, I sometimes do not get thingsdone just because I love and care about someone, andthink they will understand; and I expect them to withoutan explanation or a reason. Again, this does not haveanything to do with being a good husband, a goodprovider, or a true friend but rather deals with what mo-tivates me to do some of the things I actually choose toand focus on getting done.

Look at it this way we practice team roping. Wekeep our horses in shape and we work hard at makingourselves the best we can be in order to win. Do we do itbecause of the money or the prizes? Do we do it becausewe want to get away from our jobs or do we do it for oth-er reasons?

You have heard me talk many times about prioritiesand having things in order. This, though, is about whenyou are asked specifically by someone to do somethingand why you do or do not do it at that moment in time.What does it take for you to follow through and get itdone? What motivation do you need or what justifica-tion do you need to follow through on a small requestsomeone has made? What is a good enough reason andwhat isnt?

Really, I suppose the answers to these questions arenot so easy to find and they certainly are not going to bethe same for everyone. I know I have no answers. Noone can tell you what it takes to be a good person andcertainly no one can motivate you to do what you sayyou will do for another. That is something only you candetermine and each of us has to do so. I merely want togive you something to think about. This is not some-thing I had given much thought to before and, truthfully,it took someone pointing it out to me. Like it or not thisis something that each of us has dealt with on both sidesof the fence and we will continue to do so, whether weadmit it or not. The best thing we can do is to try ourbest and to keep our word. We are only as good as ourword and that is just the way it is

MAY 2009

JJUUSSTT theWWaayy IT IS

Here we are nearing the middle of the year andour to do list has only gotten longer. In fact,our checklist of things to do seems to haveonly a few check marks on it. At least, that is the casewith my list. It sometimes seems we are taking two stepsforward and ten steps back.

Let me ask you a question, how many times have youheard, I will get it done later? How many times haveyou said, I will get that done in a little while? Howmany times, as a husband, have you said, I will fix thatcabinet door, but then you just never seemed to getaround to it? Or you may have said that you would getthe oil changed in the truck but havent made it to theQuick Lube. How about the mom that says, I will sewthat hole in your favorite jeans, but hasnt ever worked itinto her busy schedule? Or you may have said you wouldfix those cookies for the bake sale but just havent madeit to the store. What about the kid that promises he willclean his room after he finishes roping but he neverquite gets that done? Or you may have promised yourparents that you would clean the trailer but you alwayshave other plans after school.

If you are like me you have heard those words andsaid them more times than you care to admit. We espe-cially have a habit of saying them much more often tothose that depend on us. Often times we fall short whenit comes to the ones that mean the most of us.

Dont misunderstand me, with our jobs, if our boss orcoworker tells us to do something, we do it and most ofthe time quite promptly. Of course, we are getting paidto do it and that makes it worth getting to as quickly aspossible. If our kids are told by their teacher to write apaper or do homework they do it but usually only be-cause passing or failing depends on it.

Have you ever actually paid attention to how often weput those we care about and what they ask of us on theback burner? Nown, this is not a judgment of some kindon whetner or not you are a good dad or mom, husbandor wife, child or friend. I only want to point out that oursurvival does not depend on helping one another any-more, so we tend to let requests slide. On the otherhand, our job success does depend on doing what needsto be done when it is asked of us and doing so in a timelymanner. Therefore, we do our jobs rather efficiently anddont procrastinate. We do what needs to be done for

08 JTWIS:Layout 1 4/13/09 2:41 PM Page 8

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE / 9

DEPARTMENTS122 SSG Junior Looper

126 The Other Half by Gracie Mae

128 On the Edge of Common Senseby Baxter Black

130 Riding Herd by Lee Pitts

132 Sports Medicine Stable by Mark Duncan

134 Walt Woodard

136 SuperLooper Events Calendar

140 MarketPlace

217 Advertisers Index

SUPERLOOPER MAGAZINE2340 Menaul NE, Suite 400

Albuquerque, NM 87107

Advertising or Editorial:505/899-1870 fax: 505/792-5678

Produced and published by USTRC

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISINGUSTRC Editor: Ben ClementsAssociate Editor: Ryan Davis

Sales Manager & Event Advertising: John EnglishAdvertising Representatives:

Elizabeth DominickCustomer Service Representative: Jules Price

CIRCULATION & PRODUCTIONArt Director: Marcia Rackstraw

Production Coordinator: Violet Sue AndersonGraphic Designer: Doug Purdy

Administrative Assistant: Kathy Miller

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BYAllens Rodeo Photos

P. O. Box 270428, Flower Mound, TX 750271-800-438-8659 www.allensrodeophotos.com

May 2009 / Vol. 18, No. 5SuperLooper Magazine (ISSN 1069-5508,

USPS No. 009983)is pub lished 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 Super Looper Magazine.

Material may not be used without permissionfrom 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.

09 Masthead:Masthead 4/13/09 4:44 PM Page 9

$1M

950,000

900,000

850,000

800,000

750,000

700,000

650,000

600,000

550,000

500,000

450,000

400,000

350,000

300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

250,000

MENTSAANNNNOOUUNNCCEERopers are enjoying the warm

weather and the hot team ropingaction that USTRC events bring totown. The summer months areapproaching and with that moreand more team roping events. TheUSTRC Regional Finals events arealso just around the corner. Thoseare seven events that you will notwant to miss.

Right now the USTRC NationalFinals Shoot-Out fund is at$570,000. The cash is pouring inand thus setting the stage foranother great National Finals ofTeam Roping. Ropers get readybecause you will not want to be aspectator at the Cinch NFTR andthe best way to secure USTRCNational Shoot-Outs is through theRegional Finals. The new USTRCFlex Earnings Program is a big hitand will help team ropers at theRegional and National levels. It is certainly an exciting andinnovative breakthrough in theteam roping industry.

Mark your calendars and getthe trailer ready to head to thenext USTRC team roping near you.You can count on a greatproduction, plus the cash andprizes are always awesome. Dontforget to also mark your calendarswith the seven USTRC RegionalFinals events and of course theUSTRC Cinch National Finals.

June 25-28West Coast Regional Finals - Paso Robles, CAJuly 9-12Eastern Regional Finals - Murfreesboro, TNAug 6-9Lone Star Regional Finals - Waco, TXAug 13-16Southwest Regional Finals - Albuquerque, NMAug 27-30Northwest Regional Finals - Winnemucca, NVSept 4-7High Plains Regional Finals - Cheyenne, WYSept 4-7Southeast Regional Finals - Tunica, MSOct 24-Nov 2USTRC Cinch National Finals - Oklahoma City, OK

USTRC

10 / MAY 2009

Personal InformationChanges

If your area code has recently changed (example New Mexico nowhas 2 area codes), or if you have recently moved or changed youraddress, please report this to the USTRC office so that we can updateyour USTRC membership information and you will continue toreceive important USTRC news and information. You can also goonline using your USTRC ID number and make changes, addinformation including your email address, for even more ways toreceive current USTRC information.

Gold Plus MembershipAll Gold Plus members, please note that stall

reservations and pre-entries close the Friday beforeeach event.

CORRECTIONWe apologize to Brandon Farrell from Needville, TX and Joe

Mattern of Plantersville, TX, winners of the #12 roping at the SouthTexas Championships held in Katy, Texas on February 12-15.Unfortunately, the photo used in the result story on page 68 of theApril issue of SuperLooper Magazine was incorrect. Congratulationsagain to these two USTRC champion team ropers who won theroping and took home a pair of Trophy Martin saddles, $6,976 incash and USTRC National Shoot-Outs.

10 Announcements:10 ANNOUNCEMENTS 4/13/09 3:20 PM Page 10


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12 / MAY 2009

Okay, I want you, right now, topicture something in yourminds eye. You and yourpartner have just placed 3rd in theAverage of the #10 at the East MagnoliaChampionships. You go to the ropingoffice to get your check. One of our crackUSTRC secretaries there asks your nameand for your USTRC ID card. You hand itover. She/he then, graciously, presentsyou with a check for $1,387. You thankher/him and smile, shake hands withyour partner, fold the check up, put it inyour wallet and head for your truck.STOP RIGHT THERE! I want you to pullyour wallet back out and look at thatcheck again. A question should enteryour mind . . . besides, where the heck isEast Magnolia, how did the USTRC arriveat this figure for my winnings?

I would bet my Slim Whitman recordcollection that very few of you askyourself that question. Because youknew how many teams entered theroping, the amount of money you gotlooked about right. Besides, you neverreally did like Slims singing anyhow.Now, if the figure had not been up toyour expectations, thats when youwould have turned around and asked theroping office personnel just how theycame to that figure. I guess its atestament to how efficiently andhonestly our roping office people workthat this scenario happens veryinfrequently. Rarely do we get any roperasking for an accounting of how his, heror anybody elses check was calculated.But it does happen. And in case it shouldever happen to you, where you haveconcerns about how much you have orhavent been paid, you need to be awarethat it is well within your rights, as aUSTRC member, to ask. Every USTRC

sanctioned roping is an open book. Wehave no secrets and never will. But I willbet Slims collection again that eventhough you have an intrinsic idea of howUSTRC roping payoffs are calculated,you really dont know exactly how itsdone, do you? No shame in that! You aretruly not alone. In fact that is why Imhere . . . to run you by the numbers!

Here is where my title to this columncomes in . . . The Forest for the Trees.Our USTRC roping staff has been doingthese particular calculations for so long,since 1998 to be exact, its becomesecond nature to them. Some of oursecretaries could probably figure aroping payout with their calculator tiedbehind their back. But that doesnt meana roper can. And the USTRC needs tomake you more aware of just how itsdone. We want you to know that how tofigure a payout is all right there in theRule Book, Section 7 to be exact. But Illalso bet (watch out Slim!) that youveread the USTRC Rule Book cover-to-cover as often as youve read every wordof each software licensing agreementyouve seen, too. (Click Agree.). Nothingpersonal, USTRC, but Ive got betterthings to do with my time. Id rather ropethan read about it. But the fault for notunderstanding payouts lies just as muchwith the USTRC. Weve been working inthe trees so long, we have forgottenabout the forest. You ropers and how youunderstand how a payout is figured isthe forest. So I am going to rectify thesituation. I am going to step into thebreach. I am going to try my best tosplain it to you. While it still may be alittle mind numbing, I hope you will tryto stay with me.

Take a look now at our PayoffWorksheet form. It is the form we use to

calculate the payout of nearly everyroping division at every USTRCsanctioned roping. The only exceptionsare the Open and the Gold Plus. Each ofthose have some special circumstancesthat require a few different steps, butbasically what you see here is the heartof the matter. With this form, a USTRCRule Book, and a calculator, you canfigure any ropings payout. It achieveswhat any accounting ledger is meant toachieve . . . the balancing of Money In toMoney Out. Youll notice on the form,four pink colored boxes. These are onlyfour variables you need to know to figurea payout. They are: (1) the number ofteams (2) the entry fee per team (3) thenumber of incentive teams, if any and (4)the number of rotations in the roping, ifany. So, if the roping doesnt haveincentive teams or rotations, I lied, youonly need to two variables, entry feesand team count. OK, lets get started:

Look at the box in the upper left handcorner, Money In Calculations. All themoney collected at a roping goes to oneof three money pools (1) to thecontractor, (2) to the Finals Shoot-OutFund or (3) back to the winning ropersor, as we commonly refer to it, RopersPot. The example roping I have chosenfor illustration is a #10 Format 3 ($160Entry Fee) that had 320 teams. In orderto help you keep track of each of themajor categories of a ropings receipts, Iam going to name them and give each anumber so you can follow where eachcategory pops up on the PayoffWorksheet. 1 Total Money (gross receipts of roping)2 Contractors Shoot-Out contribution(percent that contractor contributes tothe Shoot-Out Fund)3 Ropers Shoot-Out contribution(percent that ropers contribute to theShoot-Out Fund)4 Contractors commission (proceedscontractor uses to put on roping: cattle,prizes, labor, etc.)5 Ropers Pot (money to be paid back towinning teams in the following threecategories:)6 Fast Time money (money paid towinning teams for fast times, aka GoRound Money)7 Incentive (money paid to winningincentive teams)8 Average (money paid to winning teams

USTRC

BY JOHN FINDLAYby theNNUUMMBBEERRSS

The Forest For the Trees

By the Numbers:Layout 1 4/10/09 12:40 PM Page 12


FORMAT 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 PAYOFF WORKSHEET (page 1)2009 UNITED STATES TEAM ROPING CHAMPIONSHIPS

3 2 0Total Number of Teams:$ 1 6 0Multiply Times Fee per Team

MONEY IN CALCULATIONS

Equals Total Money (1)

$51,200Total Money (1)

Equals Contractor's Commission (4)

$ 3 1 , 5 9 0Equals Roper's Pot (5)

PAYOFF CALCULATIONSFast Time -- With Rotations

INCENTIVE PAYOFF

106

12345

$800$640$480$320$160

/

//

//

$400$320$240$160

$80$ 2 , 4 0 0 (7) Total

Per Team/ Per Roper

Incentive Teams1-10 1 place entry fee11-25 1 places 3x entry fee26-50 2 places 5x, 4x entry fee51-75 3 places 5x, 4x, 3x entry76-100 4 places 5x, 4x, 3x, 2x101+ 5 places 5x, 4x, 3x, 2x,1x

*** If there are less than fifty (50)teams entered, and the number ofincentive teams is greater than thenumber of non-incentive teams,the1st place incentive winners willreceive double entry fee and theguaranteed Regional Shootoutpositions and prizes.

AVERAGE$ 3 1 , 5 9 0Roper's Pot (5)

$ 3 , 6 8 0Subtract Fast Time Money (6)Subtract Incentive Payoff (if any) (7)

$ 2 5 , 5 1 0Equals Total Average Payoffor Balance of Ropers Pot (8)

$ 2 , 4 0 0

Total Money (1) 33.3% $ 1 7 , 0 5 0(Subtract)

$ 5 1 , 2 0 0

1.7% ( 2 ) $ 8 7 0

xs 66.7% $ 3 4 , 1 5 0 Total Money (1) $ 5 1 , 2 0 0

(Subtract)$51,200 xs 5.0% $ 2 , 5 6 0

(Contractors Shootout Contribution Rule 7.9)

(Ropers Shootout Contribution Rule 7.9)

$51,200 xs

( 3 )

$51,200 xs

$ 3 , 4 3 0(2) + (3) = Total Shootout MoneyTransfer this figure to the Shootout Report

Pay one fast time each rotation, 3x fee.7

Multiply times total each rotation payoffFormat 1 $900; Format 2 $600;

Format 3 $480; Format 4 & 5 $360= Rotation Fast Time Payoff $ 3 , 3 6 0

Short Round 1 place 2x entry fee

$ 4 8 0

$ 3 2 0$ 3 , 6 8 0Equals Fast time Money (6)

Number of rotations

# of Incentive Teams

East Magnolia ChampionshipsEVENT #10DIV IS ION 3/31/09DATE

MNO

ABCDEFGHIJKL

Per Team Per Roper123456789

101112131415

24%15%12%10%

9%8%7%6%5%4%

$5,546$3,466$2,774$2,312$2,080$1,848$1,618$1,386$1,156

$924$480$480$480$480$480

$2,773$1,733$1,387$1,156$1,040

$924$809$693$578$462$240$240$240$240$240

PAYOFF CALCULATIONS AVERAGE

$ 2 5 , 5 1 0Balance of Ropers Pot (8)Subtract amount of AveragePositions paying back TripleTeam Entry Fees (i.e. # ofpositions x triple entry fee $480)

5# X $480 $ 2 , 4 0 0

$ 2 5 , 5 1 0Total

Total Money (1)

$ 1 6 , 1 8 0

(Rule 7.10)

(Rule 7.10)

(Rule 7.4)

(Rule 7.32)

(Rule 7.32)

$25,510+ AVERAGE (8)

SUMMARY PAYOFF$3,680FAST TIME MONEY (6)$2,400+ INCENTIVE (7)

$31,590= TOTAL PAYOFF (5)$3,430+ SHOOTOUT CONTRIBUTION (2) + (3)

$35,020Sub Total + COMMISSION (4)

= TOTAL MONEY (paid out)$51,200

whichshould equal TOTAL MONEY (paid in) (1)

320# of Teams

$16,180$51,200


14 / MAY 2009

in the Average)Okay, now go back to Money In

Calculations. 320 teams at $160 per teamequals Total Money 1 of $51,200. Fromthat we first take out the ContractorsCommission, which is 33.3% of TotalMoney ($17,050) less the contractorscontribution to the Shoot-Out Fund of1.7% ($870). That equals the total that acontractor has to put on the roping plushis or her profit. We will label this$16,180 (31.6%) as ContractorsCommission 4, the first of our threepools for distributing Money In. Nextwe need to figure Ropers Pot, which isTotal Money 1 times 66.7% ($34,150) lessthe ropers Shoot-Out contribution of 5%($2,560). That equals the Ropers Pot 5 of$31,590 (61.7%). We now have oursecond pool. The third pool is our Shoot-Out Fund, which simply adds togetherthe Contractors Contribution 2 of $870and the Ropers Contribution 3 of $2,560for a total of $3,430 (6.7%). This Shoot-Out Fund pool will ultimately be used foradded money in the Shoot-Outs at theCinch USTRC National Finals. You cankeep tabs of it every month in thismagazine on our Announcements page.Please take a look at those percentages inparenthesis again. If you add the RopersPot percentage (61.7%) to the Shoot-OutFund percentage (6.7%), you get 68.4%.Then, if you add to that the actual cost ofthe great prizes ropers receive out of theContractors Contribution percent,typically 7-9% of the Ropers Pot (Illround that to 8%), youll see that roperswill ultimately receive 76.4% of TotalMoney 1. If we were to assign a retailvalue to the prizes ropers receive, thatpercentage would climb to well over80%. Maybe that will help put ourContractors one-third intoperspective. With whats left, he/she hasto put on a roping and try to make aliving.

Now all thats left to figure is howropers will get their money out of theRopers Pot. Here there are another threepools of money to be tabulated FastTime Money, Incentive Money, andAverage Money. Because we cannotdetermine how much the Average willpay until we subtract out what Fast Timeand Incentive will pay, lets start withFast Time. The Fast Time pool is figuredtwo different ways: one way if there arerotations and another way if there are no

rotations. In this example, we hadrotations so follow along in the PAYOFFCALCULATIONS box at the top right ofthe form where it says, Fast Time - WithRotations. In the Rule Book (Section7.3.2) it tells us that the team with thefastest time in each rotation will receivethree times Entry Fee. Three times ourentry fee is $480. Since there are sevenrotations, seven times $480 is $3,360.Then we must add to that the ShortRound payoff of two times Entry Fee($320). That gives us a total for Fast TimeMoney 6 of $3,680. If there had been norotations, Rule 7.3.1 - Without Rotations(under 151 teams), shows a slightlydifferent calculation. With up to 75teams there would have been one payoutfor fast time of three times Entry Fee orwith 76-150 teams there would havebeen only two fast times, first for threetimes Entry Fee and second for twotimes Entry Fee as long as neither totalpayoff exceeded 10% of Ropers Pot.

Next comes the Incentive Payoffcalculation. Its computation is in themiddle box on the left hand side of theform. The explanation for how theincentive is computed is right there inthe box and lifted, verbatim, right fromthe Rule Book, Section 7.4. Since thereare 106 Incentive Teams in this roping,you can see in the right hand side of theIncentive Payoff box that the Incentivewill pay five places since there are more

than 101 teams. The Incentive will pay5x, 4x, 3x, 2x and 1x entry fee. With thosefigures entered in the left-hand side ofthe box you see that they add up to atotal of $2,400. That, then, is ourIncentive Payoff 7.

Now that we have our Fast Timemoney 6 and our Incentive Payoff 7, wecan determine our Average payoff. Itscomputed at the top of the Average boxin the lower right hand corner of ourform Ropers Pot 5 less Fast TimeMoney 6 less Incentive Payoff 7 equalsTotal Average Payoff 8 or $25,510. But weare not done yet. We dont know howmany places will be paid in the Averageor how much for each place. Tounderstand how this is determined, I amgoing to reproduce the relevant sectionfrom the Rule Book - 7.3.2 GeneralPayout With Rotations (more than 151teams) in the box labeled Average Payoff.

Since this roping had 320 teams, welook to the 301-350 Teams row of thetable. It says we are going to pay 10places in the Average plus five placeswith triple entry fees (11-15) and 10places with double entry fees (16-25).However, the first paragraph of Section 7of the Rule Book, Payouts, reads,Extended payout structure (any payoutin the Average equal to 2X the entry fee)will not be implemented in the #10, #11,#12, #13, # 15 Handicap, and OpenRoping. This being a #10 Roping means

we can disregard the 16-25places-extended double entryfees portion. If this had been a#8 or a #9 roping, then we wouldhave included those places.

Now, before we can determinehow much 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. inthe Average is going to pay, wemust first subtract the triple entryfees that are paid for 11ththrough 15th place. Thatcalculation is in the box in thelower left hand corner. We takethe Ropers Pot of $25,510 less 5times triple entry fees ($480).That equals $2,400 which aftersubtraction leaves $23,310.

Now, we have our final chore to figure the payoff for 1stthrough 10th in the Average. Todo that, we will need to know thecorrect Payoff percentages. Thoseare found in the Rule Book,

5 places; 6-10 place-tripleentry fees; * 11-15 places-extended double entry fees




12 places; * 13-15 place-tripleentry fees; 16-30 places-extended double entry fees

151-200 Teams

201-250 Teams

251-300 Teams

301-350 Teams

401+ Teams

* Extended payout structure (any payout in theAverage equal to 2X the entry fee) only applies inthe #9 and # 8 Pick/Draw Divisions.

Average Payoff: Average payout is based on thenumber of teams entered in the roping.

continued on page 120


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16 / MAY 2009

USTRC

GGOOLLDDPPLLUUSS

by Shawn Vargas

I


Hello Team Ropers,

speak to ropers from all across thecountry on a daily basis, so I feel

safe in saying that for everyoneSpring has finally sprung. With theweather warming up and the daysgetting longer, the roping bug has hit theentire nation. That said, its not acoincidence that the USTRC has twelvesanctioned events scheduled in May -

from California to Mississippi and fromMinnesota to Texas. So, if you haventalready done so, knock the winter hairoff your horse and saddle up. There is alot of roping to be done and you dontwant to miss out.

Good or bad, the lessons we learn askids shape who we become as an adult.Sometimes the lessons are a distant

memory, but we never forget them. Justthe other day I was reminded of animportant lesson that I was taught manyyears ago. I grew up with a group of guysin northeast New Mexico and from thetime we were sixth graders we playedbasketball most of the day and half thenight, close to 300 days a year. It did notmatter how much it snowed we wouldjust shovel off the court and get after it.As the years passed, we would pester thecoach to let us in the gym to the pointwhere he just finally gave us a key. Bythe time we reached junior high, thecompetition between us was fierce, tosay the least. We were not onlycompeting against each other for pride,we were competing for playing time. Thecompetition between us placed a heavyburden on our friendships and if not forthe great influences in our lives thosefriendships would have been injeopardy. We had good coaches inelementary school to teach teamworkand we had great families thatsupported us. Let me tell you, it wasnothing for someone elses parents togather any or all of us up and set usstraight. The most important thing thatthey ever taught us was one simplesaying There is no I in team. This is theone lesson we all lived by and it servedus well on and off of the court.

Recently, while attending a roping, agroup of us were sitting in the standsand overheard a conversation betweentwo guys sitting in front of us. They weretalking about a roper that one of themhad missed for earlier that day. The guywas telling his friend that this headerhad thrown his rope up in the air indisgust when he missed heeling the

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Bubba Sloan and Wesley Glover took advantage oftheir skills at the East Texas Championships. The duoroped four head in 34.96 seconds to win the Gold Plusroping and walk away with $4,036 in cash, TrophyMartin saddles and a Gold Plus National Shoot-Outworth $6,000 in flex earnings.

Tish Luke and Glen Freels, Jr. teamed up in the GoldPlus roping at the Florida Championships. Luke and

Freels roped four head in 37.07 seconds to secure thewin and take home a grand total of $2,422 in cash,

trophy Gist buckles and a Gold Plus National Shoot-Outworth $6,000 in flex earnings.

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18 / MAY 2009

steer and then waited for him at theback of the arena to explain to himeverything he did wrong. As they weretalking the announcer called the headerin question to the box, this time with adifferent partner, and all of usimmediately turned our heads towardsthe chute. We all watched as he went outand turned the steer and, low andbehold, his partner only managed torope the steer by one leg. Again theheader showed his disgust.

Needless to say, we were all botheredby his behavior. Why would anyonewant to rope with a guy that was goingthrow a tantrum every time his partnermessed up? Nobody ropes well enough

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to act like this! My friends werediscussing the situation and they couldnot understand why he would take it sopersonally. This is a team sport and noone misses on purpose. Maybe heshould try calf roping, then he wouldnthave anyone to blame but himself whenthings went wrong.

The strong reaction of the groupmade me realize that the lesson Ilearned as a kid playing basketballstrongly applies to the sport of teamroping as well. When you enter a ropingyou enter as a team. You know that youare relying on someone else for successevery time. When we dont performwell, we cost our self, but even worse,we cost our partner. The last thing weneed for our confidence is for ourpartner to rub it in. So the next timeyour partner doesnt perform to thebest of their ability, ride out of thearena with your dignity still intact.When you catch up to your partner pathim or her on the back and reassurethem that things will be different the

next time. When your friends ask whathappened, think about what you areabout to say because the very next runit could be you that misses.

Its important to always worktogether and be supportive of ourfamilies, friends and roping partners.Together we stand and divided we fall;remember theres no I in TEAM.

We are a quarter of the way throughthe 2009 season and only two monthsaway from the West Coast Regional heldin Paso Robles, CA on June 25-28. TheUSTRC has unveiled a new flex earningsprogram that will be in effect for thisevent. If you have not heard about it yet,there is a lot of information in both lastmonths and this months issues ofSuperLooper Magazine. If there issomething you do not understand aboutthe program and have questions pleasedo not hesitate to call me.

Good Luck to everyone and hope tosee you down the road!

Adios,Shawn Vargas

USTRC

Roping four head in 35.99 seconds, the team of Ryan Frei andMerrill Staheli took home the championship of the Gold Plus

roping at the Colorado River Championships. They earned $2,456in cash, trophy Gist buckles and a Gold Plus National Shoot-Out

worth $6,000 in flex earnings.

The Mississippi and Alabama team of Mike Woolvenand Ed Allen, Jr. met up at the Ag Expo Park inFranklin, Tennessee to win the Gold Plus roping at theTennessee Championships. Their four-head total of35.88 seconds earned them $3,634 in cash, trophyGist buckles and a Gold Plus National Shoot-Outworth $6,000 in flex earnings.

Oregon ropers, John Herkner and DarrelSewell gave it a go at the WashingtonChampionships and after roping four head in38.97 seconds wound up at the top of the leaderboard of the Gold Plus roping. The win earnedthe team $1,072 in cash, trophy Gist bucklesand a Gold Plus National Shoot-Out worth$6,000 in flex earnings.

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GGOOLLDDPPLLUUSS

c o n t i n u e d


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20 / MAY 2009

USTRC

GGOOLLDDPPLLUUSS

c o n t i n u e d

The Colorado team of Marc Banisterand Chris Hogan crossed the borderinto Wyoming to win the Gold Plusroping at the Wyoming SpringChampionships. Their combined timeof 33.67 on four head earned them$3,356 in cash, trophy Gist bucklesand a Gold Plus National Shoot-Outworth $6,000 in flex earnings.

Dan Pearson from Kansas andTodd Reece from Missouri metat the Oklahoma WinterChampionships in Guthrie torope together. The duo ropedfour head in 33.65 seconds towin the Gold Plus roping andtake home $4,642 in cash,trophy Gist buckles and a GoldPlus National Shoot-Out worth$6,000 in flex earnings.

Paul Rush from New Mexico teamed up with hisfriend Gary Gist from California to win the Gold Plusroping at the Northern California Classic. Solid on four

head, their time of 45.05 seconds earned them$1,870 in cash, trophy Gist buckles and a Gold Plus

National Shoot-Out worth $6,000 in flex earnings.

Header, Rusty Plunkett and heeler,Tony Schindler roped solid at the

Northeast Kansas Championships.Their skills earned them the Gold

Plus championship worth $3,002 incash, trophy Gist buckles and a Gold

Plus National Shoot-Out worth$6,000 in flex earnings after roping

four head in 37.37 seconds.PH

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USTRC

championsPPRROOFFIILLEE

Championshipsaddle. He certainlydidnt expect to wina USTRC NationalFinals Championship saddle. More thananything he wanted to rope, have a goodtime and remember all thefundamentals he had focused on in thepractice pen.

Everyone wants to win, of course,Elliot said. But more than anything Ijust wanted to have a good time andremember this roping. I was just glad tobe here and wanted to enjoy the Finals.Elliott and partner, Steve Pinckley, werethe second high back team coming intothe short go round of the #11 Shoot-Out.It was a good place to be and both werea little amazed to be in that position.They had roped well, had a good timedoing so and focused on stayingaggressive and roping smart. I knew we

And Then There Was Oneby Melinda Clements

I

22 / MAY 2009

t was an unusual roping in thatthings were felt and not seen. Deepbeneath the surface a lot of things

were brewing besides just team roping. Itwas a feeling, a premonition of sorts thatpulled you like a moth to a flame. Withjust a little less than four secondsseparating the first and tenth place teamsgoing into the short round of the #11Shoot-Out at the USTRC National Finalsof Team Roping it was a feeling, notobvious, but just that gut instinct thatassured you this roping was different.

As the short round got underway,there was nervousness in the air. All ofthe ropers in the #11 Shoot-Out hadsomething to gain. All of them hadwinning on their minds but more thanthat they hoped for a good time andperhaps rewards beyond description.

Whitehouse, Texas header RossElliott had never won a USTRC

could get em, Pinckley commented.We just really started roping togetherthis year and we practice some whenwe can. I think we both wanted it reallybad but we tried to stay focused andrope smart. The pair did, indeed, ropesmart. They kept their eyes on HerbLogan and Buddy Hawkins, the tenthteam coming back in the short round.That team posted an 8.03 on their shortround steer and suddenly they becamea team to contend with. However,Pinckley and Elliott kept focused andwatched the short round unfold.

There were a lot of thingshappening as we waited to rope, Elliottcommented. We just wanted to dowhat we had been doing all day. Not to

#112008 USTRC National Champions

Ross A. Elliott Steve M. Pinckley

22-23 Champ Profile: CHAMP PROFILE 4/8/09 3:00 PM Page 22

be daunted, they kept one thing inmind; rope smart. When the pair rodeinto the box they knew they needed atime of 9.67 to take the lead. They werethe next to last team to go and morethan anything they wanted it to be right.

I knew in my heart God would makethe call, Elliott contends. We were theinstruments he would use for success.We were already winners in a sense. Ourwives had supported us and given ushope. We owe them a lot. I was a littlenervous but wanted to do all I could togive us a shot.

When the dust cleared the pairposted a time of 8.50 to take the lead inthe Average of the #11 Shoot-Out at theUSTRC National Finals of TeamRoping. As they rode to the back of thearena one team remained. I felt goodabout our roping, Pinckley said. Wehad practiced some. Ninety percent isour horses and our practice and wewere okay in both areas. As thingshappen when the last team in the shortround failed to make a qualified run ittook a minute for the #11 Shoot-Outwin to soak in.

I was nervous and a bit anxious,Elliott said. I knew we could do this andpraise God everything came together.We are so blessed. Our wives and familyare so supportive and it feels awesometo win my first USTRC Championshipsaddle. I still cannot believe all that hashappened. You have to rope one steer

at a time, Pinckley added. So manytimes ropers beat themselves. I was veryconfident that Ross would do his joband that would allow me to do mine.Both Pinckley and Elliott tried to savortheir win in the #11 Shoot-Out. Theyboth knew they had a lot of support.They knew all too well the work andcommitment it took to get to the Finals.Both of our wives are teachers and theyare staying home and taking care ofbusiness while we go rope, Pinckleysaid. They make it all worthwhile andwith that kind of support you can ropeand feel good about it.

Taking the win in the #11 Shoot-Outwas special for both ropers. Knowingwhat they had to do and giving creditto those who helped them get therejust shows the professionalism bothropers possess. Roping is always morethan meets the eye. It takes a lot to getthat winning edge that goes withwinning a roping like the #11 Shoot-Out at the USTRC National Finals ofTeam Roping. It is the feeling andmystery beneath the surface thatbrings winners to the top. For RossElliott and Steve Pinckley therealization that they were thechampions of the # 11 Shoot-Out wasvery humbling. It made them both very proud to realize And Then There Was OneRoss Elliott and Steve Pinckleythe #11 Shoot-OutChampions.


Ross Elliott and Steve Pinckley at the USTRC 2008 National Finals in Oklahoma City.

22-23 Champ Profile: CHAMP PROFILE 4/8/09 3:01 PM Page 23

24 / MAY 2009

QIf I have $3,000 and my partner has$3,000 in Available Earnings can wecombine and use them in any division?

AYes. All Shoot-Outs/Flex Earnings will beconsidered generic, which meansropers will have the flexibility to spendtheir Flex Earnings as they choose(Regional Finals or National Finals), withwhom they choose and in any divisionof their choice. Ropers may also mix andmatch Available Earnings. They may usea portion (increments of $100) ofAvailable Earnings toward a Shoot-Outqualification. For example, if you have$1,800 in Available Earnings and thepartner you want to enter with has $200in Available Earnings you can combineyour $2,000 of Available Earnings toqualify for a Regional Shoot-Out entry.The same holds true for a NationalShoot-Out. If you have $2,500 inAvailable Earnings and the partner youwish to enter with has $3,500 inAvailable Earnings you can combineyour $6,000 of Available Earnings toqualify for a National Shoot-Out entry.

QCan I use my $3,000 Gold PlusMembership Flex Earnings in anydivision?

AYes. Each Gold Plus member will beallocated $3,000 in Flex Earnings to be

USTRC Flex EarningsAnswers to Some Good Questions

USTRC

IINNSSIIDDEERR

The USTRC just unveiled the newFlex Earnings Program last month,and it has been a huge hit witheveryone. This new program is a way forropers to take control and utilize theirUSTRC National and Regional Shoot-Outs to the fullest. Again the USTRC hasput the roper first and is all aboutaccommodating the needs of every teamroper. The USTRC Flex EarningsProgram is also a very innovative way forropers to put their USTRC Shoot-Outs towork for them. It is certainly a win-winsituation for team ropers and for thesport as a whole.

This new face for USTRC Shoot-Outsis something ropers will enjoy, as it willallow them the flexibility and freedom toconduct their team roping business in amanner that fits them. The USTRC willno longer mandate which partner ropershave to rope with and which Shoot-Outthey have to enter. It is now up to theteam roper to choose what works thebest. The Flex Earnings Program worksjust like a bank account, thus ropers canadd to their available earnings as theywin and deduct as they wish.

Because this new program is justthat, something new, there has been anabundance of questions. Many of themhave easy explanations while othersneed more detail. I took the time to sitdown with the USTRC powers that beand get the answers to some questionsfirst hand. So read along with thisQuestion and Answer article and if thequestion that you have is notanswered, then feel free to call theUSTRC at 254-968-0002 and we willanswer your question or address your concern.

QThe partner I won the National Shoot-Out with is not going. Can he release hisFlex Earnings to me so I can have awhole Shoot-Out instead of just the half?

ANo. Flex earnings cannot be transferredto other ropers.

QCan I enter the Regional or NationalShoot-Out twice with the same partner?

AYes, the new program works just like theold and you may enter a Shoot-Out withthe same partner.

QI have Available Earnings from pastyears; can I enter the Regional orNational Shoot-Out even though I havenot attended a USTRC Sanctioned orAffiliate event in 2009?

AIn order to enter a Regional orNational Shoot-Out a roper must bequalified by entering a USTRCSanctioned or Affiliate event duringthe current season. Remember,however, anyone may enter thePreliminary events at the RegionalFinals. You do not have to be qualifiedin any way to compete in thePreliminary events.

24-25 Insider:26 Insider 4/13/09 2:46 PM Page 24


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used in any manner they so choose,Regional Shoot-Out, National Shoot-Outor Gold Plus Shoot-Out. Gold PlusShoot-Outs fall under the sameguidelines as all other Shoot-Outs. TheFlex Earnings may be used to enter aRegional Shoot-Out or National Shoot-Out. Again, its your money, spend it asyou see fit.

QWill my Flex Earnings carry over to nextyear if I do not use them in 2009?

ANo, Flex Earnings earned in 2009 willnot carry over to 2010, only the AppliedEarnings. Flex Earnings, not to beconfused with Applied Earnings, mustbe used in the season they were won.Unused Applied Earnings will continueto be allowed to carry over from seasonto season. Applied Earnings areacquired as a result of placing atapproved Sanctioned or Affiliate eventswhereas Shoot-Outs/Flex Earnings arenot awarded.

Those are just a handful of questionsthat some ropers have asked the USTRC.Really the program is quite simple and ismuch more roper friendly. Flex Earningsare actually a ropers earnings that areallocated as a direct result of winning aRegional or National Shoot-Outposition. Flex Earnings can be used atthe ropers discretion either at theRegional Finals or the National Finalsand with a ropers partner of choice. FlexEarnings do not carry over from seasonto season and therefore expire at the endof each season. The USTRC will allocate$6,000 for a National Shoot-Out - $3,000per partner and $2,000 for a RegionalShoot-Out - $1,000 per partner.

Flex earnings are different from aropers Applied Earnings. AppliedEarnings are a ropers winnings that areacquired as a result of placing atapproved USTRC Sanctioned andAffiliate events. Applied Earnings can be

used at the ropers discretion. Thismoney can be used either atthe Regional Finals or the NationalFinals and with any partner. UnusedApplied Earnings will carry over fromseason to season.

Both Flex Earnings and AppliedEarnings are added together and thattotal is a ropers Available Earnings. Thismoney can be used in $100 incrementsto enter USTRC Regional or NationalShoot-Outs. A roper and his partner cancombine their Available Earningstogether for these entries. It takes a totalof $6,000 in Available Earnings to enter aNational Shoot-Out and $2,000 inAvailable Earnings to enter a RegionalShoot-Out.

It is important for ropers toremember that all Shoot-Outs/FlexEarnings will be considered generic,which means ropers will have theflexibility to spend their Flex Earnings asthey choose. In other words, USTRC willno longer mandate that a roper mustuse their Shoot-Outs/Flex Earnings withthe partner they won with nor will theyhave to use it in the division they won itin. It is now the ropers choice to investtheir Shoot-Out/Flex Earnings as theysee fit.

This new program opens the door formany ropers to compete in events thatthey may not have been able to attendbefore. The Flex Earnings Programallows ropers the flexibility to utilizetheir Shoot-Out qualifications as bestsuits their needs and withoutinterference. The USTRC Flex EarningsProgram is all about the roper and wasdeveloped with the ropers best interestin mind. I hope this has answered someof the questions you may have hadabout the USTRC Flex EarningsProgram. Again, if you still haveuncertainties or something is not quiteclear to you, please feel free to call theUSTRC at 254-968-0002 and we willanswer any questions you have. TheRegional Shoot-Out season is almosthere, so I advise you to use youravailable earnings wisely and I will seeyou at the next USTRC event.

24-25 Insider:26 Insider 4/13/09 2:46 PM Page 25

26 / MAY 2009

Rickey Greenwith

Releasing the Winner In You

Rickey Green WebsiteWith team roping growing at an extraordinary rate across the nation, the need for

information about the event is at an all-time high. Rickey Green Team Roping Schools haslaunched a website aimed at meeting the need for quality instruction and competitive insightfor the beginner to the professional level. Check out www.RickeyGreen.com, your roping library.

because of practice or even focus. That happens whenyou add practice, focus and passion together. Withoutthe passion, you will never find out how good youreally are.

How can I get this passion that can set me apartfrom the others? The only way is to find your reason.

You will never reachyour full potentialsaying, roping is myhobby and, I justdo it for fun. Canyou have fun at itand still win somegreat prizes? Sureyou can, but I saidyour full potential.Lets get real. Dontyou think you wouldlove to win that GoldPlus Shoot-Out atthe USTRC Finals?Well, lets go for it.

How can we doit? Practice with apurpose, try to stayfocused in the

practice pen, rope your cattle in sets of four,imagining you just won the Preliminary. Then ropethe next four like it is for the truck, and keep that

ts amazing how many different ways there are to motivate that winner inside us all. You see

teams like Speed and Rich or Jake and Clay holdthat frame of mind, or belief, or hot streak -

whatever you want to call it - for years. Andthen there are other teams who for a short time winevery big roping they go to, and then, as quickly as itbegan, its gone. Its up to each individual to find thatspark that can put you over the top and let all thatpractice and talent release at the right time and in theright place to do you some good.

How many times do you hear people say, I ropedgreat in the practice pen this week and now I cantcatch anything. Sometimes people will say, I dontknow whats wrong, its like Im out of time with therun or, I cant see the feet. All these things happento every roper from time to time, but how do we get

over the slump and get back in thegroove? What were really trying todo is create that zone where we canfocus and let our subconscioustake over.

Recently my daughter was at ajunior rodeo, and after she ropedher breakaway calf she said, Dad,everything went into slow motion.I think its so cool that she finallygot to that point in her roping. You see, that doesnt happen

Its up to eachindividual to find

that spark that canput you over the top

and let all thatpractice and talentrelease at the right

time and in the rightplace to do you

some good.

26-27 Rickey Green:Project1 4/7/09 11:25 AM Page 26

enthusiasm level up. I never had my runs go into slowmotion in the practice pen. But when I dedicated myself to apurpose in the practice pen, when I got to that event theslow motion was there because the passion showed up toclose the deal.

Some of you arent going to be motivated by prizes ormoney; for some of you fame is the prize youre after. Iveknown many ropers that used fame to fuel their passion. Forsome people, its the love they want. They want to be lovedand admired by people, and in all sports you see this type ofindividual rise to the top in their sport. Some people aremotivated by a need to win the world - they just want to bethe best at what they do, or even be the best in their agegroup or gender group.


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I know all these goals and reasons you use to competecan help you feed your passion and reach your goals.What are some of the reasons I used to win? I won theBFI because I had $32 left to my name. I won the NFRbecause it was a dream of mine from a little boy. I setarena records all over the country because I wanted to beknown as the fastest heeler that ever lived.

I teach ropers all over the country how they can betterthemselves. Without passion theres no way you canenjoy your sport or your life to your maximum potential.

Your Friend, Rickey Green

Romans 8:11

26-27 Rickey Green:Project1 4/7/09 11:27 AM Page 27

Whether Im starting a horsefor roping or any otherdiscipline, I use the samemethods. Bottom line, I always want tobuild a solid foundation on the horsebefore I ever introduce anything specificto a discipline. If the basics arent inplace, the horse is going to be in troubledown the road.

While many Futurity horses arestarted under saddle in the fall of theiryearling year, I prefer to wait until myhorses are actually two years old. Somebloodlines mature earlier than others,but I think those few extra months helpthem mature physically and mentally.

A lot of people underestimate thestress involved in training even wheneverything is done right. These horsesare still babies at two years of age, soyou need to progress step-by-step so thehorse learns gradually and doesnt getconfused or exhausted. I dont like to putextensive physical pressure on a younghorse, but I can build a very solidfoundation and teach the horse a greatdeal without stressing his joints andbones by asking for too much too soon.

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28 / MAY 2009

Starting the Young Rope HorseBy Chris Cox with Cynthia McFarland

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Teach in StepsAny time youre starting a horse, you

must give him time to think and soakso he can learn. This is especially vital inthe early stages of training. You cantcontinue to push new things at himwithout building his skills in steps andgiving him time to accept instruction. Ifyou push him too hard too fast, you loseground, rather than gain it.

I never step up on a colt until Iveprepared him thoroughly with

groundwork. I want him to be focusedon me and yielding his hindquarterseasily in both directions. If hes resistanton the ground, hell be the same withme on his back.

I use a lot of repetition because thisreassures the horse and lets him knowtheres a beginning and an end toeverything I do. For example, in thebeginning Ill put on the saddle and padand then pull them off several timesbefore I ever tighten the girth. Ill alsostep up in the stirrup and then get down

numerous times before Iactually swing a leg overthe horses back.

My training methodsare designed tocontinually give thehorse relief and to buildprogressively on stepshes already learned.This keeps the horsefrom fretting because Iconstantly come back tosomething hescomfortable with,something heunderstands, and therealways is a release ofpressure. Relief frompressure is absolutelycritical to a horsesability to learn and gainconfidence. Once heunderstands that reliefcomes from you, hewill always look to youfor relief.

For the first fewrides, I only have thehorse in a halter andlead. Once I havesoftness and lateralcontrol, I will put thehorse in a snaffle bit. Iused a fixed D-ringsnaffle with a contouredcopper-inlaidmouthpiece Ivedesigned myself.

IntroducingCattle &Roping

I like to have aboutthree to four months ofriding on a young horsebefore introducing him


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30 / MAY 2009

to cattle. He should be soft, responsiveand give laterally through his wholebody. I want to have good control andhandle on him before bringingsomething else into the picture.

Whether Im starting a rope horse ora cutting horse, I work them in a similarfashion in the early stages with cattle. Illstart the horse on the same mechanicalcow I use with a cutting horse so helearns to rate. I want him to learn totrack, stop and turn, and stay parallel tothe cow in these early stages. Then Imove on to tracking and following livecattle and make sure he knows how to

stop, back, turn and really read thecattle. The odds are definitely againstyou if you start trying to rope a steerbefore the horse has learned to rate andread cattle.

Its important for a rope horse tolearn about cattle, as well as to get onhis hocks with his hind end underneathhim. Whether youre going to head orheel, your horse needs to know aboutcattle, how to use his body to stop andturn around, and what leads to usewhen. This doesnt mean he needs to bea cutting horse, but he should be aworking horse that understands cattle,

not just an arena horse. I believe a ropehorse needs to be able to go do a jobfirst before going into the arena. Heneeds to have that foundation before heever has the pressure of the roping box.

For the first roping lessons, I will usea roping mechanical cow to teach thehorse how to get in correct position, usehis body, and be able to pick hisshoulders and his ribcage up.

Before I ever actually rope out of thebox, I will work the horse in the ropingbox. I want him to realize I have controlof him at all times in the box. I get himto where he can turn around, roll backand back up in the box; I want him torealize I can put his body in any positionI want to in the box.

A common mistake I see with ropinghorses is that they go to that roping boxway too quick before the rider really hasgood control and handle on them. Thehorse needs to be more mature mindedbefore he gets into the box and has thatpressure on him. Im a believer thatpeople often take the horse to the ropingarena without preparing him and givinghim experience. That early foundationwork is crucial.

You want to be able to control thehorse thoroughly and have him readingand rating cattle before you ever go torope off him. He must be steering andguiding well; that means he shouldunderstand and be responsive to neckreining because youre going to have arope in one hand and your reins in theother. The horse has to be able to followhis nose when you put that outside reinon his neck. You use your legs, handsand seat to teach the horse to lead withhis nose. I may use my outside leg tohelp bring him through a turn, ifnecessary, but Ill never move on toroping until this steering/guiding lessonis fully learned.

I introduce the rope itself in smallincrements after the first two or threemonths of riding, and only after thehorse is soft and responsive. I also teacha horse how to accept the rope aroundhis legs, under his tail, and around hisrump very early in training. Youll oftensee a horse become over active in theroping arena when a rope gets under histail or around his hindquarters. I like tointroduce this early on so the horselearns to relax rather than overreact.

Even though I myself very seldom

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use a tie-down, they are a commonpresence in the roping arena. I dontbelieve in putting a tie-down on a horsetoo soon. He should be completely soft;I dont want to put him in a tie-down ifhes pushing on my hands at all.

There are certain cases where ahorse does leverage into the tie-downwhen feeling the jerk from the steer,but theres a distinct difference betweenleveraging and fighting against the tie-down. I dont want to use the tie-downas a band aid to cover up a problem.If your early foundation work is donecorrectly, your tie-down will be anenhancement, not a solution.

When I do introduce the tie-down,Ill put it on the horse without a bridleand put him in a round pen so he canlearn to give to it instead of push againstit. I want him to give to it and collect to


orn in Florida and ranch-raisedin Australia, Chris returned to

the United States in 1986 to makea career of working with horses. Years ofworking horseback on the ranch nearQueensland gave Chris a healthy respectfor the horses ability and intelligence,and helped him develop his ownmethods of individualized training.

Active in the cutting horse world asboth a trainer and competitor, Chris hastrained a variety of breeds for differentdisciplines. He also loves to rope, havingbeen into calf roping in the past, and inmore recent years, team roping. Heparticipates in the Reno Invitationaleach year, and beginning in 2009, plans

to host an annual invitational roping athis own ranch. He will also be holdinghorsemanship clinics for team ropersdesigned to prevent and solveproblems with rope horses and to helpriders better maintain the competitionrope horse.

Chris travels the United States,Canada, South America and Australiaappearing at expos, conducting clinicsand horsemanship demonstrations. HisCome Ride the Journey tour takes himto cities across the U.S. each year. Thistwo-time Road to the Horse Championoffers week-long intensivehorsemanship clinics at his DiamondDouble C Ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas,

Up Close with Chris Cox

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it. As I go along, Ill tighten it up a littlemore so the horse supples to it andbreaks at the poll. Ive found its easierto do this when longeing the horse in around pen or small area.

I dont move the horse up from asnaffle to a short-shanked broken curbbit until all the foundation lessons are inplace. He must be completely softthrough his poll and rib cage. Justputting a horse in a stronger bit wontmake him give if he isnt already suppleand yielding in a milder bit.

Any time youre working with ahorse, make sure to end the trainingsession on a good note. Finish when thehorse responds positively and doessomething he knows, and then call it aday. Drilling and drilling on a horse isnot the answer.

My goal is always to gain the horses

respect without taking away his dignity;I want the horse to keep his confidenceand pride. I give him choices and createsituations so that being with me andworking with me become his choice.This helps keep a horse fresh and keepshim thinking. I set up everything so thehorse wants to try his best to please me.

Its very important for a roper to getthe horse to supple to the bit and staybetween his reins and legs, to becompetitive in the roping arena today.Wherever I go, Im amazed at whatpeople can do with a rope today. Thereare a lot of great ropers out there. Whatseparates the great ropers from the restis the fact that they can rope and alsohave good horsemanship skills. If youwant to go to the next level, it has to bedone with your horsemanship, not justyour rope.

and has a regular horsemanshipprogram on RFD-TV.

In 2008, Western Horseman releasedRide the Journey, by Chris Cox withCynthia McFarland, a 225-page, fullcolor book that details Chris practicalmethods and training techniques.Packed with step-by-step exercises andcolor photos, the book will help youimprove your horsemanship skills, nomatter what discipline or breed you ride.

Visit www.chris-cox.com or call ChrisCox Horsemanship Company at 1-888-81-HORSE for information about theRide the Journey book, upcomingcourse dates and appearances,equipment and training DVDs.

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32 / MAY 2009

Over the last twenty years, there havebeen many advances in our diagnosisand treatment of equine athletes withnavicular syndrome. While all breedsand disciplines of horses can be afflictedwith it, the athletic quarter horse isparticularly affected. Twenty or so yearsago, the diagnosis of navicularsyndrome routinely sentenced the horseto either an early retirement or theprecarious life of being nerved. Thenas our understanding has increased,more and more horses with navicular

have continued active working lives. Common treatments in recent years

have included corrective shoeing, anti-inflammatories and joint injections.Shoeing the navicular horse usuallyincludes an egg bar shoe with or withoutwedge and rolling or squaring the toe tospeed up break-over. Oral and injectableanti-inflammatories such as Bute,Banamine and the latest Equioxx havebeen used both on an as needed basisand on a daily basis for pain relief. In thelast 10 years or so, cortico-steroid and

hyaluronic acid injections in the coffinjoint and navicular bursas of affectedhorses became the first line medicaltreatment and provides pain relief thatusually lasts months at a time.

HORSEHEALTH

The Latest in the Battle of Navicular Syndrome

Compliments of Dr Klotz, Legacy Equine Centre

We have two major break thrusin the diagnosis andtreatment of naviculardisease. The first is the now commonlyavailable magnetic resonance imagingfor detail and visualization of footstructures that traditional x-rays andultrasound cannot provide. Second isthe release of a new drug, Tildren, in

Europe that is now in clinical trials herein the United States and is available foruse on clinical cases at a limitednumber of private Equine practicesaround the nation.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)has provided answers to many questionsand dilemmas that Veterinarians havestruggled with over the years. It

New in2009!

answered the question that horses trulycan have pain and disease in navicularbones that x-ray clean. It alsodemonstrated many other conditions ofthe foot that cause lameness that in thepast we could only speculate on or findonly at post-mortem examinations. MRIhas removed many of our best guessdiagnoses and allows us to get a definite

32-33 Horse Health:Layout 1 4/3/09 4:23 PM Page 32

answer much more often to the specificcause of pain that is isolated to the footof horses.

Tildren (tiludronic acid) is the firstdrug to specifically be labeled for thetreatment of navicular disease. Itbelongs to a class of drugs that inhibitbone resorption. Much of the pain andadvancement of navicular disease inaffected horses is from continued lysisand subsequent weakening of the bone.As the bone weakens, trauma to thebone increases through the normalforces of motion. Tildren inhibits thisbone weakening by stopping the cellsresponsible for resorption of bone.Although it is not officially licensed bythe FDA for us here in the USA, it is inclinical trials for official licensing and itis being imported and used legally by alimited number of Veterinarians on acase by case basis. It is administeredeither by intravenous infusion diluted in

the drug. In Europe, it is commonly usedfor horses afflicted with arthritis of thespinal column and bone spavin (hockarthritis). The effects of the treatmentusually reach their peak about 70-90days after the administration and canlast for as much as a year. Tildrens bestsuccess for alleviating lameness occurswhen administered early in the diseaseprocess, and the horse owner needs tounderstand that corrective shoeing andother treatments of the past are stilluseful and necessary to manage manycases and the best course of treatmentshould be decided by the Veterinarianon a case by case basis.

In summary, MRI has givenVeterinarians a new understanding ofnot only what is going on in lamehorses that suffer from Naviculardisease, but also the ability todifferentiate navicular from otherdiseases and injuries of the foot thatcause lameness. Tildren is the first

drug to be specificallydeveloped to attackone of the specificprocesses by whichnavicular diseaseprogresses and cangive the horsesignificant long termpain relief. With theseadvances and manymore of the future,more and moreEquine athletes willbe able to reach theirfull potentials insteadof being sidelined by lameness.


Born in Emporia, KS, Dr Klotz attendedOklahoma State University, received hisBachelor of Science degree in Physiology in1992, and received his Doctorate ofVeterinary Medicine degree in 1996.

Before starting Legacy Equine Centre,he worked nine years for a surgery referralpractice as the staff surgeon. Heperformed many emergency surgeriesincluding colic surgery and Caesarian

sections. He also performed many electivesurgeries including arthroscopy, correctionof angular and flexural limb deformities infoals, and internal fixation of fractures. Heleft that practice to forge ahead in theequine medical and surgical direction ofhis choice. He is now a practitioner andowner of Legacy Equine Medical andSurgical Centre.

Dr Klotzs primary practice interests are

sports medicine, lameness of performancehorses and diagnostic imaging. Hisabilities for producing radiographic andultrasound images are recognized by hispeers for excellence.

Dr Klotz has attended and completedthe ASIF basic and advanced courses infracture repair.

He is an active member of AAEP,AVMA, OVMA, AND ISELP.

About the Author

fluids or by regional perfusion of specificsites. The IV dose is ten times theregional perfusion dose and hence ismore expensive; however, it allows fornot only treating the navicular, but otherareas of the body that may benefit from

32-33 Horse Health:Layout 1 4/3/09 4:23 PM Page 33

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One of the championship rigs sits in the freezingrain outside the Rose Palace.

Masters and CorkillShatter Records

Article and Photos by Doreen Shumpert

the one day record for money earned ata roping, Corkill said.

Surely it is and when the entire prizeline-up is calculated into the mix, grandtotals for each push into the $200,000realm for less than two days worth ofwork. For added perspective, themajority of that comes during Saturdaysthree final rounds, which only took halfa day. Plus, each of the winners alsoplaced with other partners as well onboth days for more dough.

Total earnings werent the onlysmashed record; the top four finishing

teams smoked Saturdays old three-steerrecord of 15.29 (see results).

Announcer Pete Wright (Voice ofRodeo) summed it up best. The youngguns have arrived and taken most of thisover, he said.

This year, 483 teams (56 more thanin 2008) duked it out for over $650,000in cash, great prizes as well as otherincentives like the chance to rope theWayne Wright Lawyer-sponsored redwrap steer. If a round is won on asteer with red horn wraps, the teamwins an extra $10,000 and that amount

Amidst freezing rain, wind andrecord cold at the San AntonioRose Palace in Boerne, Texas,March 13-14, the roping inside couldnthave gotten any hotter. As the unusualweather raged outside (clearing theusually sunny spectator decks andnearly flooding the souvenir stand),2007 PRCA world champion headerChad Masters and NFR-qualifying heelerJade Corkill turned in a sizzling, record-breaking performance during the two-day event. The duo roped Saturdays laststeer in 4.96 seconds to clinch the mostcoveted win in jackpot roping. Theirpayoff included Chevrolet Silveradotricked-out dually trucks, three-horseslant Bruton Easy Pull Strait ExtremeTrailers, buckles, saddles, boots, hats,jackets, leather tooled rope bags andmore. And, that doesnt include the cash,which totaled about $125,493 forMasters and over $152,000 for Corkill.

Several people have told me thats

36 / MAY 2009

George greets team ropin fans at the 27th annualGeorge Strait Team Roping Classic.

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doubles each round that the bountygoes unclaimed.

Due to the weather and mud, rigswere parked up and down the roadssurrounding the Rose Palace. Wet, coldhorses hunkered under blankets thrownover their saddles until it was time forthe long chilly walk to compete in whatstermed a life-changing event for pastand present winners. Meanwhile, thesold-out crowd fired up propaneheaters, wrapped themselves in sleepingbags and frequented the coffee stands tohelp weather the first real moisture inover a year.

Fridays two preliminary, progressiverounds determined the top 50 teams ontwo head, who then returned forSaturdays three-round, non progressiveFinals and the chance to rope for the bigmoney and toys. With the likes of formerworld champs mixed with the newest,hottest young guns, Saturdays thirdround is probably the most excitingroping on the planet to watch. Primeexample: Corkill and partner BrandonBeers were high call with 5.01 seconds toglory. But Corkill and Masters weresecond high call, needing a 5.75 toclinch. How quickly things reversed.Corkill and Beers roped their final steerin 5.43, a steers hair too slow. ThenCorkill and Masters stretched their lastone in 4.96 to secure the win. And, as isso common among the top 10 call backteams in the GSTRC Finals, blink andyoull probably miss a leader change.

Despite the drizzle, Corkill said thebiggest win of his career is one thingthat didnt soak in at the time. TheGSTRC veteran had roped at the Straitfour times previously with no success. Athird high-call blown opportunity (hisheader missed) was the only claim tofame there thus far. Understandably,winning over $200 grand in loot didntregister right away.

When I actually won, nothing wentthrough my mind, he laughed. It wasso overwhelming. I made it back allthree times Saturday, so I think I was sofocused that I was mentally drained. Itdidnt set in until a week after howmuch I had won. Thats a lot of money,he admitted. After the event it was sohard to grasp what happened. Im moreexcited now than I was then becauseIve had time to realize it! It was anamazing day.

Yet again, he was mounted aboardhis trusty sorrel partner Ice Cube, a 12-year-old grade sorrel gelding who isawesome in any venue.

Hes going to be hard to replacesome day, thats all I know, Corkill said.

Typical of GSTRC winners, he cantestify that winning it is life-changing.

This roping has the very best moneyand prizes. You cant win that muchanywhere. The high team at the NFRwins about $90,000 and we haul all yearjust to get to the Finals and win thatmuch. I almost won double that in oneday! he said. Its hard to say enoughabout this roping. After I did well at theNFR last year I bought a house. Now thiswin set me up to buy some rentalhouses and to earn on it for the rest ofmy life.

Not only that, he had a ride home -something he lacked on arrival. BrandonBeers had hauled Corkills horse andwasnt heading back the same way, soCorkill was nervous about finding a ride.Then it clicked that he could just jumpinto his new rig and go.

Co-champ Chad Masters agreed; thiswas by far the biggest one-day paycheckhed ever seen. After roping at everyGSTRC since it moved from Kingsville,Texas to the Rose Palace 10 years ago,Masters had only mustered two eighth-place finishes before hitting the jackpotthis year.

Honestly, Ive roped steers at theFinals (NFR) for a lot of money, and atthe other big ropins, but Ive never hadthat chance anywhere or been that highcall to run a steer for $88,000 or so,Masters said.

The win came aboard his 11-year-oldblack, Dash for Cash bred gelding,Stranger, who got the call over the TwoEyed Jack (Pitzer Ranch) bred baygelding he used at the NFR.

I used Stranger for all 15 steers atthe GSTRC. He just scores a little betterfor that many runs and hes a little betterto reach on, he added.

With his cut of the winnings, Mastersalready paid off half his place and hasntquite decided what to do with the rest ofhis earnings but will probably use themfor associated improvements. As for therig, hes keeping that for more reasonsthan one.

George greets the top 50 teams and sold-out crowd on Saturday morning.


Announcer Pete Wright(Voice of Rodeo)

summed it up best. The young guns

have arrived and taken most

of this over.


Ill probably use it and put more miles on it than anybodyelse has on theirs, he said. And, its good for ya to just lookoutside and see it and to be thankful for having that big of a day.Thats one of the reasons I like keeping it.

Both men send major kudos to the Rose Palace staff,sponsors and of course the Strait family.

Its the best place you could ever rope. When theres thatmany fast times, you know the steers are always good andfresh. Id like to thank all the people that put it on and the guysfrom Cavender, Chevrolet and Bruton. Theyre always so easyto work with, Masters said.

This roping takes the cake by far, Corkill added. As far asI know, they raise the steers, run 1,000 or so teams the first dayand its smooth and professional. I plan to be there every timethey have it. I just want to say thank you because they donthave to put this roping on. They like to rope and like teamropers and Im extremely thankful that they producesomething thats changed my life, he concluded.

38 / MAY 2009

George and Norma Strait

2009 GSTRC Results Friday, March 13 Payout per man

1st Go1. Matt Sherwood / Cory Petska, 4.48, $7,850, RedBluff buckles; 2. A.J.Horton / Kyle Horton, 4.61,$4,710; 3. Cody Heflan / Shawn Kredler, (tie),4.65, $1,570; 4. Chad Masters / Jade Corkill (tie),4.65, $1,570

2nd Go1. Shawn Darnell / Dakota Kirchenschlager, 4.68,$9,425; 2. Jay Adams / Austin Adams, 4.78,$7,065; 3. Jake Barnes / Monty Joe Petska, 4.92,$4,710; 4. Chad Masters / Jade Corkill, 5.01 (tie),$1,178; 5. Derrick Borrego / Trey Stephens, 5.01(tie), $1,178

Fastest time on 21. Chad Masters / Jade Corkill , 9.66, Gist belt buckles

Saturday, March 141st Go1. Chris Lawson / Jett Hillman, 4.48, $1,5002nd Go1. Chad Masters / Jade Corkill, 4.23, $1,500 +$10,000 ($20,000 red wrap steer)

New champs, header Chad Masters (left) and heeler Jade Corkhill (right),receive their loot from producer George Strait.

3rd Go1. Tanner Bryson / Matt Garza, 4.15, $1,500 +$5,000 ($10,000 red wrap steer)

Finals Average Results 3-Head AveragePayout per man1. Chad Masters / Jade Corkill ,14.40, $88,995,Trucks, Trailers, Jackets, Rope Bags, Boots, Hats,

Prizes; 2. Brandon Beers / Jade Corkill, 14.81,$35,600, Saddles; 3. Brady Tryan / MattZancanella, 15.20, $24,475; 4. Chad Masters /Michael Jones, 15.26, $22,250; 5. Clayton Hass /Will Woodfin, 16.91, $17,800; 6. Jake Cooper /Jade Corkill, 16.97, $13,350; 7. Britt Williams /Tom Bill Johnson, 17.16, $11,125; 8. David Motes/ Paul Eaves, 17.41, $ 8,900

2009 GSTRC SPONSORSBruton Easy Pull Trailers Cactus Ropes Cavender Chevrolet Priefert Resistol Wayne Wright Lawyers

HEB Food Stores Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Justin Boots Classic Capital Farm Credit Frost BankUSTRC Wrangler Hill Country Tractor Gist Silversmiths Red Bluff Buckles U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company



After weather-related electricaland scoreboard delays (chieflyon Friday), George welcomed

Saturdays top 50 teams,thanked sponsors and

multiple world championroper Clay OBrien Cooper

opened the event with prayer.

Bits and PiecesOnce again, the GSTRC auctioned

off the custom-painted Priefert chuteafter Saturdays championships. Justlike last year, producer George Straitoutbid the competition, donating themoney to the Justin Cowboy CrisisFund and sent the chute back for asecond round of bidding. The winnersof round two took home the chute andthose proceeds also went to the JustinCowboy Crisis Fund.

Carolyn Travis from Cibolo, Texaswas the grand prize winner of the newCK20s Kioti 22hp tractor package(drawing). George Strait handed overthe keys to Mrs. Travis and she alsohad a special meet and greet withhim after the event.

Seventeen states and three countries(including Mexico and Canada) wererepresented at the 2009 GSTRC.

Strait Up Good RopinProducer George Strait and son, Bubba impressed team roping and fan club

members alike by catchin some horns in tough company as well. George posted times on Friday of 7.35, 6.43 and 8.51 with heelers Cliff Davis,

Frank Montague and Joe Braman. Bubba roped with Kirt Jones and Wayne Folmer,stretching steers in 5.76 and 5.85.

Entertainment betweenSaturdays rounds came courtesyPrieferts Texas Thunder hitchof six black Percherons. DriverJason Goodman demonstratedboth driving and Roman riding skills.

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Team ropers, if you have been wondering if it is time topurchase a new truck to haul you and your horses to events,dont wait any longer - the time to buy is now! The slow economyand declining new car and truck sales have opened up a wholeload of new incentive programs from not only the automakers,but the government as well. Add all of these together and you toowill see that now is the best time to make your purchase.These new incentives are extremely buyer friendly and should

help to boost the economy and help re-build the auto industry,one of the leading industries in the nation. So, not only will youreceive a great deal on a vehicle that you can trust to do the job,but your purchase will help reverse the downward spiral ofvehicle sales across the country.

To begin, every auto maker, including the big three truckmakers, Chrysler, Ford and GM are offering unbelievable dealson new vehicle purchases. Tune into any local radio station orpay attention to the auto sales advertisements on TV and youwill see plenty of incentives to get buyers to head to localdealerships for a new car or truck purchase. Zero-percentfinancing, employee pricing, free gas, tires or warranties for theentire time you own the vehicle are just some of the enticingprograms that are available. The industry is using theseinitiatives to turn around the auto sales market that has fallenover 40 percent compared with this time last year.

General Motors, makers of Chevrolet and GMC, as well asFord recently unveiled other incentive programs designed tooffer insurance to buyers by offering to make car paymentsshould they lose their jobs. GMs program also pr

superlooper-may 09

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