2014 Cruel Girl Year End Champion Monday Nov 3 2014 National Finals

2014 Cruel Girl Year End Champion

Barrie Smith

USTRC Cinch National Finals of Team Roping

By Melinda Clements

         You will not find a more upbeat, positive and optimistic lady than Barrie Smith from Stephenville, Texas.  She has been roping for a long time and puts all that she has into every team roping run she makes whether it is in the practice pen or at the big ropings across the country.

         Therefore, it is no surprise that Smith won the USTRC 2014 Cruel Girl Year End Championship Award.  She won $43,291.00 during the year as a competitor and takes home a beautiful custom made Martin Trophy Saddle for her efforts.

         “I didn’t set out to win it,” Smith said. “I just set out to rope well at each roping I went to.  It just seems I got lucky.”

         Smith has had a busy year.  Such ropings as the Reno Rodeo Invitational Ladies Roping, the Windy Ryon Memorial, the Cowboy Capital Classic, the High Plains Regional Finals and the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping were only a few on her agenda. 

         “I’ve always had to work hard at roping,” Smith commented. “You always look for good help and good horses are essential.  There is a lot of competition out there and it takes hard work, lots of time in the practice pen and a lot of time horseback.  Sometimes you want to let it slide or you don’t want to do it and if you go with a bad attitude you don’t accomplish much.”

         Smith just plain loves the lifestyle that roping brings.

         “I love the horses, the people, the roping and the lifestyle we live,” she elaborated. “I love everything about it.”

         Before the Cinch USTRC NFTR Smith’s husband, Brad, set up some instruction time for her with team roper, David Keys.

         “Oh, my gosh,” Smith laughingly commented. “I asked him if I was honestly that bad?” However, it seemed to be quality time and Smith got a lot of input from Key’s help.

         “David told me to get to my position and rope.  He said you know how to do this.  He is so patient and easy to work with.  I gained a lot working with him and I so appreciated his help and input,” Smith explained.

         Smith has a great support system working in her favor as well.

         “I have to say thank you to my family for putting up with me,” Smith said, “and, of course, Fast Back for my ropes.”

         Smith sets a good example for anyone to follow.  Not only is she a strong competitor but also she is a good diplomat for the sport of team roping.  She is easy to visit with and quick to explain.

         “I always work toward winning every roping I go to,” Smith continued. “Of course, we can’t but that doesn’t mean we don’t keep trying. Always look for those who can help you. I’ve always had to work hard and I’m lucky that is pays off. I’m fortunate to always have a lot of help.”

         Smith is an excellent representative of what a Cruel Girl Champions exemplifies.  Her love for what she does shines on her face and echoes in her voice every time she talks about roping. 

         Thank you, Barrie Smith, for what you bring to the sport of team roping.  We are proud to have you as our ambassador and example of what team roping is.  Congratulations on being the 2014 Cruel Girl Year End Champion.

Priefert US Open Tour Champions Monday Nov 3 2014 National Finals

Priefert US Open Tour Champions

Clay Tryan / Header

Travis Graves / Heeler

Year End Champion for 2014

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

October 2014

         The Priefert US Open Tour awards a $10,000 cash bonus to the year end high point Open header and Open heeler each year. During the year the ropers compete for the bonus to be awarded in October during the NFTR held each year in Oklahoma City.

         Clay Tryan is the 2014 Open Tour Champion Header.  Tryan received a bonus check of $10,000 and a beautiful Gist Championship Gold Buckle.

         “This bonus is always a nice incentive and every little bit helps,” Tryan commented. “I appreciate what the USTRC does and what Priefert offers with this bonus. I traveled to try and win it and entered a lot of jackpots.”  Tryan and partner, Jade Corkill, actually won the Priefert US Open at this years 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.

         “I try to make the ropings each year that count toward this award,” he added. “It is a great bonus and the USTRC does a good job. I’ve kind of grown up in this organization and to win it on the 25^th Anniversary is pretty special also.”

         Travis Graves is the 2014 Open Tour Champion Heeler.  Graves received a beautiful Gist Championship Gold Buckle and a check for $10,000.

         “This Tour Bonus win is awesome,” Graves said. “I’m from Oklahoma and coming back here to the USTRC National Finals is always like a reunion of sorts.  I grew up in this organization and it just feels good to come here and win the US Open Tour Heeler Bonus.  I’ve gone to a lot of jackpots and tried to make the ropings that count toward this bonus.  It is always good to come back here and reconnect and this being the 25^th year makes it even more special.”

         Congratulations also go out to this years runners up for the Open Tour Header and Heeler award.  Kelsey Parchman claimed the honor for Reserve Header and Buddy Hawkins the Reserve Heeler.  They each received a $5000 cash bonus and a pair of Gist Gold Spurs.

         The bonuses are a great prize awarded at the end of the year for both the headers and heelers.  It provides a great incentive to rope at the USTRC sanctioned Open events during the year but it also gives the Open ropers an extra cushion for those who head to the Wrangler National Finals in December. 

         Priefert has always been a very avid supporter of the USTRC.  A committed sponsor for more than fourteen years, Priefert is a family owned and operated manufacturing company located in Mount Pleasant, Texas.  They have worked hard to build a reputation of innovation and integrity in the development of products that are specifically designed to fit the roping industry’s needs. 

         Our congratulations to Clay Tryan and Travis Graves for winning the US Open Tour Champion Header and Heeler.

        

          

        

#8 Shoot Out Sunday Nov 2 2014 National Finals

# 8 Shoot Out

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Sunday November 2, 2014

By Melinda Clements

         Cecil Keith came barreling through the door of the prize area.  He hung his rope on the saddle horn of the new Martin Championship Trophy Saddle but was so nervous he couldn’t get his roping glove off.  When his partner, Misa Hernandez, joined him he seemed to calm a bit, regrouped and the pair chatted with each other as they waited to see what happened next.  The conversation seemed to calm them both.

         They were quickly shuffled from place to place and then arrived back with their saddles for more pictures and interviews.  They both nervously held checks and beautiful Gist Championship Gold Buckles in their hands.

         “I called him to see if he had a shoot out,” Hernandez said.  “I asked him if he wanted to rope.  We did and look what happened.  It is our first time and I can’t believe it.”

         Keith and Hernandez were first time partners in the #8 Shoot Out at the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.  Hernandez had asked, who he mistakenly thought was Keith’s grandson, about them roping together.  As it turned out it was neighbor boy and not a grandson but the pair ended up connecting and they headed to Oklahoma City for the NFTR.  It would prove to be a trip neither of them would forget.

         As they visited in the prize area they were suddenly new best friends and partners.  They now have each other’s phone numbers and it seems to be a new relationship and partnership they are hoping will last a long time.

         Keith and Hernandez was the high call back team coming into the short go round.  A lot was at stake and the prize line was a dream come true.  Martin Championship Trophy Saddles, Gist Championship Gold Buckles, Tony Lama Ostrich Boots and Western Horseman Collector’s Prints plus $38,300, all on the table for the winner of the average in the # 8 Shoot Out.

         The ropers needed a time of 11.22 to move the second high call team of Julie and Brendon Asch, who had posted a tie of 10.79 to take the lead in the average with a time of 43.57 on four head of steers.  Keith and Hernandez rode into the box on a mission.

         “I watched the roping,” Keith said. “I almost broke the barrier because the steer started then stalled and I had to pull up.  Fortunately, my horse is athletic and quick.” Keith made his head loop count and Hernandez was there for the heel shot.  It all came together like the pair had hoped and 10.77 was exactly what they needed.  The pair took the win in the #8 Shoot Out with time of 43.11 on four steers.  Wow!  What a feeling!

         “This is my first USTRC Finals roping ever,” Keith said emotionally.  “It’s our very first time to rope together.  I had watched Misa rope but we had never rope together.  He kept trying to contact me through my little neighbor boy, thinking he was my grandson.”

         “We were so lucky to have a good steers,” Hernandez said. “I have an awesome mare that my little boy rides.  I called Cecil about a shoot out run and we roped.  I plan for us to keep roping together.”                 

         “You know the Good Lord just blessed us,” Keith added. “We were supposed to rope together.”

         “I don’t know what to think,” Hernandez elaborated as he lifted his little boy upon the new saddle.

         There are some unique partnerships and unlikely pairings at the USTRC NFTR.  You cannot always predict how the match ups will function or come together.  However, there are a couple of ropers from Texas who are savoring their win in the #8 Shoot Out. It is a pair with some chemistry.  It is a pairing they hope will continue to flourish for a long time.

        

#9 Shoot Out Sunday Nov 2 2014 National Finals

# 9 Shoot Out

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Sunday November 2, 2014

By Melinda Clements

                  You could actually tell by the expressions on their faces that the whole scenario was a bit beyond their grasp.  You could tell nothing had sunk in and it was beyond overwhelming.

         Louisiana team ropers, Logan Stapleton and Tyler McGuffee had just won the #9 Shoot Out at the 2014 USTRC National Finals of Team Roping held in Oklahoma City.

         As they stood for pictures, waited on awards and were scurried from one point to another it was beyond comprehension for the fourteen year old ropers.  How do you define it? How do you understand it? How do you have time to figure it all out?

         The pair had just split $130,000.  They were also awarded Martin Championship Trophy Saddles, Gist Gold Championship Buckles, Tony Lama Ostrich Boots, and Western Horseman Collector’s Prints.  The excitement, the hoopla and the capacity crowd in the prize area left both young men in a daze and a bit numb.

         The pair had been the second high call team going into the short go round.  It had been a fast action, quick paced unbelievable short go round.  Thirty teams had come back to the short go round and each team was a bit greedy and wanted a share of the $532,300 cash purse.  Who wouldn’t want a piece of that kind of action?

         Stapleton and McGuffee knew they had to have an 8.08 or better to take the lead in the average from Texas team ropers, Sage Good and Ty Harris.  The West Texas team had posted a time of 6.77 on their last steer to take the lead in the average with a time of 32.77 on four steers.  Stapleton and McGuffee wanted the money and the win. 

         As McGuffee nodded for the steer he had no thought. He was operating on instinct.  He gathered the horns and Stapleton captured the heels.  The clock read 7.01 with one team to rope.  Tension in the coliseum could be cut with a knife as the last team prepared to rope.  When the high team back failed to make a qualified run everyone in the building took a deep breath.  Stapleton and McGuffee had just won the big bucks.  They were the #9 Shoot Out Champions.

         “It hasn’t really sunk in what has happened,” Stapleton said. “This is about our second or third time to rope together and it just hasn’t sunk in.”

         “I just wanted to catch,” McGuffee said quietly, “You have to practice hard to rope hard and I’m more nervous now, in here, than I was during the roping.”

         “We got together through our dads,” Stapleton said. “We live to far apart to practice but in this roping we just wanted to rope smart.  I don’t know what to do with all this money. I guess save it to rope.”

         “I think I’m going to find another heel horse,” McGuffee said with a questioning look on his face.” 

         The pair talked a little about timing, getting out and facing but it all seemed like small talk as they struggled a bit with the crowds around them, the flashing camera’s, the ringing cell phones and the interviews.

         Tomorrow or next week this all may sink in.  Maybe tonight when they go to bed they will thinking about what went down today, look at how it may change them and wonder if they can stay humble after being tagged up and coming “Young Guns.”

         “It’s exciting,” Stapleton had said.  McGuffee had concurred. 

         One thing is for sure when it has sunk in and things are back to normal the pair will never ever forget a roping in Oklahoma called the #9 Shoot Out. 

#9 Preliminary Saturday Nov 1 2014 National Finals

# 9 Preliminary

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Saturday November 1, 2014

                                                By Melinda Clements

         It was probably a good omen when Louisiana team ropers, Donnie and Bobby Leflett, won the fast time of their rotation on a bonus steer and pocketed a extra $1000. 

         “It definitely got us pumped winning that bonus steer money,” said seventy-three year old, Bobby Leflett, from Bossier City, Louisiana. “This was tough roping so every edge helps you along.”

         The ropers were the high call team going to the short go round of the #9 Preliminary of the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping on a cool crisp Saturday afternoon in Oklahoma City.

         “We’ve had fifty-two years of practice,” Donnie Leflett said with a sly grin. “It’s about time we made the short go round.”

         Thirty-one teams were coming back in the short go round.  First place in the average would pay the winners $26,000 plus beautiful Martin Championship Trophy Saddles.  Every team wanted a piece of the action and it would be a fast paced competitive short go round.

         The Leflett’s watched the short go with a critical eye and saw the lead change three times by the time the seven high teams had roped.

         “There are a lot of kids in this roping,” Donnie Leflett explained. “You can’t cut these kids any slack.  You have to keep hammering away.  You cut these kids some slack and they will beat you every single time.  They rope with no fear.”

         Certainly some wise words from a very experienced roper.  Bobby explained, “The young guns these days rope with no fear, no thought and it gets cutthroat in a hurry. They make you earn it.”

         When the Louisiana ropers rode into the box for their last steer they knew they had to be 12.38 or less to take the lead from Oklahoma ropers, Clark Holder and Shawn Luman.

         “I wanted to set a trap and make it work,” Bobby Leflett said. “We had done all we could do. We had played it out in the practice pen and it becomes more than talk at this point.”

         “I wanted to get out good and get a good start,” Donnie Leflett commented. “We have a lot of years of roping behind us.  We had paid our dues and done our homework in the practice pen and over the years.”

         The last steer was about having fun and getting the job done. 

         “If you aren’t having fun it won’t work,” Donnie Leflett added. The fun was about to begin.

         With the music blaring the ropers were not intimidated by the kids, the music or the pressure.  Everyone needed to sit up and pay attention because business was about to pick up.

         The pair posted a time of 9.64 to take the win in the #9 Preliminary and the house came down in the coliseum.  The older guys had won the roping and the excitement was contagious.  Nearly everyone had been pulling for them.        

         “You know it makes me proud and shows me these kids have some good parents when these kids come up and shake your hand and tell you congratulations,” Bobby Leflett said.  “That shows me some kids with some raising and I’m proud to rope with them. I’m proud of their parents.  We need more kids like them.”  That is so true and means a lot coming from a roper like Bobby Leflett. “I’m glad we won but I’m also glad we roped with some kids that show some raising.”

         As the pair posed for pictures and went through interviews it was amazing to see all the kids surrounding Donnie and Bobby Leflett.  The pair was surrounded by youngsters but the youngsters were, in some strange sort of way, able to see and understand what they had to look forward too.  Team Roping makes an impression and touches lives no matter what age you are.  It is broad spectrum of talent, emotions, hard work and life time rewards.  The #9  Preliminary was in the history books and it was a good one.  It is proof that Team Roping spans lifetimes.

Junior Looper Shoot Out Roping Saturday Nov 1 2014 National Finals

Junior Looper Shoot Out Roping

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Saturday November 1, 2014

By Melinda Clements

          Our kids are like butterflies in the wind.  Some can fly higher than others, but each one flies the best it can.  Why compare one against another? Each one is different. Each one is special and each one is beautiful.

          The arena floor at the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping was covered with kids.  It is our kids that make our lives important.  It is our kids that have the uncanny ability to teach each of us what life if really about.

          Amid the congestion, laughter, voices and activity the floor was being prepared for the Junior Looper Roping.  This was, without a doubt, serious business.  If you think the ropers had been serious throughout the week at the NFTR then you needed to back up because this group were about to attack with the tenacity of bulldogs and not a one of them would quit or back down until they had exhausted all avenues to victory.

          There would be tears, frustration, joy and overwhelming awe as the competition began.  It would be hard to tell who would suffer most, the kids or the parents, but either way it was going to be roping at its absolute best. 

          As the six and under age group prepared to rope it was interesting to note how serious they were.  Their coaches, be it parents, siblings or just best friends wondered if they had prepared enough.  There would be the top six in each age group after some preliminary ropings earlier in the week and the fun part was about to begin.

          Walker Jones, Cactus Cain, Adrian Ramone, Treston Brazile, Maya Francisco and Rance Winters were the competitors in the six and under group.  Now understand, these guys and gals are not very old.  They aren’t really big either.  Maybe, I should reword that.  They are big, mind you, almost grown, like maybe six going on thirty or something but in stature, well, you get it right?

          As the roping progressed it quickly became evident this was a hearty group.  Seventeen feet from the roping dummy is a long way.  When the dirt cleared a winner emerged and she had earned every bit of it.  Roping against all boys, Maya Francisco won the six and under age group at seventeen feet.  To the observer, it was an amazing feat. 

          Maya’s is a first grader and she lives in Arizona.  She has a horse named Henry and she loves heading best of all.  Maya’s favorite team roper is Derrick Begay.  It was hard to read her emotions, however, when they sat her atop her brand new saddle her face beamed.  I think she was excited.

          In the seven to nine year old age group the contestants were; Chance Fleming, Seren Fowler, Rylan Luman, Cutter Wiel, Chanler Ramone and Cutter Cain.  These guys and one girl, Seren, battled it out to fifteen feet.  Cutter Cain took the win. 

          Cutter likes to head and heel.  Trevor Brazile just happens to be his favorite team roper and a big grin crossed his face when Brazile walked up to him and congratulated him.  He has a horse and is in the third grade and lives in Milburn, Oklahoma.  I think he likes his new saddle also.

          When the ten to twelve year olds took the stage it was another group of aggressive young ropers.  The contestants were Reed Richison, Kaden Profili, Colton Allen, Brandon Ben, Justin Morlan and Lane Bitsilly.  These guys can definitely throw some line as the saying goes. 

          Eighteen feet is a long line.  Lane Bitsilly took the win in this age group.  He told announcer, Ben Clements, he was just a little bit nervous.  Lane is eleven years old and lives at Wheatfield, Arizona.  He is a fifth grader and has two horses and their names are Skip and Nicky.  Erich Rogers just happens to be his favorite team roper.

          As the groups gathered for pictures it was pretty obvious the new saddles were a hit.  Along with an array of other prizes and awards the kids seemed a little dazed.  It was fun.  Just being on the arena floor was exciting.

          It is pretty evident that team roping is in good hands.  Our kids love it.  They like the roping, the horses, the hauling and all the fun that goes with team roping.  Let’s keep this promise to them: we want you to be able to rope if that is what you choose to do.  Yep, I’d say team roping is alive and well in our younger generation.

#10 Shoot Out Friday Oct 31 2014 National Finals

#10 Shoot Out

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Friday October 31, 2014

By Melinda Clements

          “You have to believe you can,” the young roper said with a hint of wisdom in his voice. “If you can do it right one time it means you can do it right again.  You just have to believe you can.”  Indeed, words of wisdom from Colorado heeler, Jhett Trenary.

          A Junior in High School, Trenary and partner, Jase Staudt just happened to be the high call back team in the #10 Shoot Out at the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.  Thirty teams were coming to rope in the short go round and competition was fierce.  The win in the average would pay $117,000 plus Martin Championship Trophy Saddles, Tony Lama Ostrich Boots, Gist Championship Buckles and Western Horseman Collector’s Prints.  It was a prize line that would make your head swim.

          It was Staudt’s and Trenary’s first trip to the Finals.

          “I wanted to make sure I got a safe start, got out good and caught so Jhett would have a shot.  I knew he would catch,” Staudt said.

          The pair needed a 10.54 to win the average and they had to trust their instincts.  They knew they could rope the steer and they knew they could win the roping.  They had that kind of confidence in themselves and in each other.

          “My dad told me to have confidence and rope well.  He said even if it goes south just catch and do the best you can and the rest will work out,” Trenary commented. It was good advice for anyone.

          When the pair rode into the box they were focused and on track.  Nothing could stand in their way or deter them from the mission at hand.  When the clock stopped the young guns had a time of 8.21 to win the average on four head of steers.

          “These are our first USTRC Championship saddles,” Staudt said. “We practice hard and stick to fundamentals and basics.” Both guys are in High School and both plan to put their earnings away for college.

          “This is our first time to rope at the Finals,” Trenary said. “I’ve learned to listen to everyone and be open to all anyone can teach you.  It’s important to listen to everyone who is trying to help you.  Everyone sees something different and can give you a different perspective.  I think we all can learn and get better.”

          Staudt and Trenary share a wisdom that belies their ages.  They seem wise and on track.  The pair have some chemistry and their roping is a perfect example of why they did well in the #10 Shoot Out.  Despite the hoopla, the cameras and the crowds the pair maintained a certain level of composure that was surprisingly shocking.  They were well mannered, easy to talk to and as focused as they had ever been in the arena.

          You will hear more from these two Colorado Team Ropers in the days to come.  They are what champions are designed to be. They will improve with age.  Like fine wine they will mellow with age and continue to be a true illustration of what champions are made of.  Their journey has only just begun.

         

#10 Preliminary Friday Oct 31 2014 National Finals

#10 Preliminary

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Friday October 31, 2014

By Melinda Clements

          The label “Young Guns” comes to mind.  The younger ropers are more and more making a mark on the sport of team roping.  They are fearless, aggressive, competitive and an upcoming force to contend with.  They have no reservations about anything.

          You could label Louisiana team ropers, Cody NesSmith and Mason Pitts as “young guns!” The two young men complement each other.  They have a certain chemistry.  Despite living some two hours apart and rarely getting into the practice pen together NesSmith and Pitts are making a difference.  They are subtly changing the playing field.

          The young ropers were the high call back team going into the short go round of the #10 Preliminary at the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.  When you visit with them they seem to exemplify and illustrate a wisdom far beyond their years.  They want to win and are willing to do what it takes and what needs to be done to do exactly that.

          A win in the #10 Preliminary average would pay $26,300 plus Martin Championship Trophy Saddles.  The short go round was faced paced and exiting.  Twenty-nine teams were serious about taking home the money and the saddles.

          When NesSmith and Pitts rode into the box for their final steer the writing was on the wall.  They had to rope their steer in an 8.23 or better to take the lead from the second high team back of Pake Cox and Blake Wheeler.

          “I wanted to catch,” NesSmith said. “I knew Mason would catch if I did my part.”

          Pitts did, indeed, catch.  The pair posted a time of 8.05 on their last steer and brought the #10 Preliminary to a close.  The win in the #10 Preliminary was theirs and theirs alone.

          What a feeling of exhilaration!  As the pair made a victory lap around the arena NesSmith and Pitts were ecstatic.

          “I want to invest part of my winnings in a new horse,” NesSmith said. “I also want to keep roping.”  He figures his cut of $26,300 will allow him to do exactly that.

          Pitts figures he will help his mom and dad make some improvements on their place in Louisiana.

          “That is a lot of money,” NesSmith added.  “We don’t practice together but my practice at home depends on where I’m going to rope next.  I like the label “young guns.” We both want it.  I just hope we can live up to what that title means.”

          At this point in time it isn’t about labels.  It is more about two young men from Louisiana who love to rope.  They rope well together and their labels will come in due time.  They have taken the first steps toward defining who they are and making their own labels.    

#11 Shoot Out Friday Oct 31 2014 National Finals

#11 Shoot Out

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Friday October 31, 2014

By Melinda Clements 

          They say some matches are star aligned.  One may even go so far to say they are matches made in heaven.  Regardless how you label it there seems to be a truck load of chemistry between Cesar Melendez and Cody Falcon.  There is just a certain repoire that you wonder if maybe they finish each other’s sentences.  Maybe one dots the i’s and the other crosses the t’s. 

          The pair started roping together this past summer at a USTRC team roping in San Angelo, Texas.  They decided to attend the Southwest Regional Finals in Clovis, New Mexico and it proved to be a winning combination.  Hitting another gear the pair added the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping to their resume and one has to wonder what the heck comes next.

          Melendez is a Midland, Texas header who works in the oil field.  Team Roping is his hobby.  Let me say that again.  Team Roping is his hobby.  He doesn’t have an arena.  He just ropes with his friends. 

          “This has been a good year for me thanks to God,” Melendez said with emotion. “I won two saddles at Clovis and I rope just to have a good time. This is my first time to the USTRC Finals.”

          Melendez and Falcon came back as high team going into the short go round.  Two and one half seconds separated the first to the tenth team.  It was a fast paced competitive roping and everyone wanted a cut of the action.  $113,600 would be paid the first place team in the average.  Add to that prize line Martin Championship Trophy Saddles, Gist Championship Trophy Buckles, Tony Lama Ostrich Boots and Western Horseman Collector’s Prints and one would quickly realize this was a life changing event.  Things would never be the same for the team that walked away with first place in the #11 Shoot Out.

          This is what you practice for.  This is the reason we rope.  This is where you hope you have set yourself up for success and you hope you can handle the change it will make in your life.

          Thirty teams came to the short round. A total payout of $462,700; if that didn’t take your breath away nothing would.

          “I rope to have a good time,” Melendez said emotionally. “I don’t think too much about it.  Thinking is not a good thing.  If you are thinking too much it gets in the way of how you need to rope.”  That is probably good advice for the best of team ropers. 

          When the pair moved into the box to rope their last steer there was no emotion, no nerves, no worry, no stress; just one more practice run. 

          “I’m a manager in the oil field,” Melendez explained. “This is my hobby.  No matter what happens I will put it in the bank and keep roping.”

          The pair needed a time of 9.12 to take the lead from the fifth high call team of Colton and Jessie Tate.  It was doable and from the observer’s point of view it had to be nerve wrecking but Melendez never missed a beat.  He nodded for the steer, grabbed the horns and Falcon finished it up like it was supposed to be done.  The pair posted a time of 6.83 and the house came down.  Does it get any better than this?  Evidently not. 

          Amid pictures, interviews and shouts of congratulations Melendez was a bit taken aback.

          “I feel like I’m going to cry,” he said.

          Falcon was overwhelmed as well.  “We never practice together,” he said. “We rope well together. Our styles connected and we just have a lot of chemistry.  We started roping in San Angelo this past summer and it has been non-stop ever since.  We rope well together and this is a good place to be and the win is awesome.  I can hardly understand what has just happened.”

          Falcon has some special plans for his money.  He’s thinking he will share with his mom who has supported him and given him the opportunity to rope and do what he loves to do.

          “I have a lot of support with my family,” Falcon said. “This takes a lot of preparation, hard work and you don’t ever quit.  Cesar and I are a good pair.  We have connected and it works really well for us.  We understand each other.”

          Some matches are just meant to be.  Regardless how they happen or why there are just some connections that go above our realm of understanding.  Cesar Melendez and Cody Falcon are one of those star aligned connections.  It doesn’t stop here.  You will hear about this pair again.  It is just a matter of time.

#11 Preliminary Thursday Oct 30 2014 National Finals

#11 Preliminary

2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping

Thursday October 30, 2014

By Melinda Clements

          For a college kid splitting a little over $22,000 is a big deal.  It doesn’t happen on a day to day basis.  Perhaps Pake Cox didn’t really know what to expect but it seemed partner, James Tettenhorst has a good eye for champions so he chose Cox.  Regardless, it was a match that would change everyone involved.  Little did the pair know what a difference a day would make.

          Cox and Tettenhorst were the high team back going into the short go round of the #11 Preliminary at the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.  The pair had never roped together.  Most of the time when Cox goes to Tettenhorsts’ roping Tettenhorst is flagging so they don’t get to rope together.  However, Cox had caught Tettenhorst attention and he was pretty sure he wanted the kid to head for him at the NFTR in Oklahoma City. It was, indeed, a good call.

          Twenty-five teams were coming back in the #11 Preliminary.  Cox and Tettenhorst had roped well all day.  They had been disciplined, focus and on track the entire roping.  Their success was evident as the high call back team going into the short go round.

          “I wasn’t really thinking about the money or the prizes,” Cox said. “I just wanted each steer to be a good solid run.  We had never roped together before but that wasn’t an issue.  I just wanted to rope strong and make every catch count.”

          “Pake comes to a lot our ropings,” Tettenhorst explained. “I knew the kid could rope and I knew we could do well together.”

          The pair needed a time of 8.42 to take lead and move Robbie Walker and Thomas Sinclair out of the number one hole.  Walker and Sinclair had posted a time of 7.73 on their last steer and they had held the average lead with three teams to go.  Cox and Tettenhorst wanted to take that lead.

          When the pair rode into the box tension was tight.  There was no room for error.  Cox was on track, focused and beaded in on the task at hand.  When he nodded fate was tossed to the wind and it was anybody’s ball game.

          When the flag dropped and the clock stopped the digital read 8.30 and Cox and Tettenhorst took a deep breath.  Only .13 seconds separated the first and second place position and Cox and Tettenhorst had nailed down the win.

          “It was a good call asking Pake to come rope,” Tettenhorst said. “Horses, ropes and partners are the number one keys in this sport and I’ve got all three covered.”

          Cox smiled. “We rope in the #11 Shoot Out tomorrow and we are not changing horses or ropes.” You couldn’t help but smile.  The pair so complimented each other.

          It may be a good idea for Tettenhorst to give up flagging and start roping more often with Cox.  It is obvious the pair have some chemistry.  Martin Championship Trophy Saddles and a little over $22,000 isn’t bad for an afternoon of team roping at the Cinch USTRC NFTR.