#
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.
