#10 Gold Plus Shoot Out
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Wednesday October 26 2016
Pat Hafenstein and Eric Hoelting
By Melinda Clements
There
is no doubt that $71,000 is a lot of money. Add to that a Case IH Farmall Tractor and a 2016 Ram Diesel
Dually Crew Cab truck and you have the ingredients of an almost perfect team
roping. First through sixth place
would receive Gist Championship Trophy Buckles and the top thirty teams would
advance to the short round. All
thirty teams would get a paycheck.
It was no wonder ropers were fired up and excited about the #10 Gold
Plus Shoot Out at the 2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.
It
was fast paced, hot and competitive roping and every team was on a mission to
win. There was no doubt the short
go round would be exciting and full of anticipation. Everyone was interested in the total payout of
$305,600. It just whets one’s
appetite to be aggressive, rope right and win. It was nothing to scoff at.
When
the twenty-eighth high call team took the lead in the short go round with a
time of 41.4 on four they had not idea how things would unfold. Michael Nash and David Perry roped
their short go steer with a time of 6.92 and took the lead in the average. After that it seemed teams struggled or
fell into a case of nerves.
Regardless, it proved to be a very interesting short go round.
Nash and Perry watched and waited to see how things might turn out. As the fourth high team rode into the box Nash and Perry were still holding onto the lead. Four teams remained.
Nash and Perry watched and waited to see how things might turn out. As the fourth high team rode into the box Nash and Perry were still holding onto the lead. Four teams remained.
Pat
Hafenstein and Eric Hoelting was the fourth high team back. Hoelting is a fierce competitor and he
wasn’t about to let a sleeping dog lie.
The pair rode into the box with one thing on their minds. They wanted
this win in the worst possible way.
Both
ropers were focused and committed.
It was a win/win situation.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with fourth place. It paid $25,400. The pair needed a 12.49 to take the
lead in the average away from Nash and Perry.
“I
wanted to go make a good practice run,” Hafenstein said. “We had a good
steer. It was one of those days
where you slow down to be fast.
You are roping with family and if it is meant to be it will come
together. I just wanted a good solid run.
We were going to win any way it went.”
Hafenstein
and Hoelting posted a time of 8.63 to take the lead in the average with three
teams to rope. Therefore, it
became a waiting game.
“You
don’t wish anyone ill will but I was so hoping our time would hold,” Hoelting
said as he waited to see how things would pan out. “I wanted the win in the
worst way.”
Two teams failed to make qualified runs
and the high team back of Mike Woolven and Glen Kelly posted a time of 12.71 on
their short go round steer but it was not fast enough to move Hafenstein and
Hoelting. They would take the win in the average with a time of 35.33 on four
head.
Both
ropers were ecstatic. They made a
victory lap as USTRC bookkeepers tallied the numbers to see who would win the
truck and who would win the tractor.
Hoelting turned out to be the High Money Winner, having earned $36,000,
and he would take the truck.
Hoelting beat Hafenstein by $500 due to a fast time in Rotation so there
was no need for a rope off.
Hafenstein
and Hoelting have a long history in team roping. They are like extended family.
“Eric
bought his first horse from me at least fifteen or maybe sixteen years ago,”
Hafenstein explained. “There is just a huge family involved when you rope. I’m
so thankful for that family and my wife, Sandy, is such a huge support to
me. I knew being the fourth high
team back was a good thing because four is my lucky number. I’m so excited and this win with Eric
means everything.”
“I
was just hoping the cards would fall in our favor,” Hoelting said. “I’m a
fierce competitor and I wanted this roping so bad. To be very honest I don’t
like loosing. I have four boys and
we are all very competitive. I usually rope with my oldest son, Camden, but he
has a football game Friday night and I’ll go home to get him toward the end of
the week.”
Hoelting’s,
ten-year-old son, Dexton, commented that he was very nervous. “I didn’t want my
dad to be nervous. I didn’t want
him to fall apart.” Dexton would
like nothing better than for dad to take him to school in that new truck when
they get home. Both son and dad were elated as they carefully examined the Ram
truck.
The
#10 Gold Plus Shoot Out is a team-roping favorite. With the payout and the prize line it is every roper’s dream
to take part of that kind of action.
Pat Hafenstein and Eric Hoelting will not soon forget one October
evening in 2016 when their team roping family came together to take the huge
win in the #10 Gold Plus Shoot Out.
Couple some awesome team roping with family, prizes and a chunk of change
and you have all the ingredients that come together to change lives. It is no wonder we are all drawn into a
sport like USTRC Team Roping.
