#10 Shoot Out
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Saturday October 29, 2016
Navor Levario and Braden Johnson
By Melinda Clements
“Actually,
we just met today,” Navor Levario said about his heeler, Braden Johnson. Was
there a trend starting to reveal itself?
For all the hard work partners put together to rope it suddenly seemed
there was something going on.
Perhaps it was an alignment of stars or fate or maybe it should just be
labeled good fortune. New friends, new partners, and new beginnings were the
ingredients that make team roping fun.
“This
is the first time we met and roped together,” Johnson said. “This roping proved
to be pretty easy since I had a really good heeler.”
Levario
and Johnson were the third high team back going into the short go round of the
#10 Shoot Out. The roping was
unbelievable. First place in the
average would pay $100,000 plus Martin Championship Trophy Saddles, Gist Championship
Gold Buckles, Tony Lama Boots and Western Horseman Classic Collector’s Prints.
Thirty
teams would come back in the short go round and first through fifteenth would
receive a paycheck. With a total
payout of #302,800 it was a roping that was going to grab you and never let go. Each team wanted it all and would work
to make it happen.
“I
was a little nervous and anxious going into the short go,” Johnson said. “I was
so hoping it would all come together.” The fifteen-year-old heeler really
wanted the win but he seemed content with however it worked out. He
had a quiet confident demeanor that was indicative of well learned and well
taught professionalism.
Johnson
started out heading but around about the time he started in fifth grade he
started heeling. He works on
fundamentals in the practice pen and if he, by chance, is headed to a rodeo he
will opt up for snappier, faster runs.
Michael
Nash and Dusty Lout were leading the average with a time of 35.05 on four head
of steers. Levario and Johnson
needed a short nine to move Nash and Lout out of first place. There would be two teams left to rope.
When
Levario caught the horns Johnson was there to wrap up the run. With two heels
he stopped the clock at 8.53. It was enough to take the lead. When the last two teams failed to make
qualified runs Levario and Johnson took a deep breath and embraced the win of
the #10 Shoot Out. It was an
absolutely awesome feeling.
“I
don’t really get nervous anymore,” Levario said with excitement in his
voice. “I just try to go rope and
let the heeler wrap it up. We just
met today and I was looking for a run. I got a really good partner.”
Both
ropers were pretty overwhelmed with the win. $100,000 is a lot of money.
“You
can do a lot of stuff with that kind of money,” Levario said. “I bet I can find
a way to do something.” The saddle today is the first USTRC National Finals
saddle for Levario. It is the
first USTRC saddle ever for Johnson.
He is thinking it will probably go in the living room for a while.
Johnson
figures he will save some of his money. “I think I will save some, buy some
horses and keep roping,” he said with a shy grin.
If
there is a trend it is proving to be a good one. Good partners make for good roping and it makes no
difference how long you have known them or how long you have roped together. Ropers
strive to rope the best they can, be it with a regular partner or a new
partner. In short, ropers love to rope and they rope to win.
