#12 Invitational
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Wednesday October 26 2016
Gabe Trujillo and Jeremy Michaelis
By Melinda Clements
“Oh
my gosh, I’m soaking all this up. I’ve nothing else to do. I cannot believe it.
Just keep it coming,” his excitement and demeanor was contagious. He was like a cricket hoping to escape
the fly swatter. He could not be still and he could not focus. To say Gabe Trujillo was ecstatic was
the ultimate understatement.
Gabe
Trujillo and Jeremy Michaelis had just won the #12 Invitational at the 2016
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping and the true irony was they had
never roped together until today.
They were draw partners. Who
would have thought? Regardless, there was no containing Trujillo and Michaelis
was as overwhelmed and wasn’t really sure how to react.
Trujillo
and Michaelis were the fourth high team back coming in the short go round of
the #12 Invitational. $42,200 was
on the line plus Gist Championship Gold Buckles and Martin Championship Trophy
Saddles. It would make anyone giddy and a bit out of control.
Kyle
Dailey and Junior Myers held the lead in the average with a time of 42.36 on
four head of steers with four teams to go. Trujillo and Michaelis didn’t really have a game plan they
just knew they were close to something big.
“We
just met today,” Trujillo said. “I mean like when we rode in the box. Is that
not crazy? I’ve been here three times before and this is the first time to even
make the short go. I cannot even believe this. I’m about to start water and
chicken so I can lose weight and wear this buckle so everyone can see it.”
The
pair roped their short round steer with a time of 7.44 and held on tight as the
round finished up. Two unqualified
runs and a 10.96 failed to move them out of the lead.
“It
is awesome to win this roping,” Michaelis said. “It is kind of
bittersweet. “My regular partner
cut his thumb really bad yesterday and Trujillo was a draw partner. We actually met when we rode into the
box to rope. My partner from 2011
was out and it surprised me. The USTRC worked it out and Trujillo turned out to
be my draw partner.”
Michaelis
wasn’t really nervous. “The short
go steer is just one more steer.
It is about those three before the short go that matter. I was more
nervous about those other runs.”
Trujillo
seems to struggle a bit as a header. His biggest problem seems to be scoring
and getting out of the barrier. He works on it in the practice pen. Practice and practice some more he
explained. “I rope and practice with John and Sterling English. Can you believe
this? I’m losing some weight so you can see this buckle and I’m setting this
saddle in the living room and I’m going to dinner on this money. I’m going to
keep practicing.”
The
excitement was contagious.
Trujillo was animated and Michaelis seemed a bit awestruck. The pair had a lot to be proud of. It was almost an alignment of the stars
for them to be able to rope together.
One October afternoon a new friendship had blossomed. Team Roping had
paired two distant stars and united them in a heading and heeling box at the
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping. Who knows what will happen next or where it all might
lead? Regardless, it will be
something neither roper will ever forget. Strangers in passing and united in a
way one would never have guessed.
