#11 Preliminary
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Thursday October 25, 2012
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Coliseum
By Melinda Clements
There
is a certain comfort zone available to us all in knowing others support us,
assure us and believe in us. Fourteen-year-old
Ty Harris knew his heeler, Wesley Thorp, would come in and rope two heels if he
caught for him. His focus was just
on catching in the short go round.
Everything else would be taken care of. Sometimes you just do the best you can and let everything
else work itself out.
Ty
Harris and Wesley Thorp were the tenth place high call back team going into the
short go round of the #11 Preliminary at the Cinch USTRC National Finals of
Team Roping. It was going to be
tough short round. There were a
lot of young guns involved in this roping and every single one of the thirty
teams coming back in the short go round had money on their minds. First place in the average would pay
$22,700.
“We
didn’t want to overanalyze the roping,” both Thorp and Harris agreed. They had roped well all day.
“We
just wanted to focus on catching and making a good run. All week I had concentrated on
catching,” Harris said.
“I
had struggled all week,” Thorp commented. “I had trouble with the mental part
and I had not won much so I just wanted to slow things down and focus on what I
had to do. I guess I just wanted to rope right.”
The
pair took the lead in the average with a short go time of 8.13. It was a good
solid run and the pair was okay with the idea they had done well. They knew first through tenth would
pay.
However,
there seemed to be a bigger plan at work.
It quickly became obvious that pressure, nerves, or even over analysis
was delving into the thoughts and actions of the teams in the short go round of
the # 11 Preliminary.
Incredibly,
team after team began to struggle.
It was a rapture of head games as several teams went out in the short go
round when they failed to make qualified runs.
“We
should have bumped it up,” Harris thought as he watched the short go round
unravel. “By the time the fifth high team back went out I actually thought we
might have a chance at first place.”
“Our
numbers fit together so we roped,” Thorp said. “I didn’t really think we could
win being the tenth team down.”
With
several unqualified runs the pressure finally rested on the high call back team
of Ky and Paden Bray. It was
suddenly an all mental game and it was a precarious place to be. The Bray’s needed an 11.71 to take the
win in the average. The pressure
was all theirs and it was a tedious situation. When the pair posted a 14.27 on their short round steer
realization struck home with full force.
For Harris and Thorp it was hard to understand. Harris and Thorp had
actually come from tenth to first and won the #11 Preliminary at the Cinch
USTRC NFTR. It was overwhelming
and totally unbelievable.
“I
knew first through tenth place paid good.
I didn’t really think about first,” Thorp said. “We didn’t sit down and
plan anything it just sort of worked out.”
“My
family is very supportive,” Harris said. “I don’t know what I would do if I
didn’t have my big brother to rope with me. I knew Wesley would catch and I just wanted to do my part.”
Sometimes
things come together that direct us toward bigger and better things. Sometimes you don’t plan, over analyze
or dictate. You just go do the
best you can and that in and of itself is the first step toward greatness.
