# 13 Preliminary
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Sunday October 21, 2012
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Coliseum
By Melinda Clements
“It
takes time but it is definitely worth it,” commented Cody Jess as he stared at
his first team roping saddle ever. “It takes time, dedication and commitment
but there is no doubt it is worth it.”
Jess
and partner, Brent Ivy, were the seventh high team back coming into the short
go round of the #13 Preliminary at the 2012 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping. Twenty-three teams came back to rope in the short go round. It was a fast moving action packed
short go round that made Jess and Ivy anxious.
Both
young men were sweating a bit by the time they waited for six teams to run
before they finally realized they had won the #13 Preliminary.
“I
was so nervous I’m still sweating,” Ivy said with a grin on his face. “Would
you take our picture so I can post it to Face book? I still can’t believe it.”
The
pair happen to be a couple of young guns that bear watching. Jess, a transplanted Texan from the
state of Washington and Ivy from Amarillo, Texas have a solid philosophy that
works for them.
“I
try to never miss,” Ivy said. “I’ve made this exact run a million times on our
Cowboy Toy! You just have to want it so bad…”
The
pair waited with an air of anticipation, nervous energy and hope.
“I
was just hoping we could pull a good check out of this one,” Jess said with a
bit of relief in his voice. The
pair had posted a time of 6.84 to take the lead in the average. Suddenly, it all became a waiting game
and a count down to the high team back and the final outcome.
“I
was nervous,” Ivy said. “I was so nervous I was sweating and the closer it got
to the end the more nervous I became. I rope and I rope and I try to never miss
but waiting out this short go round had me sweating.”
Watching
the count down of the #13 Preliminary proved to be to their advantage. The
pair’s time of 31.31 in the average would hold and they would reap the rewards
of winning the #13 Preliminary at this year’s Cinch NFTR.
Both
young men feel horsemanship it very important. Jess reiterated one comes to a roping like this for the
money and you need a good horse as part of the bargain. He plans to use his winnings to enter
more big ropings.
“We
had a game plan I guess,” Jess said.
“We kind of BS’ed it all week about winning but the main thing we wanted
was to rope steer by steer. It is
one steer at a time. We mix it up
in the practice pen of rodeo runs and slow runs but we rope one steer at a
time. It just takes time and
dedication. I can tell you all the
time makes it worth it.” Jess has
had the same horse for about two years and they work well together. It is time
well spent.
The
pair split $22,600 and both feel the effort proved that time spent is a
positive thing.
“Horsemanship
is all of it and you have to want it bad,” Ivy commented.
With
an action packed competitive short go round it was no wonder Jess and Ivy were
sweating the outcome. It could
have gone any direction.
Fortunately
for this pair the cards fell in their favor. The young guns cannot be ignored. Pressure or not they roped with nerves of steel. We all wait
for outcomes and knowing the outcome makes the wait worthwhile. Both young men
have new saddles and a chunk of change to show for their time.
