Cinch Cruel Girl Championships
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Thursday October 25, 2012
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Coliseum
By Melinda Clements
They
add a certain caliber of elegance to an already classy and flamboyant sport
known as team roping. The ladies
of the USTRC bring a bit of refinement and flair that is truly appreciated.
This
year’s Cinch Cruel Girl Championships noted something very special. In a sport dominated by young guns and
ropers from a younger generation it was a pleasant and encouraging feeling to
meet Sandy McElreath and Sherry Robinson.
The Cimarron, Kansas duo were delightful, encouraging, and humble in a
delightful way. Perhaps it was their maturity and class that immediately
reached out and grabbed you.
Perhaps it was because they were a little older, more experienced and
certainly appreciative. They were polite, insightful and added true class to a
well deserved win.
The
pair was the high call back team going into the short go round of the Cinch
Cruel Championships. With a total
payout of $55,800 the top twenty teams were coming back to rope in the short go
round. Robinson and McElreath were
focused and had honed in on what they needed to do to take the win in the
average.
“It
was a good roping,” McElreath said. “I try to take the pressure off of myself
by not worrying about what is happening.
I just try to focus on what I have to do and nothing else. Hopefully, I
can handle the cattle and set it up for Sherry to come and do her job.”
“
We have been roping together since the 1970’s,” said Robinson. “We are very
comfortable with each other and we want to have a good time. With my husband
coaching me and Sandy as my partner I knew my practice this morning was going
to pay off.”
The
pair did not watch the short go round.
They remained focused and concentrated on roping one more steer and it
didn’t really matter how things went in the short round. Both ladies knew they just needed to
ride into the box with one steer on their minds and go rope the way they knew
how to rope. Perhaps it was an age
thing, the maturity, the practice or just the fact they were very disciplined
and trusted each other explicitly that made the difference.
The
duo needed a time of 11.22 to take the win in the average of the Cruel Girl roping. The pair rope around home with each
other, with friends in different set ups and conditions.
“We
rope different cattle in different set ups and it makes a big difference in
adjusting to the conditions,” Robinson explained. “My husband and I rope a lot. We have some heated discussions
sometimes and we get pretty pumped and ready to rope. Our practices helped prepare us for this short go round. “
“We
know each other and know what to expect from each other,” McElreath elaborated.
“It is because we spend a lot of time roping at home.”
When
McEreath nodded for the steer there was nothing else to think about or do but
rope and rope she did. Robinson
rolled in behind her and grabbed both heels to take the win with a time of
10.37. The ladies had just printed
the Cinch Cruel Girl Championships to their resume.
“This
is our first USTRC Finals Saddle and I’m very proud,” Robinson said. “I’m riding my husband’s mare and with
his help and his training this morning it all worked out. He was helping me with position, to
pick up on my horse, when to rope and what all to do next.”
“We
came here for the money,” McElreath said with a smile. “And the fact it is
pretty close to home. That is good
reason to come here.” The pair
also won the Incentive, which paid them $1200, and a National Shoot Out
position.
Young
guns and the youth is a wonderful thing but it is so refreshing to find ladies
like Sandy McElreath and Sherry Robinson still spending time in the roping
arena and being representatives of the sport of team roping. They are a class act and a very simple
truth that we can all rope and we can rope for a long time if we so
choose. To have these to ladies as
mentors and guides in the sport is quite refreshing.
