#10 Preliminary
2013 Cinch USTRC National
Finals of Team Roping
Friday Nov 1 2013
By Melinda Clements
There
is something to be said for the carefree, nonchalant and daring thought process
of youth. Kids don’t see the world as
complicated as adults do and it was very evident in the #10 Preliminary at the
2013 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping that the youth was operating at
a level adults quickly discard and set aside.
Winners
in the average of the #10 were shooting at $25,100 and Martin Championship
Trophy Saddles. Twenty-eight teams were
coming back to rope in the short go round.
With
a wide range of talent and a commitment to win the ropers in the # 10
Preliminary were competitive, hungry and focused on winning. However, Louisiana team ropers Tanner Leflett
and Mason Pitts were roping, competing and just having a good time.
“My
parents asked me if I wanted to rope in Oklahoma City at the Finals and of
course, I did,” Mason Pitts said. “This
is my second year to come here.”
Pitts
is twelve years old. His partner,
Tanner, is sixteen and does High School Rodeo in addition to jackpots and
various USTRC team ropings. Both young
men attend public school but still find the time to get school work out of the
way and rope every chance they get.
“I
try to do all my work at school,” Pitts explained. “That way if I get it all
done I can come home and rope. Practice is important and my family helps me and
they wanted me to come here and rope.”
“This
roping is where all the money is,” Leflett said. “It is fun to rope here.”
Leflett
and Pitts were the third high team back coming into the short go round. They had watched the fourth high team back
rope their short round steer in 8.75 to take the lead in the roping with a time
of 34.06. They also heard the announcer
say the next team needed a time 10.02 to take the lead in the average.
“Sometimes
I get nervous but I just wanted to catch,” Pitts said. “I don’t think I really
had time to be real nervous. Mostly I
just wanted to catch and do well in the short go round.”
When
the pair called for their steer both guys were focused on one more run. They were having a good time and it was fun
being in the short go round. When the
flag dropped the pair posted a time of 9.06. It was enough to move them into
first place in the average.
“We
just kind of had to sweat it out at the back end as we waited for the other two
teams to rope,” Leflett said. “I wasn’t really nervous. I just wanted to see if they were going to
catch their steers and move us.” With no
reservations or worry the pair just kind of “hung out” and waited to see how
things would unfold.
As
it turned out the top two teams coming back in the short go round failed to
make qualified runs so the win for the #1O Preliminary fell into their laps. As
the pair made their victory lap around the arena there was a kind of quizzical
look on their faces like they might not be real sure of all that transpired.
At
sixteen, Leflett does High School Rodeos and he was leaving the next day to
make a couple of rodeos. It was nice to
leave the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping with a little money in his
pocket.
The
pair had not only won a pot of money but both of them would take home their first
USTRC National Finals Saddles.
“I
think I’m going to just put mine in the living room for a few days,” Pitts
said. “I’m glad my parents let me come.
Mom and Dad paid for me to come and they help me all the time. They pay for everything and this money will
help them and help me. I’m glad they wanted to bring me to the Finals.”
When
asked if the pair had a game plan they just kind of shrugged.
“We
were going to have fun roping,” they both agreed.
“I
try to give a good handle for all my heelers,” Leflett said with a certain
maturity. “I try to figure out what my partners need and give them the kind of
handle on the cattle that will help them catch.” The response made me smile. There was just a certain knowledge and
strategy there that revealed a wisdom beyond his age.
“We
just wanted to rope the best we could,” Pitts elaborated. It certainly seemed
they had done exactly that.
From
all appearances the winners of the #10 Preliminary had one thing in mind at the
NFTR Finals and that was to go rope, have a good time and bring home a little
money. No pressure, no reservations just
a daring open honest game of team roping.
It all came together for the pair and it has probably set a goal for
things to come. The pair will always
remember this National Finals and in the years to come will seek to make it
happen again. That is the way with
youth. Nothing is impossible and dreams
always come true!
