# 8 Shoot Out
2013 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Sunday Nov 3, 2013
By Melinda Clements
The air was laced with excitement. The tension hung like a ribbon of hot
metal in the rafters and beams of the Oklahoma State Fair grounds arena. People were restless and paced the
walkways as if waiting for some kind of explosion or happening. They couldn’t put their fingers on it
but it infiltrated their being and it was like the quiet before the storm.
Something
was brewing and it gripped you and put butterflies in your stomach and you
wondered why you felt a bit nauseous and exhilarated at the same time.
What
was simmering on the horizon was the #8 Shoot Out at the 2013 Cinch USTRC
National Finals of Team Roping. It
was the last roping that culminated nine days of the best team roping you have
ever experienced. It had been
awesome and what a better way to wind it up than with the #8 Shoot Out. $40,800
would be paid out to first place in the average along with Martin Championship
Trophy Saddles, beautiful Gist Championship Buckles, Tony Lama Ostrich Print
Boots and Western Horseman Collector’s Prints.
Thirty
teams would come back in the short go round and every team roper in the roping
was looking to create an opportunity for greatness. Every roper would venture out of his comfort zone and put
all he had on the line in hopes of making things happen.
The
audience felt it, the ropers felt it, the horses felt it and it was a force to
contend with. Pressure danced like
lightening strikes and it was anyone’s guess were it would light and do
damage. A lot was on the line and
it was no wonder everyone was antsy and on edge. It was a good feeling but it gnawed at you in hopes that
things would be quickly underway.
As
the roping kicked off thirty teams began the count down that would change lives
in some form or fashion. The
urgency to rope and win was undeniable and every roper felt it whether he
admitted it or not.
As
the announcer’s voice boomed, “Get them tight, get the straight and let’s
rope!” The gates banged, the music blared and horses shifted and danced and
ropers wiped sweaty palms against dusty jeans. It was time for the # 8 Shoot Out Short Round at the 2013
Cinch NFTR in Oklahoma City.
You
have to change gears here just a bit to grasp how far it is from Illinois to
Oklahoma. It is a pretty good haul
to say the least. Luke Maguire and
Tyler Manion were from Illinois.
They had traveled to the Finals with family and friends with the hopes
of having a good time, getting in some fun team roping and just hoping, in
their wildest imagination to make things happen. This would be their first year at the Finals to rope
together. They are both heelers
but swap ends on occasion with no threat or struggle because they both rope
well. Like most kids, at fifteen
years and thirteen years respectively, they are adaptable and fluctuate with
whatever they are dealing with.
They are a good pair and bring out the best in each other when they
rope.
Maguire
and Manion was the fourth high team back going into the short go round. Pressure had taken it toil on the round
and several teams had failed to make qualified runs. The seventh high call team of Pena and Montemayor had taken
the lead in the average with a time of 42.10 when they posted a time of 8.60 on
their short round steer.
Maguire
and Manion needed to be a short ten to take the lead from Eddie Pena and
Gerardo Montemayor. Manion tried
to keep focused on what his dad had said about this being another day at
practice and to just go have fun.
In
fact, his dad’s words kept echoing through his head, “The fourth steer is the
easiest to rope because you’ve already roped three. If you get nervous, look at
each other, smile and just have some fun.” It was sound advice. Easily said but
a lot harder to implement. As the
pair rode into the box they were focused on one steer, one run and making it
fun. When the flagger dropped the
flag a time of 8.03 lit up the digital clock. The screams and sounds of celebration filled the coliseum as
family and friends went nuts and clamored their delight at the successful
run. One thing for sure the boy’s
support team was alive and well.
Now,
began the waiting game with three teams to rope. Now, began the pressure with an urgency to have it over, to
see how things would turn out.
When the top three teams struggled with quirks and bobbles it quickly
became obvious there might actually be a chance at victory the support team in
the stands struggled to contain their excitement. Maguire and Manion, however, had everything in check. They
were assured of at least $15,200 for fourth place. What kid can argue with
that!
When
the last three teams failed in their efforts to move Maguire and Manion
everyone wrestled to catch their breath at the Oklahoma State Fair Grounds. The
2013 NFTR had closed out with a bang.
What an awesome way to end the Finals! Maguire and Manion would take the
win in the #8 Shoot Out.
“This
is our first year to rope together at the USTRC Finals,” Maguire said, “I’m
usually a heeler but we swapped ends. I like heeling better but this is fun and
we’ll probably do it again.”
“This
is my first year to come and rope,” Manion elaborated. “My dad has roped here
before but this is the first for Luke and me. My dad helps me practice and
hauls me every where we go.” The
pair jackpot at home and Maguire does some high school rodeos.
As
the pair posed for pictures and walked through interviews it was an
unbelievable win. Phones buzzed,
tears flowed and emotions were high and exhilarated.
Manion
was ok, a little numb maybe, until his dad bear hugged him with tears flowing
down his cheeks and then he couldn’t keep things in check in more. He let the tears flow as well.
“I
think we will come back next year,” Maguire promised. “We roped really well
today and it is fun.”
There
were twenty-four belt buckles awarded in the # 8 Shoot Out. The prize line was phenomenal and the
win for Maguire and Manion was life changing. As the 2013 NFTR shut the doors on another year it quickly
became obvious this year had made some marked differences in some lives. Team roping does that. You can’t run from it. You can quit for awhile but it always
draws you back and captivates who and what you are. You can’t help but love it and the addiction is hard to
fight.
Maguire
and Manion are only beginning their journey. They are on the road to a lifetime of roping if they so
choose. One thing is for certain they will never ever forget the #8 Shoot Out
at the 2013 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.
