#12
Gold Plus Shoot Out
2014
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Tuesday
October 28, 2014
By
Melinda Clements
Any way you look at it Team Roping is supposed to be fun. It revolves around challenge but it also
revolves around having a good time doing what you love to do.
In the words of Stephenville, Texas
header, Barrie Smith, “If you lose the fun it doesn’t work very well.”
Smith is all about roping and having a
good time. She is upbeat and
positive. It doesn’t matter if she is in
the practice pen or in a rope off for a 2014 Dodge Truck or IH Tractor Barrie
Smith will always be looking at the bright side. “We just wanted to rope well
and have a good time,” Smith continued.
Smith and Bluff Dale, Texas heeler,
George McQuain were the second high team back going into the short go round of
the #12 Gold Plus Shoot Out at the 2014 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping.
“You just hope it all works out,”
Smith commented. “George and I have such a good time roping together. Whether we practice or rope at the roping we
want it to be fun.”
McQuain concurred, “Barrie is so good
to rope with. She is always upbeat and
positive. She is awesome to rope
with. She keeps me going sometimes.”
The #12 Gold Plus Shoot Out was a fast
paced highly competitive kind of roping. Everyone wanted a piece of the
action. The prize line was unbelievable. Not only was there $57,800 for first place
but the high money winner would take home a 2014 Dodge Ram truck and the second
high money winner would drive away with a Case I-H Tractor. Talk about competitive aggression the #12
Gold Plus Shoot Out was causing a stir.
The top thirty teams were coming back
in the short go round and everyone was focused on making something happen. The
top thirty teams were hungry and they wanted to take a serious stab at this
particular prize line. The #12 Gold Plus
Shoot Out is always a crowd pleaser and to say it is not competitive is totally
off base.
Smith and McQuain knew they needed a
time of 7.88 or better to take the lead from Donnie Leflett and Corey Sparks
who had taken the lead in the average with a time 7.85 on their short round
steer. There would be one team left but
Smith and McQuain were sure about one thing; they would make this one work and
hopefully everything else would fall into place.
When the pair posted a time of 7.60 on
their final steer they were elated and only one team remained. When the high team back legged their steer
Smith and McQuain just took a deep breath.
This journey had been a good one.
The interesting part came as they
prepared for a rope off to see who would take the Dodge Truck and who would
take the Tractor. The pair decided to
rope with each other on an odd/even system to determine the winner of the rope
off.
When the dust cleared and the match
ended the pair rode back up the arena and the fun continued.
“At the end of the match George and I
just kind of looked at each other and asked, “So, who won?” Smith said with a
huge grin. Just glad it was over Smith
and McQuain were taking jabs at each other as the announcer’s explained that
McQuain would take the truck and Smith would take the tractor.
Amid photographers, fans, interviewers
and a conglomeration of sponsors the pair posed with their new rides. Smith in
a lighthearted tone chided the sponsors that her new tractor didn’t even have a
bucket to put her groceries in when she drove it to do her shopping. They assured her they could certainly get her
a bucket for her new tractor.
McQuain was a bit more reserved. In serious moment he talked of a premonition
he’d had earlier, “I guess it was just a passing thought,” he commented. “I
have one bullet left so why not win the truck?”
With a lot of emotion involved it worked out for him. The pair won Gist Championship Gold Buckles,
split $57,800 as well as winning new rides. Not a bad combination for an
afternoon of having fun doing what they love to do.
There is an old saying that if you
find something you love you will never work a day in your life. Seems to certainly be the case with Smith and
McQuain. The pair love team roping and
they make it fun. If you can win and have
fun at the same time who wouldn’t choose to do exactly that?
