#10
Preliminary
2014
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Friday
October 31, 2014
By Melinda Clements
The label “Young Guns” comes to
mind. The younger ropers are more and
more making a mark on the sport of team roping.
They are fearless, aggressive, competitive and an upcoming force to
contend with. They have no reservations
about anything.
You could label Louisiana team ropers,
Cody NesSmith and Mason Pitts as “young guns!” The two young men complement
each other. They have a certain
chemistry. Despite living some two hours
apart and rarely getting into the practice pen together NesSmith and Pitts are
making a difference. They are subtly
changing the playing field.
The young ropers were the high call
back team going into the short go round of the #10 Preliminary at the 2014
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.
When you visit with them they seem to exemplify and illustrate a wisdom
far beyond their years. They want to win
and are willing to do what it takes and what needs to be done to do exactly
that.
A win in the #10 Preliminary average
would pay $26,300 plus Martin Championship Trophy Saddles. The short go round was faced paced and
exiting. Twenty-nine teams were serious
about taking home the money and the saddles.
When NesSmith and Pitts rode into the
box for their final steer the writing was on the wall. They had to rope their steer in an 8.23 or
better to take the lead from the second high team back of Pake Cox and Blake
Wheeler.
“I wanted to catch,” NesSmith said. “I
knew Mason would catch if I did my part.”
Pitts did, indeed, catch. The pair posted a time of 8.05 on their last
steer and brought the #10 Preliminary to a close. The win in the #10 Preliminary was theirs and
theirs alone.
What a feeling of exhilaration! As the pair made a victory lap around the
arena NesSmith and Pitts were ecstatic.
“I want to invest part of my winnings
in a new horse,” NesSmith said. “I also want to keep roping.” He figures his cut of $26,300 will allow him
to do exactly that.
Pitts figures he will help his mom and
dad make some improvements on their place in Louisiana.
“That is a lot of money,” NesSmith
added. “We don’t practice together but
my practice at home depends on where I’m going to rope next. I like the label “young guns.” We both want
it. I just hope we can live up to what
that title means.”
At this point in time it isn’t about
labels. It is more about two young men
from Louisiana who love to rope. They
rope well together and their labels will come in due time. They have taken the first steps toward
defining who they are and making their own labels.
