#15
Preliminary
2015
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Saturday
October 24 2015
Casey
Tew and Garrett Jess
Invariably, the first time is the best
time and, by far, the most memorable.
The Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping has a history of changing
lives. It is known for making memories
and creating relationships. It starts
fast, ends fast and lives inside you for a long time.
When the #15 Preliminary kicked off on
a Saturday afternoon in October there was a lot of things on the line. It was going to be a history making event.
It is a little off the wall for
whatever reason for two team ropers, one from Texas and one from the state of
Washington to pair up and rope at a National Finals event. However, it may also be like an alignment of
the stars or a full moon that things will come together and work like they do.
Such was the case with Texas header, Casey Tew, and Washington heeler, Garrett
Jess.
“Just today!” Tew said. “Our first
time to rope together. I had watched the
guy rope and thought I’d like to rope with him. Little did the pair realize how
it would work out?
Twenty teams were coming back for the
short go round of the #15 Preliminary at the 2015 Cinch USTRC National Finals
of Team Roping. It was a tough set of contenders and they were shooting at
$16,600 and beautiful Martin Championship Trophy Saddles. Undoubtedly, roping together for the first
time can be a phenomenal thing but there is more to the story. And, it just might drop your jaw and show you
that with team roping the possibilities are endless.
The short go round of the #15
Preliminary was a bit haphazard. Make no
mistake the talent and the competition was fierce. However, perhaps nerves, tension or pressure
played a part. Contrary to what they say
about it being “just another run” it is always more than that for any number of
reasons. Don’t ever let anyone tell you a short go round for a little over
$16,000 is just another run.
When Casey Tew and Garrett Jess rode
into the box they were ready to rope.
They were the fifteenth high call back team and they were committed to
each other with a win on their minds. It
seemed out there because they were down on the list and just pleased to have
ended up in the short go round. Little did they realize all that was involved.
The pair needed a 6.55 to take the lead from Ric LeBlanc and Rudy Austin.
It was a case of all or nothing. Tew nodded for the steer and got out perfect. When he turned off Jess roped the heels on
the corner and the pair took the lead in the average. Talk about aggressive. They posted a time of 5.68 almost a full
second faster than what was need for the lead. The only kicker was there were
fourteen more teams to rope. Talk about
a waiting game. Tew and Garrett gave it
little thought. They knew what kind of
ropers the last fourteen teams were.
They had done the best they could do.
That is all anyone can do. There
was absolutely no way their 29.07 would hold with the quantity and quality of
ropers left to rope in the short go round.
Enter into the scenario the wonder and
magic of team roping. In some respects
it is anyone’s game. In some respects it is called Lady Luck with spangles and bling
or maybe magic stars with fairy dust. Call it what you will.
Regardless, it is the sport of team
roping. As Tew and Jess watched and
waited a phenomenal possibility loomed before them.
“I guess I’m glad it fell apart for
our sakes,” Tew said about the pair taking the win of the #15 Preliminary. “I
wanted to treat it like just another run.” Undoubtedly, it was certainly more
than that. Who comes from fifteenth call
back to win that caliber of roping?
“I was just hoping for a good steer,”
Jess said. “I wanted to rope aggressive.” If one watched it was the ultimate
understatement. Jess proved he was
hungry and when he took his heel shot he panty hosed the steer on the
corner. He was like a cat, crouched and
waiting to pounce and strike. His strike
proved deadly. To say it was all or nothing was to say the absolute very least.
It was the first USTRC National Finals
saddles for the pair. They plan to pay
off debt and, of course, keep roping.
It is called the magic of team
roping. First time to rope together, a
win from the fifteenth high call back and some say dreams don’t happen? I’m
pretty sure those who speak such things know nothing about this sport called
team roping.
