# 8 Shoot
Out
2015 Cinch
USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Sunday
November 1 2015
Rodney
Stansbury and Jason Mouton
You
know team roping is important when you are willing to travel some four plus
hours to practice. Those practice
sessions have to mean something.
They have to have purpose.
You don’t travel that far if they don’t count or have a reason.
“I
travel to my partner’s house to practice,” Texas header, Rodney Stansbury said.
“We never practice rodeo runs or jackpot runs. We always slow everything down to get it right and make it a
habit. It is a pretty good haul to Scott, Louisiana from my house.”
Stansbury
and Louisiana partner, Jason Mouton, have been roping together for about seven
years.
“We
practice together when we have a big roping to go to,” Mouton elaborated.
“Rodney comes to my house from where he lives in Santa Fe, Texas. We make a point to have good solid
practice runs.”
Stansbury
and Mouton was the high call back team going into the short go round of the #8
Shoot Out. Nineteen teams came
back in the short go in hopes of putting $44,000 in their pockets. Add to the money each team member would
also take home Martin Championship Trophy Saddles, Gist Championship Gold
Buckles, Tony Lama Full Quill Ostrich Boots and Western Horseman Collector’s
Prints. How do you wrap your mind
around that? It was unbelievable. No wonder pressure going into the short round
was mind-boggling. It is no wonder
nerves were an issue.
When
the third high team back in the short go round, Carlos Estrada and Jessey
Osborn, took the lead in the average with a time of 46.62 there were two teams
left to rope. The second high team
failed to make a qualified run and suddenly pressure shifted gears. Stansbury and Mouton had to be solid
and go do what they had practiced so many hours to do.
The
pair had plenty of time. They
needed an 18.93 to take the lead and win the average. There was no hurry, no rush. It was, indeed, just another
solid good practice run. However,
pressure filled the air in the coliseum like a heavy curtain.
“I
wanted a good solid practice run,” Mouton said. “You practice, you haul, and
you work hard and hope it all comes together. We had roped aggressive. We had practiced this run for
months. I didn’t want to lose that
edge.”
“We
practice for all the big ropings,” Stansbury repeated. “We are good partners
and we rope well together. We know
where we are going and what we are thinking, so to speak.”
As
the pair rode into the box the championship was theirs to take. Stansbury nodded and caught the
horns. Mouton rode to position and
carefully tracked the steer to set up a good throw. The crowd roared with approval even before the announcer stated
the time. The clock read 9.62. It
was an awesome run. It was more
than enough to give Stansbury and Mouton the win in the average of the #8 Shoot
Out. What an awesome way to wrap
up ten days at the 2015 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping. It was phenomenal.
“Jason
was a draw partner for me one time,” Stansbury said. “It has worked to be a
great partnership for both of us and we have been roping ever since.”
“I
wanted to stay upbeat and aggressive,” Mouton said. “We practice hard for each
big roping and this is about as big as it gets. We practice to win and we try to rope to win.” A 9.62 on their short go round steer
speaks for itself.
“I
have a great mare that I head on and we have learned to rope together,”
Stansbury said. “Our practice has certainly made a big difference. It is worth
traveling to his house to get in the practice pen.”
“I’ll
just tell you,” Mouton said. “Right now I’m on top of the world. It just does not get any better than
winning this roping right now.”
“Rodney
and Jason won a saddle together about three years ago,” said Melissa Mouton,
Jason’s wife. “They have been roping ever since. Everyday he’s in the roping
pen and Rodney comes to practice.
It is a good haul to our house and they both take it all very
seriously.”
There
is no doubt that Stansbury and Mouton take all they do very seriously. $44,000 and an awesome prize line is
proof enough and it certainly speaks for itself.
Both
men will continue to rope together.
They will continue to practice and work hard. Neither of them will ever forget the last day in Oklahoma
City when they put it all on the line and took the win of the #8 Shoot Out. As
Mouton said, “It doesn’t get any better than this!”
