#12 Preliminary
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Monday October 24 2016
Chet Weitz and Brad Thurman
By Melinda Clements
There
is a lot of talk about the pressure and nerves at a roping like the 2016 Cinch
USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.
There is, after all, a lot on the line. The prizes, the money, the prestige and the esteem involved
in winning a roping of this caliber is hard to imagine or understand until you
have personally experienced it.
Many
ropers come with a plan and others have no plan in mind. They just want to rope to have a good
time and let the chips fall where they may.
“I
try not to focus on pressure or let my nerves get in the way, “ said Llano,
Texas heeler Brad Thurman. “I just figure whatever happens will happen and I
try not to beat myself.”
Chet
Weitz and Thurman were the third high team coming back to the short go round of
the #12 Preliminary at the 2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping. The winners would split
$13,000 and take home Martin Championship Saddles.
“It
is always the three steers before the short go round that are the toughest for
me,” Weitz said. “That is what I struggle with the most. I have to get those
behind me to move forward.”
Evidently,
Weitz had it down pat before he rode into the box for the short round steer.
“It was just one more steer like I had roped all day,” he said.
The
pair needed a time 8.82 to take the lead from Brock Demaree and Levi
Pettigrew. Demaree and Pettigrew
were winning the average with a time of 34.07 on four steers.
“We
have been partners a couple of years,” Weitz said, “and this was just another
steer. We were aiming and thinking
about the Shoot Out for tomorrow.”
When
Weitz nodded for the steer he was cool, calm and collected. By description and definition he had
already accomplished the hard part.
When the clock stopped Weitz and Thurman posted a time of 32.91 on four
steers. It was enough to take the
lead and there were two teams to rope.
Things seemed to work in their favor and when the dust cleared the team
clinched the win in the #12 Preliminary.
“On
every run you try to rope right,” Thurman reiterated. “The best advice I have
is to just go rope right. Pay attention and understand whatever happens just
happens.”
“I
just tried to think about this steer being one more steer,” Weitz said. The
pair would split the money and take home the saddles.
Both
men seemed to be focused on the Shoot Out Ropings coming up the next few days
at the NFTR. The win today had
laid a solid foundation for them to build on.
“It
feels good to win this roping,” Weitz said. “It kind of broke the ice for
things to come.”
The
#12 Preliminary was in the record books and another day wound down at the
NFTR. Weitz and Thurman had
accomplished what they hoped to accomplish. Both men were looking forward to the rest of the week. If today’s #12 Preliminary was an
indicator you could pretty much figure you would be hearing more from this
team. They were on a role and
planning on greater things as the week progressed. This win would provide some padding and assurance. It had
covered their fees so however things transpired the rest of the week the pair
was ready to take it on. The pair
was on the same page. With a wet
appetite for more they had the same thought pattern, “Watch out Shoot Outs here
we come!”
