#13 Preliminary
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Sunday October 23 2016
Stran Morris and Jessen James
By Melinda Clements
They
are the type of guys who finish each others sentences. There is a certain familiarity about
them that only comes from being united in spirit and camaraderie. At fifteen years of age they are a
prime example of what team roping and the sport will reveal in the coming
years. With a youthfulness and a bond they make the sport tough and
challenging.
Oklahoma
cowboys, Stran Morris and Jessen James, are quiet, focused and deliberate in
all they do. They have been roping
together a long, long time. They
have a comfort zone with each other that defies definition or description.
“We
have been roping together all my life,” Morris said “We know what to do.” He was literally telling the truth.
They
know what to do is an understatement.
The pair just happen to be former Oklahoma High School Champions and are
currently setting second in this years standings.
“Heading
is the worst job of all,” Morris commented. One could not tell if he was
serious or not. “All the pressure is on me.”
James
didn’t rebuke him. With a shy grin
he just let him talk and never offered any insight.
“For
me heeling is no pressure,” James advised when asked. “You just go rope. You just go fast and rope.”
Both
boys are very serious. There is no
joking or teasing. Team Roping is
quite serious when it is your whole life and you are fifteen years old.
Morris
and James were the twelfth high team back coming into the short go round of the
#13 Preliminary at the 2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals Team Roping. The roping had been a good one. It was competitive. It was fun and it
was a challenge. All of those are
things you expect from the sport of team roping. Without voicing it one could tell they were pleased and
still focused on business.
“There
were no nerves involved,” Morris explained. “We had a job to do and we just go
rope.”
When
the pair took the lead as the twelfth high team back they posted a time of
6.12. Little did they know they would hold the lead until the last team. Pressure was prevalent and the short go
round proved to be tough and quite competitive. Fortunately, for Morris and James their lead held and Chet
Weitz and Paden Bray were solid in second place.
The
prize line was awesome. The
winners would split $14,800 and would each receive Martin Championship
Saddles. Morris and James were
elated and a bit reserved. In
fact, it was their grandmother that revealed they were Oklahoma High School
Rodeo Champions.
“We
will be here the rest of the week,” Morris disclosed with a serious voice.
There was no bragging, no joy, no emotions, just matter of fact; this is the
way it is.
“I’m
going to keep roping on my money,” James finished up. “We have everything paid
for now so we go rope with no pressure.”
“With
this win our fees are paid,” Morris collaborated. “I’ve covered all my fees so
we can just rope and not have to worry about it.”
Amazingly,
they had given no thought or worries to being the twelfth high call back team
going into the short go round.
They felt no pressure. Everything they did was second nature,
complimented each other and was a promising ingredient to their success, both
today and in the days to come. Watch
carefully and remember their names.
They are on a mission. The
#13 Preliminary at the 2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping is only
one of many steps.
