JR. Looper Shoot Out
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Saturday October 29 2016
By Melinda Clements
Kids!
The arena floor was swarming with kids.
Everywhere you looked there were kids of all sizes, all shapes, all
forms and all focused on one thing.
They were all thinking about roping. They ran here and there some noticing the prizes and others
completely oblivious.
Nervous
parents handled ropes and tried to corral one or two here or there while others
sighed as they realized they had no control at all. As officials set up the
roping area some parents discussed strategy and the kids looked on with serious
faces but were not really worried. They had roped before but they were too
excited to be very nervous. They just wanted to rope and rope some more.
Kids
make me smile. For the most part
they are resilient, strong, and curious.
They roll with the punches, are dramatic and open up with a haven of
questions that boggles the mind.
And yet, they are God’s gift to us. Designed to give us hope and promise.
As
the JR Looper Championships prepared to start there seemed to be a sudden “Yes
in the Mess!” Suddenly, the focus
shifted and everyone’s attention was in the center of the arena. All eyes were on the starting line and
the roping dummy. Suddenly every
kid knew exactly why he or she was here and what they needed to do.
The
JR Looper Championships kicked off with the six and under age group. The six entries consisted of Cooper
Brittain, Ashton Delano, Dalton Dugan, McKail Williams, Cash Gerhardt and Beau
Holmes. It was a serious bunch
that took to the line to rope.
When
the process of elimination was complete Beau Holmes was the determined
winner. He was a live wire and so
excited. He could hardly be still
when USTRC Announcer tried to interview him. Holmes is five years old and in kindergarten. He is from
Bluff, Utah and he has a horse named Peaches. Holmes favorite team roper is Eric Rogers and his big
brother, Colston, taught him to rope.
I’m not sure if he is going to share his new saddle with Colston. Holmes likes to heel best of all and he
was so excited about the six and under age group win that he took off like a
bullet across the arena floor. He
made me smile and I wondered if he was ever still. He was the champion of the six and under age group and he
was quite the roper.
The
seven to nine age group was an interesting group. It consisted of the following
participants: Paden Evans, Grady Langley, Jaxon Hill, Denton Parrish and
Aldrian Ramone.
When
the competition ended Aldrian Ramone was declared the winner. Ramone is nine years old and lives in
New Mexico. He has a horse named
Rusty and according to Aldrian he is a great heel horse. Ramone was comfortable with wherever
the bar was set during the competition and he told the announcer that no one
taught him to rope. He just
already knew how to do it. Eric
Rogers is his favorite team roper and he has a new saddle and several prizes to
show for his efforts. He was
excited and headed to pose for the group picture when the event concluded.
The
last group to compete in the JR Looper Shoot Out was the ten to twelve age
group. There were six finalists in
this particular age group. They
were: Lyvan Gonzalez, Dace Morris, Myles Williams, Hailey Long, Samuel
Francisco and Rylan Lumon. The
competition was fierce and each roper was very serious about what they needed
to do to win the awesome prize line.
When
the event concluded Samuel Francisco was declared the winner. The young man loves to heel and his
Aunt Melanie taught him to rope.
Francisco has mare named Ginger and he loves to ride.
“I
been roping for a long time,” Francisco said. “I think about four years.” He was very excited about winning a
saddle.
When
asked who his favorite team was he grinned with a shy smile and said, “Junior
Nogueira!” He also added, “My aunt heads for me all the time and I want to rope
forever.”
As
the winners gathered for a group picture they could hardly contain their
excitement. They love roping as
much as their adult counterparts.
Perhaps it is contagious.
One thing is for sure. Team
Roping is alive and well across the land.
Team Roping is what we love and if our kids are any indication it is
safe and growing by leaps and bounds.
There
is just something about kids and dirt and horses and ropes and time well spent
and working hard to get it figured out.
There is just something about spending time to grow and get better and
find the discipline it takes to learn to rope and learn to win.
As
the arena cleared I stood back and watched moms and dads, brothers and sisters,
grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles and all other friends and
family members and my heart was full.
“We must become as little children,” the scripture says. They love life, they encourage, they
forgive and they live with a gusto and gladness that we all need to
embellish. Look at your kids and
smile. They are, indeed, God’s
special gift.
