Roping in February



I haven’t written an update in awhile.  Things have been a little different here lately.  I have had the opportunity to rope with a few different partners because my partner, Trey Johnson, broke his finger and had to have surgery on it.  We were entered at five rodeos and he doctor released and I drew out of four of them.  I went to San Angelo got a calf roper, Clint Robinson, to heel for me.  He cross fired the first one and then we ended up placing in the second round, then I missed the third one.  I came out of Angelo with about $1,200 which was good.  After San Angelo, I went to Athens Texas for the USTRC roping.  I had a great opportunity there to rope with Patrick Smith and Garret Jess.  Patrick and I made the short round and were 5.5 in the short round, but to long for any money.  We got one point, not necessarily good but it means I’m one point closer to the US Open in Oklahoma City.   I roped at two other ropings and didn’t do well at them.  So, for now, I have not been winning much.  I am hoping I can turn things around here at the start of March.

            March will be a new beginning for me.  I have had a lot of time to practice in February and time to prepare myself for what is to come.  I am heading to Austin Texas right now for the slack in the morning.  I entered there with Ryan Motes.  After the slack tomorrow morning at Austin, I drive straight to Boerne Texas, just outside of San Antonio, for the George Strait Team Roping Classic.  I am roping with Michael Fortenberry, Allen Bach, and Kyle Crick.  I am looking forward to tomorrow, it’s a big day.  I need to do well at Austin and the other rodeos that are coming up.  After this week, Trey gets to start roping again, and we are entered at Huntsville, Nacogdoches, and Graham Texas.  We need to really do good, we have been set back by a few things that hindered us in the winter, but we are really fired up about Trey getting back to roping and then leaving for California for the start of the Spring.

            What I have been working on:

I went to Speed Williams place the other day and got a lesson from him.  He taught me so much and explained a lot to me about what to look for and expect when I go to some rodeos that I have not been to.  I have been trying to make my head loop more precise, speed my rope up and still deliver a smooth loop. Also, I am working on combining my reaching game with good horsemanship.  It’s been great being able to work on all these things for a little more than a month before I leave for California.  I am still maintaining my health and fitness, trying to stay loose and build a little more strength in my legs and upper body for power in my horses and my swing.

My mental game I feel like is getting a lot stronger.  I have been visualizing myself making good runs.  This helps me focus, relax, and not worry about what other people do.  I am very visual and I learn best by watching, so when I watch other ropers its really easy for me to imitate them.  That’s why I tend to watch myself make runs on tape, or visualize myself making those runs before I rope.

I have been reading the Story of King David from 1^st and 2^nd Samuel.  Great Story of a strong leader who we can learn a lot from.

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