Dear Roper, 

This month kicks off our most intense season of digital coverage of team roping ever. Expect weekly updates on the Resistol Rookie of the Year race, the PRCA circuit races, the Top 15 and the best horses in the game, and we’ll expand that coverage across team roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing and tie-down roping. 

As if that wasn’t work enough, we’ve also begun behind-the-scenes work on each of those websites with an eye toward elevating your online experience and optimizing your ability to find the content you crave. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to poke around and explore the new websites for yourself soon, but we’ll be in touch to let you know when to expect those changes.

In an era not so long ago, though, all of that coverage of rodeo was relegated to the print pages of Spin To Win and Roper Sports News, as well as in the VHS and then DVD purchases from Rodeo Video, filmed by Arizona’s Keith and Reed Flake. In this issue, Gabby Schiavino explores the Flakes’ outsized impact on generations of ropers through Rodeo Video—documenting team roping history one run at a time across the last four decades.

The Rodeo Video story comes as we begin to release hours upon hours of their footage on Roping.com. We’re proud to offer the widest berth of team roping history in one place. We’ll start with the historic Wildfire Open to the Worlds, followed by years and years of Spicer Gripp ropings. You’ll see the most legendary teams of all time go head-to-head in the Mega Matches, starting with Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper dueling it out against Bobby Hurley and Allen Bach. 

Whether you’re on Roping.com or teamropingjournal.com or one of our sister rodeo brands, we hope you find your way to content that makes your life in and out of the arena just a little bit better. That’s what we’re here for, and what we’ve been here for all along. 

Chelsea