Dear Roper,
 

I’ve been in and out of Arizona in the winter for how-to photo shoots, and I’ve got to say—I’m jealous of those of you who get to spend your winter months in the desert each year. As the winds are already swooping over the Rocky Mountains and across the sandy grasslands here on Colorado’s Front Range, I’m pulling blankets and sheets on and off horses every morning and night and saying “See ya in Vegas” to friends who are already planning their departures to Wickenburg and Cave Creek.

Contributing editor Julie Mankin is a veteran of winters in the Grand Canyon State, and on page 88 she tells you everything you need to know about roping and staying there, whether this is your first or 50th trip. Plus, our Competitive Edge section kicks off on page 64 with tips that will sharpen up your roping for the daily jackpots at Rancho Rio or the once-a-month indoor roping club in Alberta.

While winters in Arizona are sure a dream come true, the weather across the Southeast this fall has been more like a nightmare. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma ravaged Texas and Florida, and luckily, cowboys were there to step in to save the day. Wrangler National Finals header Justin Davis (page 64) loaded up his boat and went home to home, pulling people from the flood waters, while World Series of Team Roping header National Champion (page 44) got a-horseback as fast as he could to help save livestock.

Make sure you sit down with a cup of coffee and read about two more remarkable men—Wesley Glover, who is recovering from a double lung transplant, (page 82) and WT Ridings, a Korean War veteran who, at 81, is still winning ropings (page 86).

If you’re reading this in the passenger seat on the way to your winter house in Arizona, I’d like to think this issue will keep you turning pages until you pull into your driveway lined with Saguaro cacti. And as always, if you find something a little prickly or something that really makes your day, let me know.

Chelsea – cshaffer@aimmedia.com