Dear Roper,

When we created The Team Roping Journal, it was to bring you stories exactly like what you’ll find in this very issue. This is quintessential team roping content, and I’m so excited for you to dive in.

We hit a little bit of everything this July—from our Ropers section (pg. 30) that outlines some personalities within the sport at both the recreational and professional levels, to our Competitive Edge department (pg. 48) with instruction from guys like Dustin Egusquiza and Joseph Harrison.

But what am I most excited about? This robust set of feature stories. Associate Editor Gabriella Schiavino sheds serious light on CBD and its uses in team roping (page 78), while Assistant and Digital Editor Kaitlin Gustave breaks down the World Series of Team Roping’s decision to add an Open to its 14th Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale (pg. 84). And you can’t miss Julie Mankin’s breakdown of heeling donkeys, a story that details the lost art of the ass and all of its benefits (pg. 68).

For my part, I got to know Shawn Grant (pg. 72). He might be the greatest rope horse trainer you’ve never heard of (yet). He leads the DT Horses program in Scottsdale, and he’s got some of the most innovative ideas I’ve heard in my decade writing about team roping. Pair that innovation with one of the best breeding programs in the country, and it’s no wonder DT Horses is leading the way in the push to drive the rope horse industry forward.

I really hope you’re reading this magazine as you’re planning your jackpotting schedule for the summer, and that you’ve got a full calendar of good ropings on the agenda.

Enter up, 

Chelsea Shaffer