From Wildfire Arena: A quick look under the hood of the 2014 Wildfire Open to the World team roping won’t reveal a big block engine or turbo to boost performance, but it will reveal some major modifications to their roping format? and they are all guaranteed street-legal!
Closer inspection will show that Wildfire has drastically reduced the score for their upcoming event to three feet under! (With roping boxes sixteen feet deep, the score will reside at thirteen.) What has proven to be a “horse race” in the past will now change to a “Texas Gunslingin.” Wildfire Open producer, Billy Pipes, explains, “There is no doubt that during the time of the Open to the World roping in February, the pros are here in Texas for the winter rodeos. They are hauling their rodeo horses and aren’t geared up for a west coast-like jackpot with a long score, so we’ve adjusted our set-up to better accommodate these guys. The times should be much faster and should make for exciting spectating for the fans? especially on the heels of the NFR in December. It should really allow for an exhibition of team roping talent rather than horses.”
Did Wildfire stop with adjusting the score alone? No way, they’ve gone the extra mile to make the interior just as plush. First of all, $50,000 will be added to the first place payout in the six steer average! While the event, takes place on Saturday, February 8th, 2014, ropers can begin entering the preceding night on Friday while they are participating in the Wildfire Sponsor Pro-Am roping. Entry fees will be $600/roper and ropers can enter two times. Each entry will buy them six steers and the roping will be progressive after the second round.
While kicking the tires, you’ll also notice that the Wildfire Open is parked between two other exceptional events that take place over the same weekend. Preceding it on Friday, February 7th is the fifteenth annual Wildfire Ladies roping which displays $25,000 in added money to first in the average while it is followed on Sunday, February 9th by the Wildfire #11 Businessman’s Roping which is a special-fees World Series of Team Roping qualification event that boasts a GUARANTEED payout of $75,000 to first place!
