a) STEER

There were so many blacks that looked exactly the same, but it seemed like the smaller ones were a lot better. The littler ones had wanted to go hard left. I wasn’t worried about his speed, but I was worried about him stepping to the left. He stayed pretty straight though.

b) START

I was really too close to the start. I got a lot better start than I wanted to. I was planning on him being a little slower, but I didn’t want to push the start. But it ended up happening. I wasn’t pulling across the line, but I gave it a look down to make sure I didn’t get it. 

c) LOOP

I’ve been roping little horns on the gain like that. You can see right there in the picture I’ve been trying to take the hondo of my rope to the base of the left horn. That’s what I struggle with the most on little horns, roping on the gain and popping it off. I’ve been trying from a coil to a coil and a half back to get my swing tighter on the little horns to keep it sharper so it doesn’t come off that right horn. 

d) HORSE

He’s a 14-year-old gelding Jeff Tebow named “Memphis.” He’s really free. I honestly think that roping on the gain, that helps me. Most people would want him rating right there, but he widens when I’m getting to my spot to keep it tight on the horns. I wave it off if my horse keeps running to the cow. He doesn’t duck, and he stays with me. But he just widens, and it helps me keep it on the horns. 

e) LEFT FOOT

I’m holding my left foot in him to let him know we can widen a little bit, but I don’t want to open the door too much to let him get completely away from me. 

f) SLACK

I’ve been trying to pull my slack down by my side more instead of up and out. That keeps it locked down on the horns.

g) LEFT HAND

Right there, that looks like it’s the frame before I cross over to hold my horse up. I want to keep the steer easy and following my horse around the corner. The next stride from this picture, I’ll have them crossed over. I’m not big on pulling on him when I throw—I finish with both hands, so my reins are pretty loose here. 

h) TYSON THOMPSON

We drew pretty good all day long, and at a roping like that, where there’s a lot of left and if they get off to the right you’re in a bind, he gets out there and holds the steers left leaded but didn’t over-haze them and push them to the left. He did a great job picking the steers up and letting them be.