Number and End: 4+ Heeler
Hometown: Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico
Association of Preference: Local ropings are my favorite, but I do love the World Series. To be honest, I like to stick to local ropings.
Rope of Choice: Rattler and Cactus Ropes
Your Favorite Jackpot: I like to go to Lance Allen’s Mountain States Cattle Co. ropings, Blake Nelson’s ropings and my H2A Ropings, of course. I love the Borracho Roping I produce every June. A lot of people have fun, and it pays really well. There are a lot of prizes and all of the people wait on that roping.
Biggest Win: Riding bulls, that’s when I used to win money! That’s when it was fun when I was young. I have won some USTRC ropings and some open jackpots, but never much, like $3,000—but that was a lot to me at the time.
How did you get into producing ropings? When I started putting on ropings almost seven years ago, I used to do little ropings for friends here and there. A lot of friends didn’t speak English and didn’t know much about roping, so they needed a place to learn. Then I ended up doing more and a lot of people found out how we paid and how the ropings worked. I stuck with the low numbers because they’re the most people I know in this area. They are pushing me right now to do a higher-number roping. It used to be a #9 and we’d get an average of 320 teams. I got 1,220 teams one night. It was huge and paid a lot. One of the things people love are the prizes I give. Now, I am going to start with a #6, #8 and #10 capped at a 6-plus to see if I can get some high-numbered ropers. I’m ready for doing it. I don’t know if it will work or not. Fees cost between $60 and $100. If it’s $100, it’s pick one draw two for $100. Sometimes it’s pick one draw one for $80, and there are always lots of prizes.
Best Horse: His name was Moro—that means grey. He almost killed me three times before I broke him. He was wild and crazy. He used to buck every time I rode him. He had something in him that I liked. That was when I was much younger—I don’t like buckers anymore. He was good when he gave up bucking. I was laid off from work, and two guys offered me a lot of money for that horse, so I let him go that day. As soon as I got home, I found a job right away. That was the biggest mistake I ever made. I see friends riding good horses, and I tell them to stick with them and not ever to sell it.
Why You Rope: I used to ride bulls my whole life in Mexico. I came here to college rodeo and ride bulls at Dodge City Community College. I did the PBRs and the ProRodeos, but I got hurt a lot. So I broke everything—I had 24 broken bones. And I have a lot of stitches all over my body and my face.
I always rode horses and broke horses. When I was in college, somebody bought me a rope to head with. I never thought I’d get into roping. When I found a friend from Mexico who was riding in Colorado, I moved to Denver and found another friend who was roping already. I was getting hurt so much riding bulls, it wasn’t fun anymore. I started roping, and it was fun. My wife loves it because I forgot about the bulls.
Competition Philosophy: I wish that I can put my mind like when I was riding bulls. Now I have fun. I don’t want to miss, but I’m not as intense as I used to be where my whole mind was there riding bulls.
Day Job: I work with Villalobos Concrete. I work in the plant where they mix everything and put it on the truck.
Tell us about your family: I have a 9-year-old boy, Aaron. I met my wife 10 years ago, and her name is Alejandra Rubio.
