I tell people that roping—heading and heeling—is really just learning how to do three or four things at the same time while riding a horse and trying to rope a steer. There are several moving parts you have to be aware of and in control of during every run, and figuring out how to do it all simultaneously and with each step in sync with the others only comes from doing it a lot of times. It takes a lot of repetition to master anything in life, and roping is no exception.
READ: The Battle of Making All Moving Parts Work as One
Any task with multiple components requires breaking down all aspects of that task, and getting good at each part of it. But you also need to incorporate them with each other. That’s the fun part, and it’s also a challenge that can be frustrating when you have expectations of doing better and getting good. There’s a learning curve to work through.
So much happens in our minds during every run, too. I listen to students explain that, and they often say their mind thinks about one thing in their strategy. They start believing that one important element makes it all work, so that’s what they focus on.
The mental aspect of roping, which includes putting together a game plan and trying to execute it, is different for everyone. To one roper, concentrating on one area of the run is what makes it all click and work. Another roper looks at it completely differently. For me, it’s about riding position, timing, seeing my shot and hitting the right spot when I deliver my loop.
When I was a kid, timing was the thing that made it work, so that’s what I concentrated on from about 10 years old into my 20s. But as I started rodeoing, I figured out that roping was easy if I rode to the right spot. So I had to switch gears, and load the priority of position into my mind.
READ: Knowing Your Tendencies; Working on Your Weaknesses
To be a top roper, you have to ride good position. After all these years, I still think about where I need to get to and how I’m going to get there. That’s the battle—trying to bounce around the different elements, and make them work together. Then when you go compete, you have a primary objective in one of those areas that’s the focus you need to make it all work.
I’ll use a kid who came to a roping school as an example. He came around the corner just right, and saw his timing. It was one, two, three, then he pulled the trigger and roped two feet about six times in a row. Every time he did it, I said, “Man, good corner, good timing, good shot.” After about the sixth run, he said, “I don’t time them.” I thought he timed them perfectly, so I asked him what he was doing to catch two feet every time. He said, “I just get my horse in the right position.”
That told me that it was natural, and he didn’t have to tell himself to do it. What put it all together for that kid was getting his horse in the right spot, and he could make the shot. It just shows how one person might prioritize or load the main thought differently than the next person. All that matters is that it works.
READ: There’s More Than One Way to Rope
When I go to a roping or rodeo, I like to go to the arena and just look it over. I’ve already been to most places, but that gives me a feel for the run I’m wanting to make. I look at the cattle, the ground, the setup and score length, because it all plays into it. I like to note every little thing I see as part of a strategy load.
As I ride in the box, I have a detailed plan of what I’m about to try to accomplish. When the gate trips and the steer leaves, I just react to what happens in real time using that preloaded information. You give yourself a better chance by having good information downloaded ahead of the run.
Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to do this when you’re practicing, so you can train yourself to execute all the steps at the same time. Ask yourself what you can do better on the next run, because roping’s a constant evaluation. And this next run is where it’s going down.
—TRJ—
