Update from Fort Worth
Downtime? What's that?

Hello once again and welcome to the weeks View from the Driver’s Seat. When we last spoke I was in Denver awaiting the 2nd go of the 4th set of ropers to go through town. That nights performance was bitter sweet for us. My guys were 5.6 in the TR to take the lead in the average by 4 seconds at the time. Which is a good start for that particular rodeo being that 16 and change won that rodeo last year. At the current time several more sets have gone and we know that as of today Trevor and Travis are still sitting 2nd in the average and placing in both rounds. After the rodeo Saturday night we pulled out around 11:30pm Colorado time to head for Decatur,TX. It was a all night drive that put us home at 12:00 noon the next day so I was thankful for the time to spend with my family while the Boss roped and watched football with his.

Come monday morning we were back in action by noon we had 13 head of horses saddled in various stages of training. Some only to exercise and some to head and heel on and a couple to breakaway calves. It was a busy day with many friends showing up to the ranch to enjoy the weather and do some roping. All in all I would have to say that it was a wonderful day as I have been getting my chance to heel when practice is going on. Slowly but surely The Boss is helping me to improve by giving pointers and offering instruction and encouragement. It is a process to improve although I will say that if you work at it every day and keep an open mind the sky is the limit. 

This weeks the Drivers Seat will get some time off but won’t be totally vacant. Wednesday we travel to Ft. Worth for the TD slack and then we have no plans until Saturday when we head back to Denver for the short round where my guys are the 3rd high call team in the TR. As of now our plan is for Travis to arrive after dinner Saturday and then we will pull out around 9PM to make the drive to Denver. It will be a quick trip up and back with minimal time actually in Denver just long enough for the TR at the rodeo and back on the road home. Until Saturday we will keep the routine of practice and exercising horses because at the end of the day that is what makes a champion. 

Not every day around the ranch is filled with sun up to sun down practice there are days when The Boss has commitments outside or the weather just doesn’t want to cooperate. On one of those days last week we cleaned the tack room which for me was helpful and educational as finding the right tack for each horse is a challenge at times. Trevor has a collection of bridles that I think would rival any in the business many of the are hand made by some of the best in the business. It was fun to go thorough them and here some stories of each and learn about the different uses and how the different designs work and what there uses are. The history of rodeo and cowboy carries a ton of tradition and tack like saddles and bridles are some of the items that people find prestigious. I can only hope that some day when I look behind me at my life in rodeo I stories to tell and memories built around pieces of it that I have collected. 

As many of you well know by now our trip to Denver turned out to be successful. Trevor and Travis turned in a time of 5.4 and put the pressure on from the 3rd high call. After Trevor and Travis roped Broc Hanson and Cesar De la Cruse and Nick Sartain and Rich Skelton (defending Denver champions) were left to go and with a steer that went left Broc and Cesar went 6.1 and also with one that went left Nick unfortunately missed and Trevor and Travis recorded their first rodeo win of the new partnership. This was a second time win for Travis in Denver and a first win in the TR for Trevor in his career. It is a great feeling with a new partnership to have success early on because as many of you know it doesn’t always go that way and growing pains can sometimes get you down. After the rodeo we headed back to Texas the all night drive put us home at 6:00 am on monday morning.

As soon as we made the ranch the hustle started again. Trevor spent the day in Fort Worth at the AQHA team roping looking for potential prospects and I spent the day shuffling horses around from the aqua tread to the vet to the house. Tuesday we were headed to Fort Worth to show TD horses in the AQHA show so at some point monday the TD horses needed to be ridden and tuned up for the next day. Just like any home or ranch when you leave for a day or two you spend time upon your return checking over things and making sure that the well oiled machine is fit and ready to run through another week. It seems like moving forward every day takes non-stop activity and energy I know there are days when I look behind me and feel like we have made great progress and there are days when I feel like my accomplishments have been minimal. All we can do is remember that tomorrow is another day with more time and more opportunity.

The TD in Fort Worth was an all day and night affair which ended up working out well for us. Trevor showed 3 horses that day Gabby a 7yr old mare who is a full sister to the one he rode at the NFR, Savior the bay who is the backup and Deputy the one he rode at the NFR. All three horses performed well and Deputy was scored to win under on judge and as well as Savior was also scored to place under another judge. After the AQHA show the top 65 horses were called back to the jackpot that night. Two of ours made it being Deputy and Savior. They both did well in the jackpot and Trevor ende up getting the 4th place check on Savior so it was a great end to a busy day. Since the TD in Fort Worth it has been quiet around the place. Our next outing will be the TR and 2nd go of TD at the Fort Worth stock show I am confident that it will once again be a great day. 

As I bring this installment to a close once again I want to say if you as a reader have any specific questions or comments please feel free to e-mail me at joshschley80@gmail.com I would enjoy answering any questions and it would help me to expand on what the public wants to read. So until next time this has been you View from the Drivers Seat and I want to wish you good roping and Gods blessings.

SHARE THIS STORY
CATEGORIES
TAGS
Related Articles
Broc Cresta
Never Forgotten
Broc Cresta: The Legend Lives On
Untitled design-14
5 Things J.D. Yates Did to Raise a Winner in Trey
Steer sitting in the chute getting the horn wrap taken off.
Make Your Steers Last Longer
Editor's Note
Editor's Note: Star Power
Image placeholder title
Get the Edge In Your Roping with Jake Barnes