Matt Brockman

Story that was recently published in Dally Times magazine.

Teaching the Team Roper in the Twenty-first Century

By Matt Brockman

Team roping has grown over the last 30 years largely due to the eagerness of the sport’s professionals to share their expertise and knowledge with beginners and novices wanting to ratchet up their abilities.  During this period, teaching methods have evolved, but combining video and the internet just may be a revolution in the way ropers not only enjoy the sport, but also learn the finer points of roping and horsemanship.

The Clinic – Way Back When

Icons in the sport have mentored and taught, giving clinics and private lessons since the 1970s.  David Motes, World Champion team roper in 1977 is one of them.  Then, as now, a professional worked with a local roper or producer to organize a clinic that fit the pro’s schedule.  The approach has proven to be a good way to introduce aspiring ropers to team roping fundamentals.  What’s more, the opportunity to rub shoulders and learn from a top-tier competitor remains a very effective way to teach, inspire and mentor fellow ropers.

“My first big clinic was in the mid 1970s in Norman, Okla.,” Motes said.  “Dennis Watkins did the heeling part.  He has a great personality and explains things well.”  Motes and Watkins conducted numerous clinics across the nation and the Norman event was held for about 15 consecutive years.

“My favorite format is a clinic for five students for five days,” Motes said.  “Four hours of intensive teaching is about all that one can cram into their brain in a day so spreading the clinic over five days helps the roper retain more.  Smaller groups are preferable.  Not only does the student learn from his instruction, but they can learn from watching and learning from the other’s mistakes, too.”

Some early day clinicians such as Walt Woodard, Dale Woodard and Allen Bach continue to give quality clinics and personal instruction while other notables – Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper, Rickey Green, Tyler Magnus and many others – have joined their ranks over the years.  While all have proven to give quality clinics, each has his own unique approach or style.  For example, Bach’s target audience is mainly youth – although adults also enjoy his clinics – and his focus is not just improving the roper’s skills, but strengthening their character and faith as well.

Have Camera Will Teach  

Although video instruction has been around for a while, the arrival of the digital age and DVDs made the video camera an extremely important tool for teaching and learning.  Suddenly, the roper’s DVD collection of John Wayne, Lonesome Dove and Tombstone had to make room for J.D. Yates and many of the aforementioned notables who produce high quality instructional videos on every aspect of roping – from horsemanship to avoiding costly mistakes during competition.  Video producers also saw an opportunity to expand the application beyond instruction to include entertainment and began taping and producing prestigious jackpots such as the Bob Feist Invitational, George Strait, U.S. Team Roping Championship Finals and others. 

An immediate hit with the roping community, the video allowed team roping’s elite to begin marketing to a much larger audience.  The main strength of video is it allows the viewer to watch an entire lesson or focus on a specific subject, replaying a segment as many times as necessary and referring back to the video when they feel they might have gotten off track.

Information Superhighway – The New Frontier

Speed Williams may go down, not only as one of the greatest team ropers of all time, but also as a game changer in roping instruction.  Utilizing today’s high-tech tools, Williams has taken the traditional roping instruction format, with video as the central component, to a new level by taking his camera virtually everywhere he goes and posting videos – sometimes several per day – on a dynamic website he aptly named SpeedRoping.com. 

“Being with my family every day makes life so much more fun to me,” Williams said.  “I miss rodeoing, I miss going to the NFR, but I miss my family more.”  After stepping away from fulltime rodeo competition Williams turned to teaching as a way to help make a living; hitting the road doing schools across the country, like full time rodeo, keep him from his family.  So, using a work ethic that has served him well as roper, Williams poured himself into creating and operating a website with a special format that would provide viewers with many of the attributes of clinics, personal instruction and video. 

“I wanted to build something for ropers of all skill levels to go get answers about their roping,” he said.  “Some people said it wouldn’t work, that cowboys wouldn’t get on the web, but I’m very happy with the success the site’s had so far.”

The site’s appeal is unique and broad: it appeals to the person with a casual interest in team roping as well as a high-numbered competitor who ropes every day.

The uniqueness is getting to know the eight-time world champion on a more personal level and hear him explain his motivation behind the creation of speedroping.com. and his basic philosophy on teaching.  His wife, Jennifer and children Hali, age six, and Gabe, age three, are often the focus of the videos and Williams has found a very useful way to use them to emphasize not only roping fundamentals but safety and other important matters for parents with children who are wanting to rope. 

“I put the kids videos on the site free of charge,” Williams said.  “If that can save one kid from getting hurt in the roping pen, it’s worth all my time.” 

With video being the central component of the website, Williams provides the public two options: a membership or a subscription.  Subscriptions allow access to all videos and the ability to view Speed’s instructional sessions and analysis of jackpot and rodeo runs.  Designed more for the casual viewer, the membership option is limited, allowing one to view un-analyzed videos of jackpot ropings, rodeos and videos of Williams’ children, Hali and Gabe.

For the subscriber, the range of videos to watch is deep and wide, but after five minutes on the site one can navigate around SpeedRoping.com very easily.  Besides having adequate tutorial verbiage on navigating the site, Williams narrates a three minute tour of the sites tools and options.  The site breaks videos down into “categories.”  Some of the category options include: roping the dummy; heading; heeling; mental; practicing; and horses to name a few.  After a category is selected the viewer can narrow the focus to a particular “subcategory.”  For example, if the horse category is selected a few of the subcategory options include: kid horses; maintenance; practice, veterinary; and starting young horses.

An exciting twist Williams recently introduced marries personal instruction with the website as a tool to help his students long after they’ve spent a day under his personal tutelage.  For an additional fee a subscriber can spend the day roping with Williams.  After making several runs, roper and instructor head to a quiet place to review the videos and receive critique on their roping.  Then, they go back to the practice pen and spend the remainder of the session working on improvements.  At the end of the day Williams puts footage of the student on the website providing them a “refresher course” on the day’s lesson.  When the subscriber logs in, their videos are available on their private section of the website for them to review as often as they wish.

Completing Williams program are other services to benefit the roper wishing to improve his or her skills.  He maintains a blog that provides information and answers to questions as well as a presence on Face Book and You Tube.  Additionally, both members and subscribers receive email updates on activities Williams offers such as periodic conference calls where he takes questions.  It’s clear that Williams has put considerable thought and work into this comprehensive program. 

Total Team Roping

When a hot and innovative idea is launched, especially in the cyber world, it’s not long until more innovation arrives on the horizon.  Just as MySpace has been joined by Face Book and Twitter in the social media realm, a new website called TotalTeamRoping.com is also making a splash in the roping community.  While similar to the SpeedRoping.com approach to providing quality training on a variety of subjects, Total Team Roping’s format is quite different. 

 “We plan to develop the best online training for team roping where anyone can access these world-class trainers from anywhere around the world,” says founder, Tom Spitsnaugle.  Spitsnaugle is working with three-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, Bret Beach on the project and they’ve recruited an outstanding team of instructors.  With 15 world championships to their names, Jake Barnes, Clay O’Brien Cooper and Bobby Harris are joined by 14-time NFR qualifier Charles Pogue and four-time qualifier Cesar de la Cruz to serve as the “professional online training team exclusive to TotalTeamRoping.com.”  Like SpeedRoping.com, users will pay either a monthly or annual fee for access to new videos updated and posted on the site as well as other services and benefits. 

“We want to do something different,” Beach said.  “The neat thing about this group of instructors – that can’t be found anywhere else – is they each have a different style and will give the roper two or three ideas on how to address a problem.” 

Total Team Roping uses students with various skill levels for their videos.  For example, a USTRC number five roper is taped making a runs.  Utilizing slow motion, the runs are broken down by an instructor highlighting the student’s strengths and weaknesses and what’s needed for improvement.  Thus far, students with numbers ranging from a three to a six have been used on the site. 

“No matter the skill level there will be something on the site to improve a roper’s techniques,” Spitsnaugle said.  “The constant is the instructors and the variable that gives Total Team Roping its impact is the students.”  Subscribers to Total Team Roping are able to select videos – using the USTRC numbering system – that best match their personal abilities.  Regardless of a roper’s abilities, their goal is to provide instruction that is targeted to their needs. 

In addition, the site features videos on various topics such as bits and protective equipment with more videos to come on other matters important to team ropers. 

“We’ll continue to expand and build more videos around equipment, horsemanship and the ancillary things that support the roping,” said Spitsnaugle.  Of course hours of taping team roping has to yield some funnier moments so a section of roping “bloopers” is included.  A “professional run” section is also included featuring practice runs by the instructors that display, in both regular speed and slow motion, their tremendous skills envied by ropers and fans everywhere. 

Total Team Roping also provides direct access to the instructors through a “Frequently Asked Questions” section that allows subscribers to ask questions and get advice.  A monthly newsletter is also provided to subscribers or nonsubscribers who sign up as members. 

Spitsnaugle plans on keeping Total Team Ropings library of videos fresh with 10 to 12 new videos released each month.  Beginning in January approximately three new videos will begin appearing weekly.  It’s clear that Spitsnaugle, Beach and their instructor team plan on taking Total Team Roping to new heights of web-based instruction. 

The evolution of roping instructional should prove to be an exciting phenomenon to observe in the coming months and years.  The more some things will change the more some will stay the same.  While web-based instruction is “the next big thing,” clinics and private lessons will continued to be preferred by many.  Fortunately, the competition among those providing these products and services, and the evolution of their offerings, will ensure the roper comes out the winner.

This is a story I recently wrote for Dally Times Magazine.  It was published in the June issue.  Hope you enjoy.  

GOING GREEN   

Finding and developing a good rope horse prospect may be an attainable goal many novice ropers haven’t considered. 

J.D. Yates will tell you a guy can wear out a nice truck and trailer traversing the country looking for a good rope horse, and the search never ends. 

“I’ve driven thousands of miles looking for horses,” said Yates, a noted Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) competitor and renowned rope horse trainer from Pueblo, Colorado.  “I’m looking all the time to see something that hopefully trips my hammer.” 

No matter if a beginner is searching for a dependable, “same trip every run” horse to learn on or a longtime professional is looking for a title-winning mount, many team ropers are constantly looking and are more than willing to travel across a state or two to check out a horse they’ve heard about. 

Even before team roping became so popular, the supply of quality, finished horses didn’t seem to keep pace with the number of people looking for them.  Now, with increasing numbers of novice and professional ropers – many with the willingness to spend considerable sums – looking for good horses, the chances of finding the ideal ready-to-go horse get slimmer each year.

The Prospect

Professionals like Yates are on constant watch not only for a horse finished and ready to go, but also one that has the basic ingredients, yet needs some training – a prospect.  The prospect can be anything from a colt raised from a favorite broodmare with future “top gun” expectations to a horse that’s almost ready for prime time, but only needs some finishing and hauling to smaller events to gain some experience and confidence. 

Besides a larger supply of horses to choose from at more affordable prices, going the prospect route offers several advantages to searching for a finished rope horse.  Prospects tend to be younger, thus have a greater potential lifespan than most seasoned rope horses.  Having more flexibility to choose for specific traits, such as bloodlines, size, confirmation and even color, also make developing a prospect an attractive alternative.

Not Just the Pros

However, it’s not only the pros that are in the prospect business as more novice and amateur ropers are riding greener horses with plans to develop them into finished rope horses that can either replace an aging “first string” horse or be sold for a profit. 

Nelson King, who resides outside of Fort Worth, Texas, is a great example of an amateur who’s found success and satisfaction developing ready-to-go rope horses.  Recently retired from the Fort Worth Fire Department, King also keeps an eye open for good prospects and has a couple going at any one time while also using them for day-work on area ranches.  More than making jackpots every weekend, King enjoys seeing horses he’s brought along excel under other ropers. 

“I’d rather see someone else win a big roping on a horse I’ve worked with,” said King.  “I get a lot of pride knowing I may have put a strong foundation under a horse that another amateur is now winning jackpots on.  In the lower numbered ropings, the horse is ninety percent of the equation and those that are solid at scoring, rating and taking care of the roper will win just about every time.”

Horsemanship has a greater emphasis with today’s novice and amateur team ropers and more are enlisting assistance from clinicians like Clinton Anderson, Chris Cox and others.  Consequently, more novices and amateurs like King are using their horsemanship skills to train and finish good rope horses.  Developing greener horses isn’t for everyone. Not all ropers – especially some of the weekend warriors – have the horsemanship skills, facilities and time to develop and finish a good team roping horse.  But, all things considered, the prospect route may not only be an attainable goal, but it may also provide the roper with a more valuable and useful horse in the long run.  

Always on the Look Out

There are many routes one can take looking for good prospects and some of the best are often found by accident. 

“I’ve found some of my best prospects at a friend’s house when I was there just visiting,” said Yates.  Sometimes it’s a word of mouth thing and Yates says he’s gotten some of his best prospects because a fellow roper or trainer thought a horse would do well under his training.  In other situations he’s put a peer on to a prospect because he felt the horse would train better under their style and approach. 

Ranch geldings are often sought out by many ropers looking for horses with solid backgrounds.  The rigors of ranch work: prowling pastures; roping and doctoring cattle; and dragging calves at brandings, make these excellent rope horse candidates.  Experience with ranch rodeo competitions is an added bonus for many.  Because these horses have had lots of wet saddle pads pulled off them after long days of routine ranch work, one can usually get a decent feel if the prospect will have the speed, agility and mental capacity to handle the demands of arena roping. 

Another good source is what might be called a “transition” horse.  A residual benefit of a vibrant performance horse industry is a steady supply of young horses bred and started for cutting, reined cow horse or reining competition but later become great rope horse candidates.  Not all these horses become elite competitors at the cutting or reined cow horse futurities, and can often transition into outstanding rope horses. 

Replay Blue Boon, a 2001 red roan gelding bred and raised by Kobie and Paula Wood and now owned by Clay and Colleen Logan is a great example.  By a Duals Blue Boon sire and out of a Freckles Playboy mare, the horse was a National Cutting Horse Association Futurity entry in 2004.  “Replay,” as he’s called, made it to the semifinals in that year’s futurity.  The Woods faced the decision of whether to continue showing him at cuttings, selling him or taking him in another direction.  Under the Logans’ tutelage, Replay made an impressive transition winning the Junior Heeling at the 2007 American Quarter Horse World Show. 

Training rope horses for the public, Logan specializes in taking young cutters – mostly three and four year-olds – and developing them into competitive team roping horses.  He’ll tell you their athletic ability, “cowyness” and that they’re accustomed to intensive training often makes these horses great prospects for team roping. 

Three time world champion team roper Tee Woolman offers a different perspective on acquiring good prospects – raising them.  After having success roping off an outstanding mare, Woolman got to wondering if he could raise good head horse prospects from a dam with the right qualities.  Attributes like size, looks, conformation and disposition are important to Woolman so he wasn’t intent on settling on just any broodmare. 

“I got lucky and got the chance to buy a great broodmare from Dr. Charles Graham, named Have Your Cash,” said Woolman.  “I turned around and bred her to an Easy Jet stud of Dr. Grahman’s called Jet Toro and she had a colt we call Megazord who won the American Quarter Horse Association / PRCA Head Horse of the Year Award in 2004.  We hoped the Jet Deck and Dash For Cash cross would work good and it certainly did.  We’ve also bred her to a Driftwood stud that belonged to Cuatro Light and she’s raised some outstanding head horses from that combination.  I like the Dash For Cash and Driftwood colts because many are versatile as rope horses or barrel horses,” said Woolman who, with his wife Jacque, train team roping and barrel horses at Cherry Creek Equestrian Center near Baytown, Texas.

Bringing ‘em Along – Slow and Steady

“If we can’t do one-handed stops and turns on him, the horse will need to learn those things first,” said Logan referring to the beginning steps for a prospect.  “Responding to leg cues helps bring him along faster, too.” 

The rigors and stress a horse experiences in a typical team roping run puts considerable pressure on an animal who must react to many variables within a few seconds.  Such pressure is more intense on a horse that’s learning, thus one of the biggest challenges is to bring a green horse along at his pace and avoid the temptation to take him too far, too fast. 

“Some days he may take a big leap and you’re feeling pretty good.  Then the next day you may ask too much of him and wind up going backwards a little,” said Logan.  “You’ll have to take the horse back a step or two and then move forward again.”

Woolman concurs.  “If you start them slowly and progress them at their pace, you’ll head off problems down the road,” he said.  “Having good control of one is important.  I try to not ask a green horse for a lot speed until I have good control over him, so I may not know if a prospect can really run until I’ve ridden him for a while.” 

Lots of time and patience in the practice pen must be devoted if a prospect is going to properly develop the ability to utilize split-second reflexes and actions while remaining calm and collected.  The extra effort will make for a better horse in the long run. 

Trainer and horse must mesh, too, if the horse is to maximize its potential. 

“In my training program I’ll ride a horse for 30 days and if he’s making the grade I’ll want to keep him for another 90 days,” said Yates.  “After that, the horse should be coming along well, but if not, I’ll call the client and urge him to come get the horse.  Sometimes horses that have left me have gone to other trainers and excelled.” 

Rewards Worth the Effort

Many novice and amateur ropers are devoting considerable effort to improve their horsemanship and rope handling skills to not only achieve success in the arena, but also to leverage these skills to make better rope horses.  It isn’t always easy.  One must have not only the ability to bring a green horse along, but the wisdom to know when to try a different approach or seek help from an instructor, trainer or someone else.

Ropers must, first, be horsemen and developing a greener horse into an improved team roping mount is part of the natural evolution in the commitment to becoming a more complete horseman and roper.  Enhancing your and the horse’s abilities will give you a greater sense of accomplishment, make the horse better and result in more trips to the pay window.