Jeff Johnson and Joel Bach, both of Millsap, Texas, entered up hoping to get a piece of the action. Both ropers have a pretty good coach – three time world champion team roper Allen Bach. Jeff drives for Allen during the year, taking care of his horses and getting him to rodeos. Joel, is Allen’s 14-year-old son with a roping style that mimic’s his dad.

Jeff has been living at the Bach Ranch in Millsap, Texas for the last year and a half. He is on the road most of the time. While he does spin a lot of practice steers for Allen and Joel, he doesn’t get many chances to compete in ropings because of scheduling conflicts. Jeff drove for Jake Barnes for several years, as well as Clay O’Brien Cooper before hiring on with the Bachs, so he has had the best mentors in the business.

Jeff and Joel entered up confident in each other’s abilities, but they also knew the competition would be tough. They were going to take their team style from the practice pen to the arena and see if it was enough to get to the pay window.

“I hadn’t been roping very well,” says Joel. “I missed a really good steer on Saturday (January 3) for Jason Hawkins. My dad talked to me a little and asked me if I was really concentrating on what I was doing. I realized I wasn’t and decided to really get my head in the game. From there on, I was ready to rope.”

They had a 10-second run on their first steer.

“I almost split the horns, and then had to fish the rope on, so we were a little long,” Jeff explains about their first run. “Joel roped him fast, but we were still a 10.”

Jeff and Joel had decided ahead of time that they want to make four good, clean runs to get a check. But according to Jeff, Allen came up after their first run and offered some good advice. Jeff’s other partner’s had missed the first steer, so Joel was the only run he had down.

“I asked Allen if he thought I should just make three more good, safe runs,” Jeff says, “But he told me there were going to be a lot of teams that would make good, safe runs. He asked me how many chances I would have at winning $45,000 a man (first place). He said he thought we ought to run at it to win it. He said to not do anything stupid, but to be aggressive. So that was my new game plan. I had been kind of nervous, but once I had it in my mind that I was going to rope and turn one fast, I felt confident.”

Allen approached Joel and had similar advice.

“My dad told me Jeff was going to turn them good for me and I should just go off and heel them fast,” Joel says, “So that’s what I did and we were back in the game.”

The pair had two 7-second runs on their second and third steer. They were 25.6-seconds on three, which placed them fifth high call back team. First high call back was 25.0, making each second crucial.

Joel had three call backs in the fourth round. He was 50th call back with his mom, Peggy, 17th with Megan Laney, and then 5th with Jeff.

“My mom and I had a clean run but we were too long to place,” Joel recalls of the final go round. “Then Megan turned a steer for us to be seven on and I legged. I was sick. I was so mad at myself. I knew if I wanted to win any money at all I had to just go off on Jeff’s steer.”

Nerves played into the picture, not just for Jeff and Joel, but the entire Bach family.

“Jeff is so special to us, I felt like I had two sons out there roping,” Peggy Bach said. “I wanted them to win so bad, I was trying to film and cheer at the same time.”

“When I rode into the box for our last steer,” Jeff says, “My plan was to get out good and turn him fast. I knew what I needed to do and I was ready. I wasn’t thinking about the money at that point, I just wanted to turn the steer well. Allen had talked to me just before we roped our last steer. He told me to not think about anything, but just to turn this steer like I did the last two. He told me to forget about everything else and just let my muscle memory take over and react to the situation. I felt very calm when I rode into the box.”

Joel, on the other hand, says he was very nervous before he roped his last steer. “After I legged for Megan, I just went over to the heeler’s side and started watching run after run. I was so nervous watching, and then right when I rode into the box everything became so clear. I just got locked into what I was going to do. It was so clear.”

The pair was a solid 8.23 on their final steer, giving them a final time of 33.83 on four. They knew they were in the money at that point, but four other teams still had to go.

“I kind of felt like the short round would fall apart,” Joel says. “It usually does when there is a lot of money on the line. I was glad we got our steer roped under 9 seconds. But then when the fourth and third call backs legged I started thinking we were doing pretty good. The second high call missed and the high called legged. I knew right then we had won and I couldn’t believe it.”

“The first person I called was Jake Barnes,” Jeff said. “He has helped me so much with my roping I wanted him to be the first to know. Right when he answered he said, ‘You just won it didn’t you.’ I couldn’t believe it. It was a blessing straight from God. Clay Cooper was the second person I talked to, and Matt Tyler called me too. And to have Allen right there was too awesome. These are all guys that have had such a big influence in my life – both my roping and my spiritual life. It was so great they were all a part of it.”
Jeff and Joel were each cut a check for $44,625 – their biggest ever. They plan on “reinvesting” their winnings.

“This win is just a huge blessing straight from God and I am so glad for the opportunity to give some of it back to him,” Jeff says. “I already wrote my tithe check to the church I grew up in -- the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon, Texas. I went to church there with my grandma over Christmas and they just built a new church. They almost have the whole thing paid off and I am so glad to send my part to help pay off the last part of their note. With the rest I am going to pay my bills and then I am going to buy my horse from Allen.”

Joel also has similar plans.

“My dad has a horse I would like to buy with part of my money,” Joel says. “Matt Tyler also has one I’m looking at, so I’ll probably get one of them.”

It’s not every day a person can make over $44,000 in one day.

“Driving home from the roping,” Jeff says, “I was thinking to myself, ‘I just made more in 33 seconds that I have in the last two years.’ It’s awesome.”