February 2009

There have been rumors about my retirement and I would like to set the record straight. I am not retiring. I am, however, going to pursue my dream of changing my sport and the way we compete. This will be accomplished through Speed Williams Invitational Match Ropings, Inc. This new job requires me to spend a large portion of my time in our office in Scottsdale, Arizona.

I will rodeo this year with Clay Cooper and after the George Strait roping will take a good look at how much we have won and whether it’s feasible to continue for the year. I have two very successful business partners who want me to rodeo but I’m not sure I can compete at the level I want, or that I’m used to with my attention divided. I’ve always been a workaholic when it comes to my roping and I’m a little nervous about competing without my normal work ethics in the practice pen. I don’t think it’s fair to a partner when you’re not as committed as they are.

I’m very excited about the Speed Williams Invitational Match Ropings and what we have in store for the ropers. I realize that the majority of the people who rope, rope as a hobby for enjoyment. We have created a structure where you can rope close to home and compete against no more than 64 teams. Our goal is to provide a quality roping without the pain of long distance driving and the many hours associated with hundreds of teams. Whether it’s during the week or on a weekend, you could rope at one of our events and be back home in two or three hours.

Our finals will have $100,000 prize money guaranteed to the winners of each of the five divisions. The only way to qualify for the finals is through points earned during the year. We’re still working out the details and locations.

Look for more information on the Speed Williams Invitational Match Roping website at www.matchroping.com.

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