Fort Worth Rodeo: Making History, but Still Tough to Win

Everybody always loves to compete at a hometown rodeo. Although I don’t live in Fort Worth, I have always considered the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo my hometowner, since it is only but an hour from my house. It’s always been a great rodeo, but there are a few things that made this rodeo stand out this winter, especially for the Team Ropers.

Fort Worth, up until recent years, did not have Team Roping. I think it was in about 2005 when they added the event to their rodeo. Ironically, thats the year when I started roping. Fort Worth has also been a rodeo that did not add equal money to the Team Roping. This means that if they were to add $20,000 to every event, that in the team roping, our event being the only team event in rodeo, would have to split the added money into $10,000 to the header and $10,000 to the heeler, thus not being “equal money” for our event. This year, The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo has added equal money for the Team Roping!!! That is awesome! I thank them very much for doing that. Fort Worth has a long history in the sport of rodeo and the committee has been very progressive in stepping up to make the sport of rodeo better as a whole. They are a great example to the rest of the rodeo world on where the direction of the sport should be going. Those two major changes, adding Team Roping to their rodeo and also adding equal money to the event, show that rodeo could have a great future. Thank you, Fort Worth, for doing what you have done and also being an example for what rodeo could become in the future.
Tonight, I get the opportunity to compete at this legendary rodeo. As I said earlier, I have considered this rodeo my hometown rodeo for years. It is always fun for me to compete at. I always get some time to prepare for this rodeo. I like to go to a few of the performances before I am up and watch the start to get a feel for what I should expect when I go there. Buddy and I are first out tonight and so I went and watched friday night to know what to be looking for when I nod my head. The steers are a little un-even. Some of them run, some are slow, others duck left, and some of them step to the right. The start is a little long. The barrier rope is set at 1 foot over the length of the head box. This means that the box is 16 feet and 6 inches, and the barrier rope length is set at 17 feet and 6 inches. That makes this barrier a little longer than usual. A header definitely has to be on top of his game and ready to react when he backs in. The arena is a little narrow also. If you draw a runner and have to reach a little bit, as a header, you need to be aware of the left wall and make sure that you come back strong enough to give a good handle for your partner. Heelers have to have a sense of when the left wall is coming so they can have a better idea of when to throw so their header has enough room to get a good finish on the run. Buddy and I have roped here before together and we both feel ready to do well in this arena.
The history behind this rodeo and tough set up make it a fun rodeo for any professional rodeo cowboy to compete at. The feeling I get behind the arena and the anxiousness about the conditions are always something I look up to at this rodeo. I feel ready. I feel prepared. I cant wait for tonight. DH