b'FROM THE BACK OF THE BOXBy John SamsillFor all your team roping questions, you can email me directly at johnsamsillteamroping@gmail.comA The practice pen is where we not only work on ourour basics we can figure out where we need to make good team roping run looks like one smoothbasics but ingrain them in our minds and builda quick change, and then be aware of it during the continuous act. It ismuscle memory. In an earlier article, I talked aboutrun to make that necessary change. not. It consists of manyonly working on a couple of these steps at a time smaller acts or steps. Imwhile were practicing. By doing this we are breakingIll give you an example. A few weeks ago, while talking about looking at anddown the run while making the run and this allowspracticing with some friends a heeler was struggling evaluating each step, when I talk about breakingus to think and react to what is happening while werewith his roping. He couldnt get his loop under the down a run. The basic steps of a header are scoring,roping. When you can do this your consistency willsteer, it kept hitting outside.He asked me if I had leaving the box, first swing, position of your horseimprove dramatically. By being aware, while we areany suggestions to help him.It was an easy fix this to the steer, swing, delivery, pulling your slack,roping, it will also help our horsemanship because wetime. He wasnt riding his horse through the corner handling the steer and then the face. The steps of awill also be aware of what were doing to our horses.and into position. He needed to concentrate on heeler are scoring, position running down the arena,I think for most amateur ropers this is the barrierthrowing his loop. So, what was happening is that entry into the corner, position for your throw, swing,that holds them back from reaching the next level ofhis horse wasnt running to the correct position and delivery, slack, and dally. Of course, these steps canroping. This is where a roping machine is invaluable.he was compensating by leaning. When I told him be broken down individually into smaller steps also.We can duplicate the same run over and over againthis, his response was that he only needed to quit If youre not breaking down your roping, I believe it will be much harder for you to advance, and itsThe practice pen is where we not only work on our basics but next to impossible to get out of a slump if youre in one. I tell my students that each step is built uponingrain them in our minds and build muscle memory.the previous step. Step two is built on step one, step three is built on step two and so forth. until we get the results we are looking for and that isleaning. I told him that the correction he needed There are lots of reasons for breaking things down.something that we just can not do with live cattle.to make was to ride his horse through the corner The first reason is that these are the basics of anyand to make sure he had good position to make his team roping run. Im a firm believer in doing theOne of the biggest advantages to the roper who isdelivery. By doing this he would eliminate the need basics and doing them well. I use the great Larry Birdable to break down their roping is that if youre at ato lean and he would have good horse position. The as a prime example of this. Larry Bird is one of thejackpot and you feel like youre struggling a bit, youobvious step that he was not executing properly was greatest basketball players to ever step on the court.can go through your progression and only correctcaused by not executing the previous step. Once he He admittedly couldnt jump as high as most guys, hethe step youre not executing well. You may havemade that one correction, he went back to roping would also say he wasnt as fast as others, but what hebeen at a roping and missed a couple so you startedgood and his loop placement was good again.I did better than anyone else was the basics.In othertrying to correct things. Most of the time, someonethink you see how this can be invaluable not only at words, he had built his style on good basic basketball,doesnt know where the problem is, so they starta jackpot but in building our consistency every day.but he did those basics better than anyone else. I thinkchanging everything they are doing hoping to find we can approach roping the same way. The basics arethe solution. More times than not they dont findUntil next time, Ill see you at the back of the box.the foundation that we build upon.Before we buildthe solution and fall apart because they are trying toThank you to my sponsors, Usher Silver and Saddlery, a house, we make sure we have a solid foundation tochange the wrong things and wont get it worked outSaddleright Saddle Pads and Omega Fields Feeds. build on. Roping is no different.in time to salvage the roping. So, by going back to ArizonaRealCountry.com December 2019 47'