b"From the Back OF THE BOXBy John SamsillYou can contact me directly at johnsamsillteamroping@gmail.com if you have any questionsor would like to schedule a clinic or a lesson.W hen I went to the Worldconfidence when roping is well down on your list ofI have heard for years that if someone would just have Series team roping inpriorities. When you have two people like this it is verycheaper ropings they could have great turnouts. I do October at Rancho Riotough to be very consistent as a team.believe that is true but we would have to give up roping in Wickenburg I heard that thegood cattle and we would be competing against more entry fees were going to changeI have voiced before in this column that I am concernedteams for less money. I am not sure if there is an answer at the upcoming World Seriesabout where team roping is headed. Team roping hasthat will satisfy everyone but I do think we may need to ropings in Buckeye in November. The fees would be twogrown more than I ever thought it could, which is great.take a deep breath and take the foot off of the pedal for hundred fifty dollars per entry up from one hundred fiftyWith that growth, are we pricing some people out of thejust a bit to evaluate where we are headed and if we can dollars. When I found out about this I decided almostgame? If you are a married couple or a parent and childmaintain what has been built. Just a thought.instantly I would not be going to the ropings in Buckeye.you would spend around three hundred dollars on fuel if Was it because of the money, yes. Was it because Iyou had to drive very far. Lets assume you both get intoUntil next time Ill see you at the back of the box. couldn't afford it, no. It was because I felt that the feestwo ropings each and enter two times in each roping. were too high.That would be two thousand dollars in entry fees. So now we are up to twenty- three hundred dollars to get Ill explain my reasons. When I was rodeoing andthere and back and rope. Now, all we have to pay for isI would like thank my sponsors: making a big part of my income from roping, I wouldfeed for the horses, stalls for the horses, and then feedUsher Brand Silver and Saddlery,have gone if the entry fees would have been five hundredourselves. If you do not have a living quarters then youFast Back Ropes, SaddleRight Saddle Pads, a man; but now I am a lot closer to a hobby roper thanare paying for a hotel. If I were looking for a hobby toOmega Fields Supplements,a professional. As a hobby roper, I do not want to spenddo with my family I think I may have to find something two hundred and fifty dollars per entry, five hundreda little cheaper if I hadnt grown up in this lifestyle. IHassayampa Vetrinary Servicesper roping if I enter twice per roping. I am sure that mythink you can see why I am concerned about the future not going did not affect the ropings at all. Im sure theyof our sport. I am not sure had a bunch of teams at the ropings, but I chose not toif a lot of people see the go because it felt right for me. I wasnt trying to make amoney that professionals statement or influence anyone else not to go. As I saidare making and are trying earlier, it was a personal decision for me. I understandto win as much as they that the payouts would be bigger if they still pulleddo. I hope that we do not seventy-five percent of the teams they usually do. Thelose more people than are payoffs could also be bigger with fewer teams entered butcoming into the sport. I still did not want to put up that amount of money. I noThere will be a lag before longer get to practice every day like I used to. I no longerwe know the answer have a string of horses to choose from to ride. Havingto that but for now the been a professional roper I have seen the struggles thatsport is growing very fast the hobby roper goes through. When I roped every dayso I hope that someone I didnt feel it was much of a gamble that I would catchis paying attention to or that my horses would work well enough for me tothese things and we have win. As a hobby roper, it is hard to have that kind ofmanaged growth. Specialty Handcrafted Rustic Juniper Lamps& Rawhide or Goat Skin LampshadesWood FurnitureMirrorsCowhide & Horseshoe AccessoriesAnd More!Visit Juniper Lamp Company in Heritage Square at 45 Valentine Street in WickenburgHours: Tues - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM541-480-0575Custom Orders Welcome!ArizonaRealCountry.com December 2022 13"