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.I f anyone has ever followedI was truly blessed to be a part of my career or been a part of it then you know I owe any success I have had in the ropingthis horse's life and I know that God arena to the horses I've ridden.I have been lucky to ride some really good horses. Some of them I have owned and othershad a hand in our story together.belonged to someone else but I was blessed to be able to ride them.Mixed in with all these good horses during the last fifty-plus years were also some great ones. People like Brian Anderson, Randy Polich, and of course TannerI would like to share it with you. I was truly blessed to be aI asked Danny how much he wanted for the horse and Bryson with B Cross Quarter Horses trusted me enough topart of this horse's life and I know that God had a hand inhe explained that he belonged to Cody but he was selling let me get on their great horses. I appreciated them lettingour story together. the horse for him. The asking price was a full twenty-five me compete on those great ones then, but I think it meanshundred. A good price for the horse but I still wasnt sure even more to me now that I realize just how rare theseI had quit roping for a few years and was working withI even wanted the horse so I offered two thousand. Danny horses are. a friend of mine who roped really well. My wife and Isaid he would talk to Cody but he was sure he wouldnt decided to buy our daughter Holly Jo a horse for hertake it and he was right. A few days later Cody called I may be biased, but the greatest horse I have ever riddenbirthday and this friend had one that he thought wouldme and told me that his wife Stacey didnt think either passed away on Dec 28, 2021. He was twenty-five yearswork. We went to look at the horse for my daughter butone of us were too bright. I laughed and told Cody that I old when he passed and I owned him for twenty-one ofI saw this young horse that I liked so we bought that onewholeheartedly agreed with her.He explained that Stacey those years. He has what I think is an interesting story, soand found a different one for my daughter. The problemsaid why dont you two split the difference and finish the was that this horse was a heel horse and I am really adeal. So now I have a project on my hands. Every time header but I had the bug to rope again. After about a yearsomeone saw me with that horse they would ask, What of heeling, the competitor in me was strong again and Imade you buy him? All I could say was there was just was frustrated because I knew I could never rise to thesomething about him but I didnt know exactly what it level of heeler as I was as a header.I would complain towas.my wife that I was about to give up on roping all together. She kept telling me to have faith that a horse would comeI started pouring the hay and grain into my new project along for me to head on. Even back then good horsespraying that he wouldnt feel too good and buck me off.were expensive and we had a young family and I knew IIn over twenty-one years I can honestly say that he never couldn't afford the kind of horse I really wanted.I did asbucked one time. I didnt have a name for my new horse my very smart wife said and I kept the faith and we prayedbut I knew it would come to me in time. After a few weeks, about it every night. Enter Danny and Cody Custer. I noticed that every time I walked into his pen he would put his head way up in the air and look at me as though I was sitting with a bunch of other ropers in a roping arenahe were afraid. I was talking to him one day, as I often do practicing when I heard a familiar voice asking, Where'swith my horses, and I said he looked like Scooby Doo. John at? I knew who it was as I had known him most ofWell, that stuck and his name was Scooby from then on. my life; it was Danny Custer. He wound his way throughTo my amazement, I took that same once skinny little the horses and told me he had a horse I may be interestedhorse to the BFI in Reno. I told my partner that he was in.When I went to look atgreen and I wasn't sure if he would work with that much him at his trailer stood thispressure at such a big roping. He assured me he had tall skinny four-year-old. confidence in Scooby and not to worry. He was right, he He certainly wasnt muchworked perfectly and I never doubted that horse again.to look at at that stage of his life. If I'm completelyTraveling all those miles together and depending on each honest I wasnt interestedother the way we did he became much more to me than in this high headed skinnyjust a horse, Scooby was my friend! My wife Susie used horse but I asked Dannyto rope on Scooby and he took care of my kids when they if he would run a few onwanted to ride him. My son Trey even got to rope on him him so I could watch. Heand he was less than two years old when Scooby came into saddled him up and aftermy family's lives.a lap around the arena, he was ready. After watchingIll miss you Scooby and thank you for always being there Danny rope on him he wasfor this cowboy!not impressive at all but there was something I liked aboutUntil next time, Ill see you at the back of the box. the horse. I thought that if he ever filled out, that with his frame he would certainlyI want to thank all of my sponsors, Fast Back be big enough to head on.Ropes, Usher Brand Silver and Saddlery, So I thought what the heck.SaddleRight Saddle Pads, Omega Fields Horse Feed, and Hassayampa Veterinary Services. 12 February 2022"