b'Cowboy WisdomANYTHING IS POSSIBLEBy Pete FloresTexas rancher, passing on Cowboy wisdom and serving the Lord.I was invited to a twenty-by-twenty round-robin team roping, three rounds, progressive after one. I arrived at the roping and was approached by the organizer, who informs me that there were 19 heelers and 21 headers. Since I was the best heeler of all the headers that had been invited, would I mind turning around and heel at the roping, so it would be even 20 headers and 20 heelers? At first, I did not want to heel. I had a great practice week and was on the entire week, and I knew that I could win the roping.I asked him if he would give me time to go get Red (my heeling horse), then I would heel. He said yes, and off I went to get Red. Red was a good heeling horse, a great pasture horse and pretty dang good at Western Pleasure and Western Horsemanship.Round one, Woody and I are up. I knew Woody was going to be my competitionthat day, but now we were about to rope as a team. As I backed Red into the box and looked at Woody, Woody says I should just throw my rope on the ground; there isno way that two true headers can win a roping. I say to Woody, Anything is possible, you turn the steer and Ill be there. Woody nods, the steer runs, he ropes and sets and turns the steer, smooth run, great handle. Red put me there, my rope is up to the flank, almost to tail head, and I almost pantyhose the steer. The run was good enough to win the first go-round.Second go-round, I ride up to Woody and tell him The steer we drew is dirty. Dennis a friend of mine had roped the steer the first round and he was slow in setting the steer. Being slow meant that the steer swung out and ran up his rope and cut behind the horse and never gave the heeler a good shot. Yes, always studying the steers and paying attention to detail was one of my main traits as a header. Woody looks at me and says I am going to rope the steer, set him up and turn him, do not be late. I am treating you as a true heeler. Well, sure nuff, Woody roped the steer and turned him, gave a great handle. I was a little late, and one-legged the steer. It was a good run, I was not proud of it, but it kept us in the running since we had won the first go. Third go, Woody and I come back in second place. We drew a good honest steer. I rode up to Woody and said, We have a good one, runs hard and you can set him up for a good heel loop. Woody says, Yep, he is good, do not be late, we are in second and we need to be fast I am going for it all, going to try to have the fastest run of the day, because I came here to win. I look at Woody and told him, Woody, like I said, anything is possible. You turn the steer and Ill be there. As I rode to the box, I petted Red on the neck, and whispered, Red I know you are getting tired, we cannot be late, we going to break early or else we will never catch up to Woody. I backed Red up and nodded at Woody. Woody looked at the steer and nodded. Sure enough, I broke out earlier than I had before, but Woody roped, set, and turned the steer. Red had me there; I heeled that steer, heard the zing of nylon, and heard the pop of the flag as the flagman flagged us out. I see the flagman give that vertical hand signal indicating a clean run. The announcer says 5.0 flat, I knew we had taken the lead, sure nuff, Woody and I won the roping.See, I had asked the Lord to help me rope at the heels as good as I had been heading all week. I believed and I believe that anything is possible with the Lord. So if you ever wonder how come I wear the champion heeling buckle that indicates that I won the roping and not one of my header buckles, the reason isthat buckle is a reminder to me that anything is possible with the Lord. 34 October 2022'