September 2017 12 ARIZONA’S BEST EQUIPMENT, INC. Sales • Service • Parts • Rentals Specializing in Reconditioned Lift Trucks Authorized Tailift Forklift / TYM Tractor Dealer 602-437-2345 3455 S. 36th Street Phoenix, AZ 85040 infoazbestequip@gmail.com www.arizonasbestequipment.com Serving Arizona For 30 Years Owned and Operated by Christians Holliday Processing, LLC @Holliday Processing Check us out on CUSTOM MEAT AND GAME PROCESSING with 2 Valley locations to serve you: Jason Holliday and Josh Pobstman (623) 853-0601 hollidayprocessing@gmail.com 40895 N. Jack Rabbit Road San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 19249 W. Earl Drive Litchfield Park, AZ 85340 By Matt Robertson Team Roping is the most fun you can have with your clothes on! If you are competitive, love old western heritage, great people for you and your family to be around, horses, great friends, etc. ….then you should look into this addictive, fun sport. Many city people have found places to learn, practice and become winners. With the USTRC and World Series Associations you are given a talent rating on a 1-10 number scale that allows you to be competitive in your 1st competition. Age is no road block. My dad has trained 2 near 60 year olds, and in their 1st year they won buckles and saddles. I have seen 4 year olds win buckles in dummy ropings. And I have seen ropers paralyzed from the waist down win 1st and 2nd in the same roping. It’s not as hard as it looks and the adrenaline is so intense that when you compete it’s like doing your 1st bungee jump, but without the fall (hopefully lol) and a chance to win your money back and a lot more. Jackpots pay up to around $120,000. But almost in every area in North America and some of South America there are local jackpots that cost a couple $100 to enter, a hand full of times, for a chance to win $1000. Better return than amateur and leisure golf! But it can get expensive as you want to make it. I have seen multi-billionaires and welfare ropers rope together as a team and win. If you are interested in being the next competitive team roper, please visit the USTRC, World Series, PRCA, or any local associations, clubs, rodeos, and practice arena websites. Spectate and check out these events. You might want to get into something that you have been missing! ARE YOU A HEADER? PROS AND CONS If you have decided to start roping or have been struggling to decide if you should be a header or heeler I hope this helps you. Most of my career and success, I have heeled. But I headed for 6 years in my professional career. In that time I learned a lot about the difference between headers and heelers. 1st off, the pros and cons of heading. The pros of heading are #1-you will always get to throw your rope! If you can’t stand going to a jackpot and not getting to throw then you should head. The other side of that is your heelers might miss every steer for no reason, especially in low # ropings, but at least you can feel good about doing your job. #2-World Title. If you are trying to win the PRCA World championship or almost any rodeo association standings, being a header is like being a quarterback in the NFL. You make the plays. You can throw as fast as you want and don’t have to wait for the header to turn the steer like a heeler does. You can handle cattle and make your heeler look good. Job security as a header in the pro rodeos is better than a heeler. If you are a go getter and don’t want to rely on a partner to win a world title then heading is a great fit for you. Now the cons #1-jackpot heading. Heading at jackpots is kinda like playing the lottery. Especially in low numbered jackpots. You are at the mercy of your heelers. If you head for a #6 rated heeler or lower, you have no guarantee that they will catch, even if you handle perfectly. It will help to handle cattle perfect and rope with heelers that rope well for you, but they control the win if they can handle the pressure or get lucky. All you can do is try to find under numbered heelers or ones that have a consistent winning pattern and hope for the best. In open jackpots, headers and heelers are more equal, but heelers are still king. IS TEAM ROPING Right for Me?