Pushing the Barrier by Speed Williams

Recently I was asked how traveling with my family differs from traveling before having kids. When first married, Jennifer and I would share the driving, making sure we were there in plenty of time and I was rested and ready.

A header has to dictate the start so it’s important to be there early enough to do your homework. He needs to know how to get out from behind the barrier. He needs to find out what steer he’s drawn and then talk to someone who has run him to get all the information he can.

Traveling with kids usually makes it difficult to rest. For some reason when we arrive it seems the kids are always rested, so they are not ready to lie down for a nap. Now days we try to make sure the phones, iPad or computer are charged before leaving home, and we make sure we have movies they can watch going down the road.

Traveling with kids multiplies the hours it takes to get ready. There’s no more sleeping until two hours before competition. You have to get the kids dressed, fed and moving before you can even begin preparing to rope. If the kids get sick, your priorities change and then your preparation is lacking.

Though it’s more work and effort when the kids are along, it’s a labor of love. It means the world to me to be with my kids every day. I realize they will only be small and young once and I don’t want to miss any of it.

The other day I took Gabe with me to the rodeo in San Angelo while my mom and wife went to the Wildfire All Girl roping. The first morning I let him sleep and he was not happy about me leaving him in the trailer while I roped. The next morning I’m up in the slack at 8 a.m. We get up at 5 a.m., get him some breakfast and by 6:30, when they’re drawing steers, we’re saddled and warming up. Gabe really enjoyed having his horse there, but it was nerve wracking for Daddy to make sure he stayed safe.

So, to answer the question of how traveling with your family changes things – it changes your routine drastically. But then again, if you’re trying to be a good parent, it’s supposed to.

What’s new with me: Many times I’ve been asked to provide a way for people to see what the locked videos are all about. I’m happy to say you can now pay to view one video; five videos or twenty-five videos. My online store is also now up and running. I’ve had many requests from people who want to buy the ropes I actually use, that are made for me. These are now available through my online store at speedroping.com.

If you’ve never been to speedroping.com, my runs from the George Strait roping and most other places are there and free to watch. The locked versions are slowed down and include my commentary on what I was thinking and what went right or wrong.

For those of you who’ve been following Rope Myers on Full Metal Jousting, you can watch Gabe’s version on my website. It’s pretty funny.