Pushing the Barrier

The mental game plays a huge part in the success of your team roping. Being confident in yourself and your horses is crucial. That confidence comes from the practice pen. Practice making correct runs of various situations. Whether it’s being fast, just catching and being under eleven-seconds, or whether you need to be seven. There are a lot of situations that need to be practiced and each is done differently.

Don’t make it a habit of going to the practice pen and doing the same thing over and over. If you run to the hip in the same position, every time, what will happen at a roping if your steers ducks, or checks off. Neither the barrier nor the steers will be the same anywhere you go. There are different ways to practice scoring, riding, and reaching. As you practice different situations correctly you gain confidence.

Another confidence booster is knowing your horse will work, giving you the opportunity to execute the run. Again, this comes from your experience in the practice pen. That confidence is a luxury I had when I was hauling Bob and Viper. I knew Bob was going to run to the cow and let me set up the run without having to reach. He was great in the long score because he could run so fast. Viper was great in the short scores because he was very athletic and had lots of cow. He scored well and went wherever the cow went and allowed me to use my arm to do whatever I needed.

If you are not confident your horse will work, it’s hard to have a positive attitude. If you know your horse won’t score, is going to duck, or do other things wrong then it’s impossible to be confident.

Another part of the mental game is not second-guessing yourself. One year at the NFR I was 0 for 3. When I backed in the box in the fourth round I still came firing and threw my rope when the barrier pulled. I had to lie to myself and convince myself I had done everything right and won the last three rounds. When you nod your head you don’t need any doubts. When you second-guess yourself you make a lot of mistakes.

Make a variety of correct runs in the practice pen. Rope the dummy on the ground from a variety of positions. This kind of preparation is key for your confidence and mental game. You need to know you can overcome a variety of situations.

What’s going on with me: This week we went to three different open ropings, including Odessa and Waco. The short rounds and my runs are up on my website at speedroping.com. We now have over 1,300 videos available for viewing. There’s some great video of recent practice sessions with Jade Corkill, Marty Becker and Clay Cooper.

Next week we’re headed to Florida for the NTRL Finals in Jacksonville, my hometown. There we’ll have a booth and I’m looking forward to visiting with a lot of old friends.

My son is learning how to take over my job. The other day he roped the Hot Heels and came in my office and did the voice over about his roping and riding Blackie. If you need a good laugh, be sure and watch it. It’s very cute.

It’s very likely the WNFR is going on while you’re reading this. People ask all the time if I miss competing at the NFR. Without question, I miss the adrenaline rush that comes from backing in the box, with packed stands, and roping for so much money. There’s no way to explain what that feels like.

What most people don’t realize is the amount of sacrifice and commitment it takes to get to that moment. There are many sleepless nights and miles of driving expensive rigs that haul horses that can cost a much as a starter home. There are so many things that must be done all year in order to get to the finals and have a chance to win $100,000 and a world championship.

Though grateful for the opportunity, this particular ten-day span is anything but a vacation. During the NFR, contestants are busy during the days fulfilling commitments to their sponsors for autograph sessions and appearances. There is lots of visiting and handshaking with fans and long lost friends. Many guys keep their horses off grounds where they can practice and have access to nicer stalls. Then they have to haul their horses to the rodeo through the traffic, which is nuts from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. I always tried to have my horse on the grounds by 4 p.m. and to be on the grounds myself an hour before the performance. Sometimes, if I was lucky, I could catch a fifteen-minute nap in an effort to unwind.

Team ropers get a chance to run the steers through at the Thomas & Mack a day or so before the rodeo starts. We would video the steers and keep a list of what each steer did. Every night I would find out the steer I’d drawn and then watch him go on video. Steers don’t always make the same run, but it’s important to have an educated guess of what to expect and be able to overcome any bad habits they might have.

The first year I went to the NFR and didn’t compete, I didn’t really enjoy being there and didn’t want to watch. Last year, however, there were so many guys wearing a speedroping.com patch that it was exciting for me. It meant a lot that my peers were willing to help promote my business. Sitting in the stands, texting and talking to them every night is a big rush. It’s exciting to see what their mindset is.

One of the hardest things to overcome at the NFR is getting off to a bad start, which I’m famous for. I don’t wish that to happen to anyone, but it does and it’s interesting to see guys overcome it. The whole world is watching and you need to be able to deal with and fix your problems. You have 23 hours and 59 minutes to dwell on what you did wrong, overcome it and turn it into a positive. Usually the guys who let the previous night’s mistakes affect them will endure some grief. Probably the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me was getting my rope under my horse’s tail. This was caused by a mistake on my part and almost cost us a world championship. But, I got it out and we were able to place in the average and ultimately win the world title.

Without a doubt one of the most stressful parts of competing at the NFR is trying to field hundreds of calls from people who want tickets to the rodeo. This year I’m in the same boat. Being an 8-time world champion doesn’t mean anything when it comes to getting tickets. I try not to bother the guys roping because I remember the drama it caused me.

Speedroping.com will have a booth at the South Point so I will be there for the World Series of Team Roping Finals. Any of my subscribers competing need to stop by the booth and pick up some patches. We will have a random drawing for subscribers where we will give away a new Hot Heels roping machine. You can also subscribe at the booth. Please don’t forget to wear a patch while you’re roping – no patch, no prize – even if you’re name is drawn. Feel free to stop by the booth and visit. Good luck to everyone roping at the NFR and the World Series.

What’s new with me:  Yesterday was exciting at the Williams ranch. I had a deal with my seven-year old daughter, Hali, that when she caught five steers in a row she would be allowed to turn off. She’s been working on it for a couple of months and yesterday was the day. I would have been happy if she didn’t turn any until she was nine or ten but she worked very hard at it and I have to keep my word. I have to admit I was pretty nervous and will be for some time. When you are dealing with animals and people, anything can happen and you have to be willing to deal with it.

We now have over 1,250 videos online with over 1,000,000 watched. Recent videos include practices with Jade Corkill, Brad Culpepper and Kaleb Driggers. Quite a few guys are supposed to come rope before the NFR. We video this practice and I break down the runs in slow motion. Stop by speedroping.com and see what’s new.

I will be staying at the MGM during the NFR. If you need accommodations during the NFR, you can visit speedroping.com and click on the MGM link to get a special rate.

Pushing the Barrier – November 2011

Rich Skelton and I have been teaching a few schools lately. Recently we had a school in Amarillo and one at Rich’s house in Llano. We have a school in Elk City, OK this weekend, and one in Idaho the first week in November.

We have made a significant change in our schools where the first thing we do is film students roping steers. Then we stop and watch it on a television to show people what they are doing wrong. This is so much more effective than explaining what they did wrong after their run is finished. This way they don’t have to try and process the information, they can see it themselves and know immediately what we’re explaining. Using this method has made a huge difference in how quickly people improve.

Video cameras and video technology have improved tremendously in the last four or five years. The biggest improvement is the ability to freeze-frame in high quality letting us be more effective teachers. We can freeze-frame or slow down the video and show students in great detail exactly what’s happening and how to fix it.

The number of people who have never watched themselves rope on film is amazing to me. Many of these people have roped for more than twenty years. I have used a video camera as tool since I was 14 or 15. The quality was not particularly good back then, but it was still a valuable tool.

If you are going to spend your time, effort and money roping, you need to take the time to film yourself and watch it. This way you can see what you and your horse are doing and where you need to improve. It is incredibly hard to be aware and able to pin point this while making a run. Seeing it with your own eyes makes all the difference in the world. If you are serious about improving your roping, this is one of the most valuable tools you can use.

What’s new with me:  This week we’re headed to Oklahoma City and the USTRC Finals. I have a terrific opportunity for speedroping.com subscribers. We will have a drawing for a complete NFR package that includes two tickets for the last five performances to this year’s NFR, along with a suite at the MGM Grand Hotel.

To qualify for this drawing, you need to be a speedroping.com subscriber and wear a speedroping.com patch while competing. To subscribe to our site and/or pick up your patch stop by our booth located in the coliseum, between the Hot Heels and Priefert booths near the concession stand. The drawing will take place on Sunday, right after the #8 roping starts. You do not have to be present to win. Subscribers will also be eligible for the drawing for a private school at my house.

At speedroping.com, we now have 1,170 videos online and have crossed the 1,000,000 videos watched mark. It is a very exciting milestone for me. Please feel free to stop by our booth at the USTRC Finals.

Pushing the Barrier by Speed Williams – August 2011

Last month we talked about having the dream of making the National Finals Rodeo and what it takes to make that happen. There are guys who rope outstanding that don’t make the finals every year. There are guys with gold buckles who miss making the finals every year. Why? Because team roping has gotten a lot tougher and there are a lot of teams now who have a chance to win first at every rodeo. There are also many factors involved like entering, getting reruns and understanding how to give yourself the best chance to win. It’s not easy to make the NFR by any means.

If you are a heeler, it’s difficult to get a partner to go on the rodeo trail and win with.

That’s because there are many heelers who rope good enough to make the finals. There are plenty of #10 heelers who rope good enough but can’t find a partner with the horsepower or money to go all year long and risk what it costs to make the finals.

The rodeos have a variety of scores, boxes, and arenas and it normally takes more than one head horse to get the job done. Most successful headers will have a horse that performs well in a short score situation and one that performs well behind a long score. A horse that can do both well is almost impossible to find, but I have seen a few.

Occasionally you’ll see world champion heelers pick up young, gutsy headers with lots of ability because you never know who the next superstar will be. These are guys with a lot of range with their roping who can go fast, and ultimately have the ability to win at the NFR. If you can’t go fast, the odds of winning much at the NFR are pretty slim.

The mental factor is important when you rodeo at that level. You have to be mentally tough and able to be away from home and by yourself for long periods of time. If you miss or break a barrier on a good steer, can you drive 20 hours and show up at the next rodeo with a positive attitude and do your job to the best of your ability? You need a lot of confidence and have a good understanding of what it takes to win. That comes from practicing correctly before you ever leave home.

It’s rare to see two young ropers, in their first attempt, make the finals together. There’s a huge advantage to partnering or buddying with someone who has already made it. Guys that have been down that road know how to enter, where to practice and where to stay. That’s a huge advantage when you’re gone from home for months at a time. They know the set up at each rodeo, what kind of horse it takes to win and how to get them there.  There is so much preparation, planning and organization involved when you rodeo professionally at that level. Most people have no idea just how much preparation it takes.

Many parents of young and talented kids frown upon paying a partner, or his expenses, to rope with their son. Many folks don’t realize that when I was young my father supplied the horses, the rig and the money, for me and my partners to rodeo. I was young and had not proven myself west of the Mississippi, but my dad understood that until I won, it was going to be hard to get a partner. If you have a son that wants to make the NFR, you’re much better off hiring someone with your beliefs that has been successful in professional rodeo. Whether you hire him as a partner or a buddy team to be a coach, this will give your son a better chance of making it to the NFR. I have seen lots of parents put their kids on the road with other youngsters and they fail time and again. It ends up taking them four or five years to qualify for the NFR. Young talent must have the opportunity to prove themselves and if your son ropes good enough, you won’t have to do this but one time and then he’ll be able to get partners.  But he has to be in a situation where he can show his skills.

A good example of the benefit of young headers roping with someone successful and experienced is Clay O’Brien Cooper. He has been a very good judge of picking young guys with lots of ability. Bobby Hurley roped with Clay for a year and went on to win three world titles. I roped with Clay for a year and then won eight world titles. Clay Tryan roped with Clay for a year and went on to win the world. Matt Sherwood and Walt Woodard. Chad Masters and Allen Bach. It’s very beneficial for young headers to rope with experienced heelers that can teach them the business part of rodeo and how to win. I learned a lot roping with Clay that helped me with my heading.

What’s new with me: We just got back from Reno, Nevada. Bob Feist allowed me to post runs on my website for the guys who wear my patch. The list includes: Chad Masters, Jade Corkill, Turtle Powell, Keven Daniels, Marty Becker, Riley and Brady Minor, Ryan Motes, Kaleb Driggers, Camish Jennings, Matt Funk, Coleman Proctor, and Brandon Beers. If you want to see their runs at the BFI, you can watch them for free on my website at speedroping.com.

Also the PDL, the $1 Million in 1 Day roping, as well as the All Girl short rounds are all free to watch. There are close to 1,000 videos online now with 2,500 views averaged daily. We have had 850,000 total views to date with more videos added regularly. We are accepting advertising on speedroping.com. Please visit my site at speedroping.com for more information.

Pushing the Barrier – July 2011

One question I’m often asked is, “How do I make it to the NFR?” There is no easy answer, so I will be writing a series of articles this summer that cover my opinion on this.

Many people have dreams of competing at the National Finals Rodeo. Are they just dreams or can you turn it into a reality? How much time, effort, and work, are you willing to put into it? Don’t get me wrong, everyone has goals, but if you don’t have the necessary time and money, they are hard to achieve. The road to the NFR is an exceptionally hard and expensive trip and not as glamorous as many people think.

Before considering a run at the pro level, you need to be able to win your local Open ropings and rodeos on a regular basis. If you can’t win these, the odds of you winning out in the big pond are mighty slim because the competition is much tougher. Unless you’re in the Stephenville, TX area, where it’s not uncommon for an Open jackpot to have thirty world titles amongst the competition.

In 1988, I left home heeling for Casey Cox and we made the NFR at the bottom of the pack. During this time, I saw a bigger need for headers than heelers. I went home and convinced my father that I needed to head at the pro rodeos.  I had spent my entire life working on my heeling and had won everything there was to win heeling back east. This was before the number system where everyone roped against everyone else in the jackpots. When I was 14 years old, there were places where when I showed up they would say I could head, but not heel at the roping. As a heeler, I thought heading was much easier than it was. It’s different heading at jackpots, than at rodeos where you have to spin one steer to win, versus catching every cow and seeing what you win at the end.

I spent a couple of years heading for Brad Culpepper at amateur rodeos and jackpots in the southeast, and we won consistently. If our horses weren’t working, or we needed to regroup we would go home for a bit. We always tried to go out for a couple of months and then make a plan to go home for a couple of weeks.

Be brutally honest with yourself. If you cannot win locally at the rodeos and jackpots, your odds of winning when you leave home and go rope against everyone else in the country, with the same dream, are not very good. There are guys who do not make the NFR every year that rope outstanding.  There are guys with gold buckles who miss making the finals every year.

What’s new with me: We have close to 1,000 videos on my website now at speedroping.com. I recently put up the short rounds from the Windy Ryon Open and All Girl along with the World Series Heartland Finale, in Guthrie, OK.

In the last seven weeks, I’ve had Rich Skelton, Brad Culpepper, Clay O Cooper, Jade Corkill, Marty Becker, Ryan Motes, and Paul Eaves at the house roping. If you want to see two tough heelers head, I’ve got Clay O and Jade Corkill heading on my practice horses. They’re bringing the heat, and showing us how they’d do it at the NFR.

I film pretty much every day and upload these videos almost daily with my voiceovers. We are getting ready to take off for the BFI and the Perry Di Loreto Roping. As last year, Jennifer will load my runs at the BFI within an hour of my run.

Pushing the Barrier – June 2011

One of the most overlooked areas when roping, in both practice and competition, is the condition of the ground in the arena. This is something Rich and I had in common, we were both picky about how well the arena was worked. The arena is like my office and I like it to be well prepared and ready.

It’s very hard for your horse to perform at a high level when he doesn’t have good footing. It amazes me how many places I go where so little attention is given to the condition of the ground. The arena will be too soft, too hard, or the boxes uneven. It’s not hard to lope up and catch a steer on bad ground. However, to ask your horse to run, turn or stop hard he needs to have good footing. Ideally you want two to four inches of sand or soft soil on top of the arena.

Taking the time to prepare the arena is really no different than warming your horse up. I know everyone is anxious to run steers but you have to realize what you’re asking of your horse. Does he have a chance to work correctly?

If the ground is too hard it’s very much like asking your horse to run down the highway. Not only is that hard to do, it sets him up for injury because horses are not built for that kind of impact.

If the ground is too soft or deep, it’s easy for horses to overreach, tear off shoes and stumble. This was a problem in Florida where we had so much sand. Adding clay and water and then working it into the arena helps.

Make working the arena ground part of your roping preparation, the same as wrapping your steers. Give your horse a chance to work his best and protect him from injury. Your horse is a substantial investment and you should treat him like one.

What’s new with me: In the last few weeks I’ve had four premiere heelers roping at my house: Rich Skelton, Brad Culpepper, Clay Cooper and Jade Corkill. For a special treat Jade rode my practice head horses and showed us how he would head at the NFR. It’s pretty good watching. Clay has promised to come back and do the same.

There’s now over 800 videos on my website. I’ve also been giving lessons at my house most days. For more information visit my website at: www.speedroping.com

Pushing the Barrier – May 2011

How well you face your horse determines much of your success as a header. Headers frequently cause their heelers to lose one or both feet after doubling a steer because of the way they face their horse. There are several factors to process while logging your steer across the arena and deciding when to face. You must gauge your partner, how big his loop is, and how quickly he dallies. Roping with one partner all the time takes the guesswork out of it, but, when roping at a jackpot with multiple partners, you need to react to what your heeler does.

To be effective, you must use your right leg to keep your horse pulling the steer while you’re facing. This allows you to continue to move while pulling, and will help the heeler come tight.

There’s no one perfect time to face your horse. Generally, it’s when your heeler starts to dally, however, if he has a big loop there’s a chance he could lose legs. The speed of the steer is also a factor. That’s why it’s so important to learn how to make your horse continue to pull while facing. I go over this in great detail on my website at speedroping.com. There, I have video of me demonstrating how to use your right leg while facing.

As a header, if you have a lot of partners that lose legs, you need to look at what you’re doing that can be causing this. Is your horse facing too early? Keep in mind if your horse is sore, he will not face very well. Facing requires him to use so much of his body, and if he’s sore he’ll be unable to face very well.

What’s new with me:  I just got back from the Hork Dog Roping and the Logandale rodeo. These short rounds, among others, are free to watch on my website at speedroping.com. We have over 100 short rounds available to watch. We now have over 750 videos online with more than 600,000 views to date.

I have made a deal with MGM Grand and will be offering NFR rodeo/hotel packages on my website. These are five night packages with NFR plaza seats. For more information, visit my website at speedroping.com.

Pushing the Barrier – April 2011

While growing up in Florida and learning to rope, I was always taught to pull my steers straight across the arena. It wasn’t until I moved to Texas to rope with Clay O’Brien Cooper that I learned differently.

Clay and I were in the practice pen and he asked me to take the steers back up the pen towards the boxes at a 10 to 15 degree angle. He explained that this opens the steer’s body and creates an opening for the heel loop. The header can create the angle by using his right leg and left hand while having the steer in tow.

The more control you have over your horse, the easier this is. If you don’t have control, it’s difficult, if not impossible. This is one reason I do drills on my head horses. If your horse won’t back off the bridle or you can’t side-pass, you are going to have problems handling steers. You can see these drills on my website at speedroping.com.

When pulling a steer down the arena, or towards the catch pen, the right front leg is a blocker and creates a smaller window for the heel loop to get through. That’s why when headers go down the arena, or angle towards the catch pen, heelers often miss. Ironically headers think it’s the heeler’s fault, but they’re making the steer a lot harder to catch. This can be frustrating for heelers who rope behind low numbered headers because this is a common mistake. To have success headers need to make the steer as easy to heel as possible.

What’s new with me:  We have crossed the 500,000, or half a million, mark for videos viewed with over 650 videos online. In addition to training videos we post most of the short rounds for the Open ropings I enter, like Odessa, San Angelo, Wildfire, and Robertson Hill Arena (my dream arena). There are a lot of free videos to watch so please feel free stop in and visit at speedroping.com.

Pushing the Barrier – February 2011

The other day I was involved in a situation that proved to be controversial with some of my peers. I always try to do what I think is right and there are times people don’t agree with me.

I made the short round at the Open Roping in San Angelo, TX, and came back 5^th high call, a little over 1.5 seconds out of first place. My steer stepped to the right then back to the left and my loop went under the right horn. I knew my loop hit badly and wasn’t sure if I had just the left horn and nose or not. I turned him off, my heeler roped two feet and we were 5.9. When I faced, my view was blocked and I couldn’t see anything except the left horn and nose and didn’t see anything wrong.

After about three jumps, it was obvious to me that my loop had the nose twice and it was illegal. I whistled at the flagger and saw him look, and I pointed to the head catch. Usually a flagger will either flag you out or come look. I rode back up and told him I had an illegal head catch and he answered, “I didn’t see it, I guess I made a mistake today.”

I asked the producer how we were going to handle this and he said he didn’t see anything.  I’ve had partners that don’t agree with me on this. Some think when the flagger is paid to do a job; it’s his job to flag it. They also believe in “cowboy justice” and that we all get bad calls and eventually it will work out when you receive a good call.

Is that the right thing to do? It’s a personal choice. If you rope long enough, you will get a questionable flag – sometimes in your favor, sometimes against you.  I believe in “cowboy justice” but when I don’t win something, I don’t want the money.  I want to do what I feel is right. In my opinion, I had an illegal head catch, due to my mistake, and didn’t win the money so it was not my money to take. I don’t want to take money from the guys that are trying to make a living roping, and I don’t want something I didn’t earn. I won $1,500 and didn’t want to take the money. I asked them to give $500 each to the guys in fifth and sixth place and to the header in seventh, who did not place.

All I’m concerned with is my head catch. If I see that my own head loop was illegal, without a doubt, I am going to say something about it.  That’s pretty black and white to me. I’m not saying that’s what everyone should do, that’s just what makes me able to live with myself, in peace, when I look in the mirror.

Everyone has an opinion about this, but ultimately we all have to answer for our own actions and that’s just the way I want to live my life. I’ve always felt this way. I don’t tell on my partner and don’t argue with the flagger on the heeling end when I’m heading. Flaggers occasionally make bad judgment calls such as flagging early, late, etc., and I can live with those decisions, whether it’s against me or for me. But if I have an illegal head catch that is all mine; I didn’t throw a very good loop and it’s easy for me to tell the flagger to check the head catch. Flaggers are human and make mistakes. You have to decide what is right and wrong in your own mind and be able to live with that.

What’s new with me: The short rounds of the Wildfire ropings are available and free to watch on my website at www.speedroping.com. There you can watch the short rounds of the Open, Business Man’s Roping and the Ladies Roping.

I now have 600 videos on my site with over 450,000 viewings. I have no plans to go on the road this year. My focus is to continue to do schools and build my video library so I can reach as many ropers as possible. If you’re struggling with your roping, come check out my website at www.speedroping.com. There are 100 free videos to watch that will give you an idea of what’s available with a membership.

Pushing the Barrier – February 2011

Lately I’ve been hauling a nine-year-old head horse I recently bought. Hauling a young or inexperienced horse takes extra time because you need to get there early so they can see the lights, the banners in the arena, the flags, etc. and get warmed up.

When hauling a new horse, for the first four events, I try to get there a couple of hours early and ride him around so he can become comfortable with his surroundings. Once you’ve hauled your horse a few times you won’t have to get there quite as early.

A young or inexperienced horse will cost you money if he gets distracted from doing his job. If you’re going to compete and put your money up, it’s important to give your horse every possible opportunity not to make any mistakes so you have a chance for success.

Each horse matures differently and can get scared by something as simple as a banner, a light or even someone moving in the grandstands. I’ve had horses that took months to get over these things and then I’ve had some that were okay after two or three times.

Most horses get nervous in new surroundings, so if you buy a horse and he’s never been in a building or seen banners hanging in the arena, you can’t blame him if he “buggers” or gets scared when he sees it for the first time. Getting him used to these things before you compete is just part of your preparation to rope.

In addition to introducing your horse to new things another crucial part of your preparation is properly warming your horse up before you rope. How much time this takes will also vary from horse to horse and may take a few times on your new horse before you have it figured out.

What’s new with me: The other day was very special for me: my little four-year old boy roped steers for the first time. When we came in the house, he told me that after dinner he needed to voice over his video. I started out talking and then he took over and talked for about two minutes. I don’t know if he knew what he was saying, but he has sat in my lap and listened to me so much that he was throwing out the terminology he’s heard. It was quite comical.

February 1^st will be the first anniversary of speedroping.com and I’ve very pleased and excited with how far we’ve come. We’ve had over 400,000 videos viewed on our site and now have over 550 videos online with 100 of those being free. If you haven’t visited speedroping.com, come by and see what all the fuss is about.