Specific Practice

There are 52 weeks in a year, and all the different arenas and setups we face are intermingled. The advantage us veterans have over the new guys is that we've been everywhere and know what the conditions are and what to prepare for. Every day we practice we work on the different styles of roping to fit the next place we're going, whether it's a one-head rodeo, the NFR or the BFI.

The conditions, steers you rope and horse you ride have a lot to do with how you practice. Before the NFR, several guys modify their arenas to the same dimensions as the Finals and try to get the same type of cattle so they can simulate the runs they'll make at the NFR. At that time of year, you want to tighten things up and prepare to be 4 every run.

Before the NFR or other short-score setups like the George Strait (Team Roping Classic), you're going to practice roping fast. You don't want to make all those fast runs on your good horse, so you'll be riding several practice horses to make those runs. The same principle applies if you're a lower-numbered roper wanting to sharpen up your go-round runs.

Your practice horses are crucial, because it doesn't do you a whole lot of good if you aren't practicing on a horse that allows you good, quality practice. Be careful of practicing on a young horse, unless you're into horse training, or you'll be sacrificing your roping practice. Your practice horse needs to score, and not get hot in the box. You don't want to spend a lot of your practice time fighting your horse. You might need to have a few practice horses to get all the runs you'll need to make.

There are several styles of roping. Another type of roping you prepare for are events like the BFI or Salinas, where you have harder running steers and longer scores. You're going to need to really practice your scoring before those events, because the start is so critical. And you're going to have to be mounted. You can't get by at those kinds of events on a lesser horse.