PAGE 4 ROPERS SPORTS NEWS MARCH 2024 Congratulations Team Fast Back! MATT FUNK HERMISTON, OR - $135,000 ROPE USED: MACH 4 DAYLAN & BRENDON FROST SHOWLOW, AZ - $222,000 ROPE USED: CURE JOEL FUCHS SANTA ROSA, NM - $190,000 ROPE USED: COBALT KIRBY HILL PARIS, TX - $303,000 ROPE USED: CENTERFIRE2 JENNINGS RODEO PHOTOGRAPHY #QualityToTheCore fastbackropes.com For more information, or to see the Speed Trainer in action, visit speedroping.com. For ordering information call: Developed by 8-Time Consecutive World Champion Team Roper, Speed Williams The Speed Trainer can help: • Improve balance and horsemanship • Learn to rope quicker • Dally better • Isolate and correct mistakes • Work with your horse for ` smoother and quicker runs 888-908-9047 RODEO CRIBBAGE BOARDS Shop at www.rodeocribbage.com (541) 419-9578 bob@rodeocribbage.com Play it & Hang it! A rodeo tradition embodied in a cribbage board – now you can play while tracing your path through the most nostalgic rodeo towns en route to the NFR and a Gold Buckle! Tan Hat (or Black Hat) Teal & Tan Boots Even when sitting still on the Speed Trainer, people pull themselves up by the reins when they stand up to rope. I often put the dummy very close to the Speed Trainer where you have to learn to stand up and rope. This helps, especially with the World Series barrier, where it’s easy to get out on top of the steer. The main purpose of the Speed Trainer is to improve your riding. It’s hard to believe how many headers from #7+ on down struggle with roping the dummy close and not pulling on their horse or using their legs. I move the dummy all around like playing “around the world” in basketball. This is to find where peoples’ weaknesses are. The Speed Trainer has four lights: a green, two yellows, and a red. Three seconds after your run is complete the lights will light up according to how hard you pulled on the reins. Green is ideal with red being the worst. The machine is impartial and doesn’t lie, even though most people don’t want to believe they’re pulling on the reins. Your horse should leave off the release of pressure, so the Speed Trainer is designed with a green light lit up when there’s slight tension or pressure on the reins. One of the simplest drills I use is once the light is green, I say “Ready, set, go” and you drop the reins, stand in the saddle with your weight in the stirrups, butt up out of the seat while swinging your rope… all at the same time. Two swings and rope. Once you dally, you stop the clock. A Breaking It Down with Speed Williams So You Got Your New Speed Trainer...Now What? I’m happy to report we have good news about Hali’s road to recovery. We recently took her to a specialist in Houston who told her the tendon she injured will take eight months to two years to completely heal. This injury is pretty rare and short of a major accident she won’t reinjure the tendon. However, after two years if it’s not healed, she may need surgery. She tried to rope a couple of times this year and due to pain, was afraid she was causing more damage. But after the good news from the specialist, she’s been out practicing and roping quite a bit. I’ve had a lot of lessons lately. We’ve been running a pen of steers, then a pen of calves and do this a couple times before watching the video and breaking it all down. She’s been riding all the horses that could possibly make a breakaway horse. She’s excited to get back on the trail and we are currently at a jackpot in Glen Rose, on a Wednesday night, where they have 60 girls entered. Gabriel has been working on his heading quite a bit. He’s been getting on the Speed Trainer by himself and trying to work through a few things. Smarty has been selling quite a few Speed Trainers lately. The Speed Trainer now comes with a QR Code painted on the shoulder that will take customers to videos that show how to use the machine. I enjoy getting messages from people telling me they’ve finally got one. Now is when I have to remind them this is a training tool and not to get frustrated when the lights keep going off. It’s just a fact that ropers in general, breakaway, tie down, and team ropers, don’t realize how much they unintentionally pull on their horse for balance. See SPEED WILLIAMS On Page 22
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