I recently became a huge JoJo LeMond fan. It started this summer when a friend, Robert Humphrey came and stayed at my place. He was from Texas, a team roper and a friend of JoJo’s; we roped together a lot. Near the end of the summer Robert got a call from JoJo asking him to come and help transport horses as he was trying to make the Finals.
Robert left in July and stayed in touch weekly as he traveled all over the country. He kept me updated with phone calls and videos of JoJo’s runs and standings throughout the summer and into the fall. He and his partner Dakota Kirchenschlager were doing pretty well and reached as high as 13th in the standings. I watched the videos of each rodeo including the one in Pendleton where JoJo’s horse “Champ” went down hard and JoJo broke his collar bone and dislocated his shoulder. They missed the next four rodeo qualifiers.
About that time, Total Team Roping featured JoJo as a premier header in the NFR. He gave some pointers about heading and displayed his ability to reach to make some fast runs. I watched that session over and over, feeling like I was getting up close and personal, understanding his style. I kept hoping they were still going to make the Finals. At the “Gamblers Roping” in Perrin, Texas, he took another fall and got his foot caught in the stirrup. Quick thinking, throwing his loop, Dakota roped JoJo’s horse and kept him from dragging him around the arena causing more serious injuries. They finished 16th – one place out of the Finals.
Jake Barnes’ unfortunate accident happened and Robert called me right away to let me know JoJo was going to the Finals. He would be roping with Junior. Oh my! What an interesting turn of events. I was glued to the TV every night during the Finals, hoping JoJo and Junior would win. I thought the two of them could be real fast. They were leading until the last night when JoJo missed his dally after a great horn catch. That mistake caused them to miss being the champions.
Unfortunately I’ve still not met JoJo, but I feel like I know him and was a part of his season through my friend Robert and closely watching his progress.
Recently I was asked “How can you believe and feel that you have a relationship with Jesus when you have never seen or met Him?” I said I study His word, I pray, praise and believe in Him by faith. By following and learning about Him, I know that I know Him. Jeremiah 29:13 says “you will seek Me, inquire Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” You can have a relationship with Jesus by seeking Him with all your heart.
Rope great! Thank you for your comments and prayer requests. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Thank you for your comments and prayer requests: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.