High point winners of the Optimal Hospice Foundation roping were left to right: Justin Wood, Matt Devine, roping producer Steve Hatcher, Billy Butler and son, and Tanner Watt.

13th Annual Optimal Hospice Foundation
Team Roping Is Another Big Success

By Mac Mullins
Special To Ropers Sports News

SHAFTER, CA — The Optimal Hospice Foundation’s 13th annual roping held at Thunderhead Ranch was, again, a wonderful event. The day was beautiful, sunny and warm (until the end!). One hundred and ten team ropers making up 400 teams were in attendance competing for the saddles, buckles, halters, breast collars, gift certificates and the $2000 added money!
We started our day with the national anthem and some heart felt words from Steve Hatcher. Many of us have been touched by the wonderful services of hospice, giving our loved ones dignity and control in their last days and a measure of peace to us as well. They work tirelessly to raise money to enable services to be provided without charge to families suffering a terminal illness. Paul and I personally thank them for the support with our parents.
Special thanks go to the committee members, sponsors and participants for making this year’s event a success.
Save the date! Next year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2013.
First place winners in each average won buckles and Fast Back gift certificates and each of the first go winners won Jodi Reese bronc halters. The 4½ and 6 high point of each roping won a Cactus saddle with second earning a breast collar. And the #10 4-steer average winners went home with an extra $2000 while the incentive winners won custom leather bronc halters. The #4½ roping had a tie for high point between Josh Lynch and Tanner Smith and the cowboys were facing a sudden death, 3-steer rope off. Both ropers picked another of their partners from the pot and everyone else lined up to watch. In the first go, both teams missed, in the second go there was bad luck as well, and in the last go Josh won the saddle and Tanner won the breast collar! My hat is off to those two. They held it together under the pressure of all eyes on them and a big prize hanging in the balance!
Payoffs are per team:
#10½ HDCP Draw: 3 for $30, 113 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Justin Wood and Matt Devine, 5.94, $300 + bronc halters. 2nd. Tanner Watt and John Taylor, 6.08, $170. 3rd. Tanner Watt and Billy Butler, 6.23, $120.
Average: 1st. Tanner Watt and Billy Butler, 18.27, $1,180 + buckles and Fast Back gift certificates. 2nd. Cash Parrott and Billy Butler,18.71, $930. 3rd. Bud Stubblefield and Frank Perez, 20.30, $660. 4th. Josh Lynch and Tristan Luther, 20.33, $400. 5th. Del Van Sickle and Tyler Forsberg, 20.90, $170.
#4½ Pick or Draw: 3 for $30, 98 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Dominic Sill and Billy Butler, 6.86, $280 + bronc halters. 2nd. Jill Johnson and Kevin Pascoe, 8.13, $170. 3rd. Stacy Jernigan and Aaron Rouse, 8.18, $110.
Average: 1st. Josh Lynch and Tanner Smith, 34.00, $1,120 + buckles and Fast Back gift certificate. 2nd. Craig Wilson and Mike Clark, 35.48, $880. 3rd. Cindy Mallory and Lewis Luther, 35.74, $640. 4th. Sandy Perez and Robert Jernigan, 37.94, $380. 5th. Terry Summers and Ed Watkins, 39.97, $$160.
#10 Roping (with #5½ Incentive): 4 for $50, 98 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Bear Pascoe and Rodney Rivera,$470 + bronc halters. 2nd. Bear Pascoe and Denny Watkins, 5.48, $280. 3rd. Dustin Hermrick and David Gill, 5.95, $190.
Incentive average: 1st. Theresa Paulmann and Clif Partain, 34.71, $520 + bronc halters. 2nd. Sandy Perez and Zane Denio, 49.71, $350.
Long average: 1st. Dustin Hermrick and Andy Holcomb, 27.34, $3,870 + buckles and Fast Back gift certificate. 2nd. Jessie Townsend and Shawn Parrott, 29.67, $1,500. 3rd. Phil Selby and Blaine Ketscher, 30.99, $1,070. 4th. Jake Raine and Keith Coleman, 33.63, $640. 5th. Bodi Dodds and Denny Watkins, 33.95, $290.
#6 Pick or Draw: 3 for $30, 67 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Dominic Sill and Clint White, 6.26, $230 + bronc halters.
Average: 1st. Dominic Sill and Clint White, 22.90, $1,060 + buckles and Fast Back gift certificates. 2nd. Mike Rankin and Clif Partain, 26.74, $640. 3rd. Jessie Townsend and Lewis Luther, 32.23, $420.
Dominic Sill was the high point saddle winner and the breast collar went to Clint White.

High point winners, left to right: Dominic Sill, Josh Lynch, Tanner Smith, roping producer Steve Hatcher and Billy Butler.