Official Publication Of The
(California)
American Cowboy
Team Roping
Association
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the fun, excitement, and competition
yourself or with your entire family!

Address for California ACTRA Office:

  33199A Rd 212 • Woodlake, CA 93286 • 559-564-8832 • 559-564-3657 (fax)

ACTRA Celebrates 30 Years Of Success

By Mike Sweeney
Special To Ropers Sports News

     As the New Year begins ACTRA is preparing for a milestone, their 30th anniversary.  Through the years ACTRA has many success stories. To tell the whole story would take more than this article has room for.  
     Therefore, we would like to highlight just a few that we feel tell the story of ACTRA’s success.
     In the early 80’s team roping was a sport that needed a place where ropers could go and compete and the playing field was fair for all ropers. There had been many attempts to handicap ropings so there were different winners, not just the best in the sport. There were Century ropings, Over 40 ropings, Mixed ropings and Non Winner ropings, just to name a few.
     A group of arena operators and ropers in California came up with an idea to handicap ropers by the amount of money they had won. The computer being a relatively new tool, it seemed it might be the answer the team roping industry needed. Pat Hunnicutt took on the challenge of gathering data and using it to build a handicap system based on money won.  Thus the American Computer Team Roping Association was born, (later to be changed to the American Cowboy Team Roping Association). This way of handicapping seemed to level the playing field and team roping started to thrive along with ACTRA. ACTRA was set up as a non-profit organization owned and operated by its members.  The relationship that was built between ACTRA and arena operators needs were another important part of this success story.
     As the association grew and added more Chapters, the National Finals became the focal point of the association. The National Finals bounced around from California to Las Vegas to Winnemucca back to Las Vegas and finally found their home in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Livestock Event Center.  Reno has become the home of the ACTRA National Finals for the past 16 years. The relationships that have been built between ACTRA and the many businesses in Reno are a big part of the success story.
     A couple of programs that developed through the years are the Catastrophe Fund and the Scholarship Fund. Through the years, over $350,000 have been given to members in need and to our young adults wanting to further their education. These two programs have generated success story after success story.
     In recent years it was decided not to keep the best kept secret in team roping a secret any longer. With an aggressive marketing strategy to grow the association through such media outlets like the Roping Show, Spin to Win Rodeo, Ropers Sports News, Rodeo News, Wyoming Wrangler and webcasting live from the Finals, the association grew at a phenomenal rate.
     The next success story would be the partnerships formed with our sponsors. ACTRA took a different approach to sponsorships as they were looking at them more like partnerships.  By working together for common goals it proved to be one success story after another.  
     With all the success stories ACTRA could tell, none could be greater than the leadership throughout the years. From the very early years ACTRA had a vision of what the association could be. The determination and passion for the association was present in everyone who served on the different Boards.  ACTRA has been blessed with some great people!
     There are many stories that could be told but rather than look back we want to look forward to building and writing new success stories. The 30th anniversary year will surely be one of those stories.
Visit us at www.actra.org for more information.

Will MacKerracher, left, was the high point #3 & under roper
and won the saddle. Walt Rodman presents the award.

MacKerracher Wins Saddle
At Quarter Circle R roping

     Quarter Circle R Productions held the first of their ropings at the Rodman Ranch Arena in Galt, Calif., on Nov. 25, 2011.Anival Guerrero was named high point #3.5 & over roper and was awarded $500. William MacKerracher was the high point #3 & under roper and won the saddle.

    Results are as follows (payoffs are per roper):

NOVEMBER 25, 2011
#8 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 4 for $30, 37 teams.
      1st. go: 1st. Ron Harrison and Jake Juenemann, 5.94, $40.
     Average: 1st. Anival Guerrero and Walt Rodman, 33.99, $220. 2nd. Ron Harrison and John Wheatley, 34.77, $133. 3rd. John Callahan and Jake Juenemann, 36.05, $90.
#6 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 3 for $22, 31 teams.
      1st. go: 1st. Joey Sanchez and William MacKerracher, 9.86, $22.
     Average: 1st. Todd Kell and Fred Templeton, 25.57, $123. 2nd. Joey Sanchez and William MacKerracher, 29.98, $74. 3rd. John Freeman and William MacKerracher, 33.61, $49.
#6 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 2 for $16, 23 teams.
     1st. go: 1st. Junior Castello and Dennis Nissen, 8.70, $16.
     Average: 1st. Todd Kell and Kelley Pile, 8.19, $63. 2nd. Todd Kell and Earl Robbins, 21.62, $42.

NOVEMBER 27, 2011
#8 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 4 for $30, 31 teams.
     1st. go: 1st. Anival Guerrero and John Freeman, 7.11, $30.
     Average: 1st. Anival Guerrero and John Freeman, 29.40, $168. 2nd. Joey Sanchez and Matt Griffith, 30.25, $101. 3rd. Joey Sanchez and Bo Patzke, 34.33, $67.
#6 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 3 for $22, 41 teams.
     1st. go: 1st. John Freeman and Daniel Ibarra, 8.82, $25.
     Average: 1st. Mike Potts and Fred Templeton, 27.44, $162. 2nd. Lisa Potts and William MacKerracher, 28.17, $98. 3rd. John Freeman and William MacKerracher, 35.96, $66.
#6 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 2 for $16, 34 teams.
     1st. go: 1st. Todd Kell and Dennis Nissen, 7.63, $16.
     Average: 1st. Travis Britton and Tracy Callahan, 16.08, $92. 2nd. Joey Sanchez and Dave Carlson, 20.56, $55. 3rd. Kelley Pile and John Wheatley, 22.66, $37.

DECEMBER 11, 2011
     High point #3 & over roper was Anival Guerrero, and high point #3 & under roper was Trevor Gonzales.
#8 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 3 for $20, 26/31 teams.
     1st. go: 1st. Steve Waldron and Earl Robbins, 8.94, $20.
     Average: 1st. Trevor Gonzales and Moses Gonzales Sr., 27.97, $120. 2nd. Walt Rodman and Barbara Greer, 39.36, $70. 3rd. John Freeman and Larry Parsons, 39.75, $45.
#8 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 3 for $20, 14/16 teams.
Average: 1st. Walt Rodman and Anival Guerrero, 33.51, $105. 2nd. John Freeman and Kelsey Bengoa, 34.29. 3rd. Anival Guerrero and Kelsey Bengoa, 34.52.

Anival Guerrero, left, was the high point #3 & over roper on Dec. 11.
Trevor Gonzales, right, high point #3 & under roper.
Roping producer Walt Rodman presents their awards.