Pushing the Barrier with Speed Williams December 2014
0Pushing the Barrier by Speed Williams – December 2014
Reflecting on the USTRC Finals
Everyone who ropes at the USTRC Finals has dreams of winning big. The simple fact is that very few win, leaving the rest with a long drive home. For those who didn’t win, I have a few questions for you. Do you know what happened? Do you know what caused it to happen?
I’m doing my voiceovers on the video of my runs at the finals and reviewing what happened for me. I rode a young 7-year old named Quannahkool. He wasn’t quite ready for the US Finals, this being his 7th jackpot, but has been working well and given me a chance to win everywhere I’ve gone.
In the preliminaries, Brock Hanson and I made a good run on our first steer. Our second steer was a little wild and my horse slipped just as Brock threw his rope. Blake and I drew a good steer and I roped him fast. Blake ended up inside a little and the steer’s tail hit the bottom strand of his rope and it never went under the cow.
In the Shoot-Out, our first steer ran hard and my horse slipped. Brock roped him fast, but missed his dally and we were eight flat. By the time we ran our second steer, there were quite a few teams that were 12-seconds on two head. I decided to gamble a little in an effort to catch up and we were 5.8. On our third steer I decided to make a good run with a smaller loop, using my horse to catch up rather than reach. I got a decent start, the steer ran hard and I was about a coil and a half away. In a split second I made the decision to reach. My target was off about an inch and a half below the right horn.
As the roping turned out, it was very tough and there were a lot of teams that had a chance to win. When the roping ended three seconds, on five head, separated the top six teams. I planned on being more conservative, but left my game plan in the middle of the battle. I’m very disappointed that I did not stay disciplined. That comes from not competing on a regular basis.
The positive I took from the finals is my horse got better every day I rode him. That doesn’t usually happen with young horses. Normally they get very antsy. Even though I didn’t win any money, I was excited that my horse worked well and gave me a chance.
Regardless of the level of roper you are, it’s essential to understand what happened and, more importantly, why it happened. Having someone video your runs, both in the practice pen and during competition, is invaluable. I can’t stress enough the importance of seeing and understanding the little things that occur during a run.
I spend most of my time teaching private schools at my house. I’m a drill-oriented person and I break a run down to a walk. You have to perform the fundamentals correctly at a walk before even thinking about going fast. Heading or heeling, you must be able to take the proper steps and figure out where your weaknesses are.
What’s new with me: We just got back from the USTRC Finals. Soon I’ll have the video up with voiceover of my performance. We’re preparing for the World Series Finals in Las Vegas. From what I hear, it’s supposed to be huge. Supposedly the #10 has about 600 teams entered at $2,000 per man. Speedroping.com will have a booth at the South Point. Stop by and say hello if you’re there roping for that life-changing amount of money. We now have 2,500 videos available online at speedroping.com.
