The Advantages Of Year-Round Roping

They call Stephenville, Texas, the Cowboy Capital of the World. But Arizona is the mecca of team roping, because the masses of ropers migrate there each winter for all the ropings and beautiful weather.

If you rope for a living, South is the way to go—typically Texas or Arizona— because you don’t have to deal with the elements and winter weather. You can practice year-round and there are lots of jackpots to go to in both of those places, so whether you rope for a living or as your hobby, those places allow you to rope as much as you want. In colder climates, you have to deal with the snow and the cold, and that’s a big disadvantage.

I was raised in Southern California, where the weather was good and there were a lot of jackpots. The big, prestigious ropings back then were Oakdale (the other Cowboy Capital of the World, historically), Chowchilla and Riverside. My family subscribed to Ropers Sports News when I was a kid, and I would read it and catch up on all the big dogs monthly. I read up on what the Camarillos, Jim Rodriguez, Ken Luman and Walt Woodard were winning, and followed the standings.