No matter what level roper you are whether you're a jackpot roper, amateur rodeo roper or professional roper you're probably getting ready for a finals of one kind or another as we approach the end of the year. That makes this an opportune time to cash in on the efforts made throughout the year. Everyone wants to be prepared for the big one, so you can do well and cap off the season with success. A lot of the guys I compete around, the ones going to the USTRC Finals and the NFR (Wrangler National Finals Rodeo), have been preparing for those competitions this fall. A lot of your roping-association finals, circuit finals and amateur finals, along with the NFR, are going to be held in buildings with fast setups. But that doesn't necessarily mean you want to rush things.
To prepare for those types of quick setups, you'd think you need to focus on being fast. But because of the arena conditions, everythings going to happen fast anyway. So as far as me preparing for a situation like that, I want my horse scoring good and leaving the box good and strong, and under control. That way, I can set up my position right out of the box and be in the place I want to be as the steers being turned in the corner.
With that good start out of the box, I can put myself in a place to get a fast shot if it presents itself and also a high-percentage shot. A lot of times you make a run in that situation, its just as consistent and faster than you'd expect, simply because things are set up to be fast.
The rookie guys comment that the'yre all keyed up and on edge trying to be fast. A lot of times you run over yourself doing that instead of doing what you did all year. Setting up good position and taking your first available shot instead of trying to be super, super fast is the ticket.
