Q: Dear Broc,
It doesn't happen often, but the other day my header had a neck catch. I had a lot of trouble being prepared to throw with a handle that isn't as controlled as a horn catch handle. What do you do when you see a neck catch in order to give yourself a chance at a fast/high percentage shot? With a normal handle, I usually rope two feet pretty fast, but I want to be prepared (and fast) in every situation.
Thanks,
Tom, Laramie, Wyo.
A: When I see that Logan got a good start and had to reach but didn't get a clean catch-got him around the neck-I know the steer is going to handle a lot stronger and have a whip to him and not square up like he would if he was roped around the horns.
I don't want to get myself stuck having only one shot to throw, so I stay away from him as much as I can. I want to hold my position until I make sure he's going to hop away from me clean, and then I go to him and heel him.
Right now I know I can't get too wide because I don't want him to jerk him away from me. Logan is trying to handle him fast because we're trying to be fast. With a neck catch, steers will whip around that corner, but then they don't go anywhere like they would if they were roped around the horns. They're going to switch out, stall for a second and then most of the time take a real big hop away from you. I try to set myself up for when he takes that first initial big hop to heel him.
