For most of us, trail riding is all about relaxation and enjoyment. When you leave behind the rigors and repetition of arena work, you can simply savor the experience of being in the saddle and perhaps getting to know your horse a bit better.

But sometimes a trail outing becomes a test of wills--and your skills. It’s hard to relax on a ride punctuated by successive spooks or interrupted by refusals to cross water or pass “scary” objects. And it’s exhausting trying to control constant jigging or, conversely, squeeze a little momentum out of a sluggish mount. The disappointment is even greater if every other horse on the ride seems to be taking everything in stride. What is it about those horses that makes them so much more fun to ride on the trails?

Finding the answer means looking beyond specific incidents and frustrations and taking a broader view of your horse’s training. To perform well on the trail, a horse must have a good foundation, says trainer and clinician Jonathan Field from British Columbia, Canada. “People don’t equate the same level of prep for trail riding as other disciplines because it seems like such a simple endeavor,” he says. “But the people who are living the dream, they’re the ones who have put in the time to make that horse the best trail horse he can be.”

To set out on that path yourself, you may need to revisit a few basic training exercises. Many of these will involve skills your horse learned long ago but hasn’t had to use very often. Others will focus on gaps in training that can be fudged a bit in the security of the riding ring but become significant issues when you’re away from home. But, mainly, going back to the fundamentals will help you address larger issues of compliance and respect that underlie many trail behavior problems.

Here are the seven things to teach your horse to keep your trail outings as harmonious and enjoyable as possible.

1. Teach your horse to: Load willingly.
“Big red flags go up when I see someone having trouble loading because it tells me about the willingness of the horse and if he has respect for the rider,” says Gary Woods, a frequent trail rider from Gilbert, Arizona, who is also my riding instructor of many years.

Loading into a trailer is basic to trail riding; you won’t get to many far-flung trails without a willing traveler. Although horses tend to be a little claustrophobic by nature, most learn to tolerate hauling, given enough time and patience. But loading problems are usually not just about getting into a trailer. They’re almost always about you and your horse, and where you stand in his estimation of your leadership skills.

I learned this the hard way years ago, when I called Woods to ask if he could help me retrieve my horse, Louie, from a friend’s backyard after he refused to load … for two days. Woods said he could help, but that it would take patience, trust and groundwork. He was right. Today, Louie is a consistent loader. He hops into any trailer when asked, and just as important, once we arrive at the trailhead, he’s quiet, confident and a pleasure to ride.

“If the horse is stressed out the whole time he’s in the trailer, and he’s burned up every ounce of confidence he’s ever had, and he’s sweating and scared, how is he ever going to go on that great ride you want?” points out Field. If you take the time to teach your horse to haul safely and confidently, many other issues will resolve themselves in the process, he says. Along with gaining the horse’s trust, exercises such as sending him over tarps and driving him through narrow openings can help prepare him for loading and hauling, according to both Woods and Field.

2. Teach your horse to: Go where you point him.
A good trail horse will go willingly over obstacles, around rocks, down canyons and, especially, through water. “At some point you’re going to come to water that you have to cross, and if your horse refuses, you’re going to have a problem,” says Field.

Some horses are willing to cross water and go where you point them, either by training or by nature. Woods says he can tell a lot about a horse’s willingness by his response to pressure. “If I touch his rib cage, I expect the horse to move over. If he doesn’t, that doesn’t mean I can’t teach him to move off of pressure, but a good trail horse will already have that ability,”
he says.

An unwilling horse is one of the more common problems for trail riders, but it’s also one of the more fixable ones, given the right training and leadership. Both Woods and Field do leading exercises to get the horse in sync with his handler’s body language. “If I’m not able to control the path on which my horse walks from the barn to the stall, why is he going to pay attention when we get out there and things get a whole lot more interesting?” points out Field, who expects his horses to walk stride for stride with him, just as they would with the herd.

“By having that level of sensitivity to the herd and awareness to every movement, they have no time to focus on anything else. Their focus is locked in on me, the leader,” he explains.

3. Teach your horse to: Come back to neutral.
A good trail horse will keep a cool head no matter what is happening around him. A mare in season, a barking dog or a small-scale mutiny among the other horses on a ride---any of these situations can turn ugly if your horse overreacts. “I see this happen a lot. A horse in the group becomes animated and starts bossing other horses around, and someone’s horse explodes as a result,” says Field. Some horses naturally have a calm and willing disposition, yes, but training, leadership and riding with intention can help to defuse any horse and bring him back to neutral in eventful situations.

“So many recreational riders are just going along. They’re not active in their intention, and the horse feels he has to look out for himself as a result,” says Field. Keeping your horse’s mind engaged while in hand or under saddle, and generally riding with purpose can help cooler heads prevail in times of high stress and uncertainty.

4. Teach your horse to: Be careful about where he puts his feet.
He has four of them, and he should know where they are and where you want him to put them next, says Woods. This is especially important when your horse is asked to scramble down a steep canyon of loose rock or to scoot around, say, a moving bike or low-hanging branch. I had some time to think about this recently as a small group of us braved a too-narrow mountain pass with a steep drop-off on one side. I remembered my conversation with Woods years ago, at a frustrating time when just about everything needed to be trained in or out of my little brown horse. “Give me one good reason why I should keep him,” I said to Woods, who replied, “Because he is sure-footed.” He was right, of course. Over the years, I’ve spent more than a few anxious moments in the saddle thanking my lucky stars that my horse could keep all fours on the ground during incredible circumstances and on tough terrain.

But what if your otherwise trail-worthy horse trips from time to time and sometimes seems a bit unstable? Woods and Field suggest getting him to pay attention to his feet by asking him to step over cross rails, around poles and through obstacles of all kinds, and the more uneven the ground, the better. “I’m never quite comfortable with a horse who’s raised on the flat because it’s like riding two horses. He’s bound to be out of balance so that if he gets in trouble on the front end, his back end can’t help him. Horses like this get trippy,” observes Field. He likes to back his horses up hills and down hills, and to get them to lift up their feet and round their backs when possible. “I want to see them get worked up and down hills in hand to figure out how to get themselves balanced, so that by the time I get on them, they have a pretty good idea where to put their feet,” he adds.

5.Teach your horse to: Overcome his flight instinct.
One day you’ll be ambling along the trail and, in the blink of an eye, you’ll come across a bear or deer or, more likely, a bush with fangs. Your horse’s split-second reaction should be to stop, not bolt, and to wait for your cue. “If I can wriggle the rein, and his ear comes around as if to say, ‘Yes, I’m here,’ that’s good. But if I try to wriggle my rein or touch him with my leg and he doesn’t move, that’s not good,” says Field, explaining that a refusal to move is almost as bad as a bolt---and, in fact, is a precursor to a bolt. “Anybody who has started young horses knows that the longer the horse takes to take his first step, the more he is going to come apart when he does because he’s stored up energy,” he explains.

Of course you can’t expect that your trail horse will never spook, but you’ll want to teach him not to overreact when he does. “He is going to spook at some time, so the question is how big is his reaction and how long is it going to be before he’s OK with it?” says Field. Simple observation can tell you a lot about how a horse reacts to new stimuli. Is he explosive without warning? Or does he take things in stride? Does he get worked up slowly and remain in a heightened state of alert for a long period? Or does he snort, approach the object of concern and return to a more relaxed state within no time?

Easygoing horses who quickly recover from surprises make the best mounts for trail riding. But it’s wise to spend time building any horse’s confidence. Trail challenge competitions and play days are great for desensitizing the horse and exposing him to new stimuli in a controlled setting. In addition, Woods suggests establishing a relaxation cue, such as a pat on your horse’s withers or a slight lift

of one rein as a “Come back to me” or “It’s OK” cue as one more measure of control should your horse’s world turn upside down while ambling down the trail.

6.Teach your horse to: Maintain his independence from other horses.
If your horse is friendly with his herdmates, that’s fine. But if he’s glued to the tail of the horse in front of him, that’s not. Likewise, if one horse in the group trots, your horse shouldn’t have to trot, too.

Seemingly little issues like these can become dangerous quickly if you’re separated from the group for any reason or if one horse bolts or starts acting out and your horse follows suit. “So often these horses live in small spaces, and they’re not used to horses coming and going. If their riders don’t fundamentally have the leadership to keep these horses with them, they lose control,” says Field.

To find out where your horse falls on the herd-bound spectrum, both trainers suggest watching him interact with his herd or taking him out for a ride alone. Does he call out to other horses or balk when leaving the property alone? Does he feed off the energy of other horses in the pasture? Does he readily back down when challenged by the herd? Or is he overly bossy?

An insecure horse is more likely to be herd-bound than a more confident one, but aggressive horses also exhibit a related behavior---a tendency to be bossy or pushy toward other horses, according to Woods.

He suggests exercises such as gradually lengthening the distance between you and other riders and keeping the horse’s attention on you at all times, which is at the heart of all herd-bound issues. “The reason he’s looking to other horses is because he doesn’t trust you, and that’s the number-one thing you need to develop in a good trail horse,” says Woods.

7. Teach your horse to: Head out as eagerly as he heads home.
A good trail horse has to be able to go anywhere without issue. He won’t jig, grow anxious, or bolt for the barn at the first sign you’re turning for home.

Barn-sour horses typically lack confidence and have many of the same tendencies as the herd-bound horse, and they may even be attached to their herdmates as well as to familiar surroundings.

Horses who are more curious by nature or have been exposed to different environments early on are more likely to adjust to the novelty of trail riding, while habitually barn-sour horses are more predisposed to be anxious in new settings and situations, according to Field. He says that many horses fall somewhere between these two extremes and simply need more exposure to new and different surroundings before they make confident mounts.

“A lot of horses live in 10- by 10-foot pens, and suddenly they’re put out on the side of a mountain somewhere with little or no preparation whatsoever. You have to be willing to prepare them for trail riding like you would any other activity,” says Field, who advises ponying a young horse with a more experienced, confident horse when possible.

He also suggests slowly expanding the barn-sour horse’s zone of comfort around a familiar trailhead or arena to help him gain confidence and adjust to new environments.

There’s one last thing you’ll want your trail horse to have, but it’s not something you teach with lessons or exercises: It’s a good attitude. A good attitude trumps all other desirable characteristics in a trail horse simply because with the right attitude, he is more inclined to load willingly, get along with other horses, and keep his cool during times of excitement and uncertainty.

A good attitude means he’s confident in his abilities as a trail horse and he’s enjoying the ride to the extent that any horse can.

No doubt, your horse has already let you know his feelings on the matter. If he’s difficult to catch, balks or pins his ears at the merest suggestion that you’ll be saddling up for a trail ride, he could be telling you he doesn’t like his job and it might be time to reconsider his trail prospects. But if he nickers to you when you hook up the trailer, greets you at the gate, and practically puts on his halter himself when you go to catch him, you can be fairly certain he likes to trail ride.

A trail horse with this kind of attitude is worth his weight in gold.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #425.

“That is definitely true,” said Chad Masters, the heading half of the top 2012 NFR team roping tandem. “It’s the biggest rodeo we go to, and it’s something you look forward to getting to practice for. It’s the funnest practice you’ll ever have. The fun doesn’t wear off of practicing for the NFR for me.”

Masters and Clay O’Brien Cooper were the only team at the $6.125 million 2012 NFR to stop the clock 10 times. They roped 10 steers in 73.4 seconds. To take it round by round, their 5.1-second run placed fourth in round one; they were 9.6 in round two (including a leg); 14.7 in round three (including a barrier); 4.9 in round four (they placed third); 4.9 in round five (split fifth and sixth); 4.7 in round six; 6.2 in round seven; 5.3 in round eight (fifth); 12.8 in round nine (leg); and 5.2 in round 10 (fifth). Subtract those 20 seconds in penalties, and their 53.4 on 10 would have erased the 59.1-second 10-steer record set at the 1994 NFR by Clay and his fellow seven-time World Champion Team Roper and ProRodeo Hall of Famer Jake Barnes.

“That’s always a goal going there—to get the record on 10,” Chad said. “Clay roped a leg (in 1994), so that means Jake Barnes turned 10 steers in an average of 5.4 seconds. That’s a big challenge in its own, trying to turn 10 steers under 5.4. That’s hard to do. Any one little thing and Clay wins it (the world). Me not breaking the barrier; the two legs; me handling the ninth one better. We were really close to placing in a lot of rounds, and didn’t.”

It was Chad’s second NFR average title. He also won the Finals in 2006, the year he helped Allen Bach win the world but just missed his first world championship before closing the gold buckle deal in 2007. Clay’s won the Finals four times now. He and Jake won it the same year as their first world title, in 1985, and again in their last world title season, in 1994. They struck again in 2007—when Chad won his first (and last until now) world championship.

The gold-buckle margins in 2012 were so minimal they deserve immediate mention. Chad edged 2012 World Champion Heeler Jade Corkill’s partner, Kaleb Driggers, by a mere $1,211, and Jade won just $1,131 more than Clay over the course of the entire 2012 season.

“I won the average and the world, so no one wants to hear me complain,” Chad said. “But there were lots of mistakes I made that would have made the difference for Clay. I had a goal to go catch all my steers, and did that. Everybody goes there to do that, but so many things happen that you’re not really in control of, even when your goal is to go catch 10 steers.

“The ninth round is a perfect example. My goal was to catch that steer, we had a great opportunity in an easy round, we had a great steer, I missed the barrier, and before you know it, I’ve missed my slack and about missed my dally. If there was one run I’d like to change it’d be the barrier on that one. As bad as I wanted Clay to win, all the stuff that had to happen for things to turn out like they did proves it’s just how it was supposed to be.”

Chad knows all about the short end of the stick in a tight race. Let’s not forget that he watched his partner, Allen, get the gold in 2006, and showed complete grace when Matt Sherwood took center stage on the heading side, after slipping past Chad by $848. Chad’s been oh so close more than once in the last few years, and was sincere in his happiness for those who pushed past him to the ultimate podium.

“As happy as I am for Jade and as bad as I feel for Clay and Kaleb, it is nice to have won it this time,” said Masters, 31, of Cedar Hill, Tenn. “I’ve had a chance on the last one a few times in recent years and it didn’t go my way. So it’s nice for it to go the other way. Several other guys headed to win the world. I’d have been happy for any of them if they’d won it, because they roped really good. I didn’t do anything spectacular. I just caught all my steers. Things just went my way this time.”

If you’re going into a 10-steer war, there’s no more consistent warrior to have on your side than Clay Cooper. “You know going into it that as long as you worry about yourself and do your job, Clay’s going to give you a chance to win the average,” Chad said. “He’s one of the greatest catchers ever alive. He knows where he’s going to catch from. It’s just instinct for Clay to catch.

“Everyone wants to win the average. My goal was to come here and give Clay Cooper a chance to win a gold buckle. It’s weird to be sitting here, because without Clay I wouldn’t have this one. Clay was the first one to shake my hand. The only thing he was worried about when we rode out of the arena was whether or not I won it.”

Chad is 20 years Clay’s junior, and talks to and about Champ with sincere respect. Chad roped at his first of nine NFRs in 2003, and says, “It was such a huge deal to get to rope at the same NFR as Clay. I think the world of Clay. Words aren’t enough when people ask me what it’s like to rope with Clay Cooper. His attitude toward life and everyone he meets—he’s so nice. He won’t say a bad word about anybody, no matter what. Anything bad or negative is not coming out of his mouth. You can’t tell in the arena, on the way to the truck and trailer, or in the truck and trailer if he just won or lost.”

Chad’s cheering section always includes his dad and stepmom, Bob and Randee Masters; his mom and stepdad, and Debbie and Fred Head; his girlfriend (and Jade’s little sister), Bailey; and the entire Masters and Corkill clans. Clay’s cheerleaders include his wife, Alisa, and their daughters, Bailey, Quinn and Jessica. With his gamer girls by his side, Champ has, at 51, taken up snow skiing since the NFR.

“I’ve been skiing, and it is so much fun,” said Clay, who now calls Gardnerville, Nev., home. “It’s 40 minutes from my house to getting on that chairlift in Heavenly Valley. I started with a three-hour lesson, and learned how to turn and stop. It is so much fun. It’s so beautiful up there. They named it right. Heavenly Valley is what I think Heaven is going to look like, and it’s so accessible for me.”

Chad started the 2012 season heading for Jake Long. Clay kicked off his 2012 campaign with Charly Crawford. Chad and Clay first joined forces at the spring rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho. The head horse plays a huge hand in the success of any team, and it’s somewhat ironic the way this story played out, in part because Corkill’s the one who brought the black horse into the picture. Jade bought Warthog from Britt Williams, and let Chad ride him at the 2011 NFR. Chad loaded him up at that week’s end, and rode him at all but about 10 rodeos in 2012, including every round at this NFR.

“He’s hard to beat when it comes to riding one at every setup,” Chad said. “I don’t know that I’d have won the NFR without him. I dang sure wouldn’t have had a chance to win a world title. I felt really focused and confident in my horse this time. It was only between me and the steer. The crowd and nerves weren’t involved as much.”

When they set sail for what was Clay’s 26th NFR, which ties him for second on the all-time team roping NFR qualifications list with Tee Woolman—second only behind Allen Bach at 30—Clay had a clear plan.

“I was thinking that if a guy could win the average and place four, five, six times, you’d have a good chance to win it (the world—and they did place in five rounds along the way to the NFR win),” Clay said. “And at the very last you’d have a good week. Everybody who goes to the Finals is looking to win some good money for the week, so you’ve got to be able to put together at least seven or eight good runs. You can either go wide-open fast and try to win it that way, or you can try to make as good a run as you can make without messing up, place in the easy rounds and then be there to win first or second in the average when it’s over.”

Clay noticed early on that his mindset seemed to be a minority among game plans. “It looked like everybody but us, and Keven (Daniel) and Chase (Tryan, who finished second in the average with 65.2 on nine steers—Keven missed their ninth steer) were going wide open,” Clay said. “I was surprised they missed a steer, because it looked like Keven was trying to rope the same kind of roping as Chad. But even going at it that way, things can happen along the way that aren’t foreseeable. I didn’t really know what Chad’s thinking was going in. I just figured I would adapt to whatever he wanted to do. Wherever he decided to turn them, I was going to try to heel every steer.

“A lot of teams were going at ’em so strong that the odds of getting through 10 of them coming over the chute every single time are against you. But there are different ways to go about it. Just like Erich (Rogers) and Kory (Koontz, the winningest team at the Finals—they won the third round, and placed in six others). They went at ’em strong every night and won third in the average (with 46.4 on eight for a $91,875 per man week). They did a lot of winning and put together a lot of money. The average ended up wide open, so that turned out to be a pretty good strategy.”

Clay played wide receiver for Chad and Warthog aboard LB, the little bay horse he recently bought from Kory. “I was a little bit concerned about LB, just from the standpoint that I hadn’t ridden him a lot yet in competition, which is different than practicing on one,” he said. “When we got in there to rope the steers (the team ropers run the steers in the Thomas & Mack Center a couple days before the rodeo starts), LB showed me what he was wanting to do and where he was wanting to go. It gave me an idea of how to ride him.

“Once I started riding him like that, from the first steer I was OK and comfortable with him. He was very consistent all week, and he was easy to ride. I was proud of him. I thought he did a good job, and I got more confidence on him as the week went on. My concerns going in went away. As a result, I’ve got a lot more confidence in him now than I did going in.”

Like Chad, Clay praised Warthog for being a pivotal part of their team all year long. “Chad has a couple horses he thought he could be faster on at the Finals, but he knew what the black was going to do,” Clay said. “We just roped steer after steer. After the fifth or sixth round, he came to me and asked if I wanted him to switch horses. I told him it was his decision to make—that I didn’t care what he did. I was going to try to heel them wherever he turned them. He said, ‘Thanks a lot.’ I told him to go with his gut, and that I didn’t think we needed to panic about the rounds. We were trying to make a 4.4- to 4.5-second run doing what we were doing, and kept being just a little longer than that, just because we weren’t getting very good finishes.

“As a result, we just couldn’t get it to 4.4 or 4.5. We kept talking about it and telling each other to go make that run, place in the round if we could and stay in the average. We didn’t want to panic unless we really felt we needed to there at the end. We scratched and clawed our way all the way to the last one.”

Regular-season leaders Trevor Brazile and Patrick Smith, who had a $50,649 per man Finals and finished third in the world, were right in the middle of the race start to finish.

“After the sixth round, every night I expected Trevor and Patrick to blitz one,” Clay said. “They’re so great at their run and their run is 3.8. For some reason, it stopped working for them. We just kept doing what we were doing. Chad’s projected average money was going to put him over the top. We still kept thinking if we could be 4.4 or 4.5 that was going to place somewhere along the line. And that strategy worked. It worked out perfectly for Chad, and we never really had to expose ourselves. We utilized that head horse, and he worked outstanding all week long. We stayed with our game plan and the strategy worked.”

I saw and heard Clay’s reaction to the news that Chad and Jade won the world by a photo-finish margin with my own eyes and ears. Right there in that tunnel, after stepping outside the arena gate from getting their average saddles and buckles and without pause, he said, “That’s awesome!”

“The way it all worked out was the way it was supposed to be—it was perfect,” Clay said. “The guy who headed the best was Chad, and he won. The guy who heeled the best was Jade, and he won. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to work out. I thought it was awesome. I was really happy for Chad, because winning the championship was something he really wanted to do.

“During Ellensburg and Walla Walla (Wash.) weekend, we had a decision to make about going to Filer (Idaho). It was going to be all day down there and all night back, and we were up the next morning back at Ellensburg. We were up in the first perf at Filer, which was not a good run on the cattle, and I didn’t really want to go. So I left it up to Chad. I told him I’d do whatever he wanted to do. He said, ‘I don’t want to go either, but this is one of my only chances to rope with the Champ and to win the championship.

“Right then, I knew he was all-in ’til the bitter end to give himself—and me, too—the all-in effort to try and get the job done. So I said, ‘OK, I’m in.’ We went down there and placed, won a couple thousand, and that was more than the margin that got him over the top—making that one decision. It also told me what it all meant to him. Chad wanted to win it, and he wanted to win it with me. So when he won it, it was the greatest gift for me to be a part of it. I’ll always cherish that.”

My son Lane pointed out an interesting thought that struck him deja-vu style when the dust settled on the 2012 race. Clay just missing what looked to be his eighth gold buckle reminded him of the 2005 NFR, when it looked like Jake had a lock on his eighth world championship, roping with Kory. Against every odd in the book, Jake cut his thumb off in the heat of world championship battle. It was heart-breaking and bizarre, and only explainable to most of us by the hands of fate. For whatever reason, it just wasn’t meant to be.

“Chad and I had a pretty special year,” Clay said philosophically. “We did not start out good. I was struggling terribly. We finally we got to clicking over the Fourth, then we were like a steamroller fighting our way all the way to the end. The last mountain to climb was to try to win more than Trevor and Patrick. They made the best runs all year long, and made believers out of everybody.

“To Chad and my credit, after we got the ball rolling our catch-rate percentage as a team was extremely high. We placed a lot, did good at the right places and somehow or another we got ’er done for Mr. Chad. On the other side of it was Jade. Everybody who’s rodeoed the last several years understands what a special talent he is, and that winning a championship was all but inevitable—with more to come. Chad and I buddied with Kaleb and Jade all year long, so we were two teams against the whole world. It was our tandem against the rest of the field, and we pulled for one another all year long.”

Leo Camarillo, who’s won the NFR team roping average six times, owns that record. He’s followed by Tee Woolman at five, and now a four-way tie between Clay, Jim Rodriguez Jr., David Motes and Leo’s cousin Reg with four NFR average championships apiece.

“Like my hero Leo says, the NFR is the best of the best, it’s a 10-head contest and they give away the biggest check to the guy who wins the average,” Clay said. “They call you the NFR champion, and they give you a saddle and a buckle. Only the average champs and the world champions get those things. I grew up that it was a big deal to win the National Finals. It means you beat the best of the best on 10 steers.

“I’ve gone into every NFR wanting to win the average. That’s the first goal out of the box and it’s not easy to do. A lot of things can happen. If you go out on one steer, you’re toast and your whole game plan changes. In the end, even going in with a lead, no average money is what happened to Trevor and Patrick. The average is always part of the equation if you’re going for the championship. That’s the easy money. It’s easier than trying to be 3.7. The average is always in play.”

Trevor and Patrick roped such a memorable 2012 season, including the mega-wins in Salinas (Calif.) and Cheyenne (Wyo.). “Those guys are special as a team and as individuals, obviously,” Clay said. “I really respect the fact that they’ve stuck together through tough times and good times. They work hard at it—as hard as anybody in the game. As a team—and it is team roping—they have the best run in my book. They can go win Salinas and Cheyenne in one week, then turn around and be 3 four or five times in a row and rack up about $30,000 in about 10 days.

“Their run is the best run right now, and it’s a result of their hard work. They’ve figured out what they want to do in their run, and they can do it over and over again. Look out, because they will be back and they will be right back at the top, ready to blast off and get another championship. The week (at the Finals) just didn’t go their way, and that can happen to anybody, as they well know. They’ve experienced both extremes at that rodeo. But they aren’t going away. I still think they’re the best team out there. I’m excited to see what Chad and Jade will do with Chad on this black horse, because that could be really special. Those two teams will be fun to watch in 2013. I would bet a lot of money on those two teams being a good race to watch.”

Clay is ringing in the new year with Justin Davis from Madisonville, Texas. “He’s been down there rodeoing for a while,” Clay said. “He’s a young guy who’s built like an athlete. He’s strong, he rides his horse good, likes to score and get a lot of run out of his horse, and has a real sharp, tight loop. He makes things happen fast. He’s going to be a really good partner, and he’s got some good horses. He’s never really gone out there and said, ‘I’m going to make it,’ but he’s been out there enough that he knows the deal and it’s not new to him. He’s a great kid. I’ve known him awhile and he’s got the best attitude.”

No one out-attitudes Champ. And one of the coolest things about the true legends in any game is that they have the rare confidence it takes to sincerely applaud whomever deserves something most—even when it’s not them. May the best man win. They live that.

“In today’s game, there are just a few guys who really just go all out, 9-0, 100 percent to try and achieve what they’re after,” Clay said. “At all levels of the game in every area, Chad’s the ultimate professional. He’s non-stop trying to get better at every part of it—horses, technique, practice, you name it. As the winter ended and the spring started, I had a decision to make. I figured if I could somehow rope with that guy—a guy like that takes you where you want to go. He had the horse equation figured out.

“Chad and that black horse were a special combination this year (2012). They were wow, and that’s what it takes. It takes a guy who’s a fanatic about what he does. Then put a great horse under him and watch the fireworks, because something’s about to happen.”

No one could blame Clay or Kaleb for any disappointments they might have felt that last night at the Finals, when the news came down that tunnel that they basically lost the year-long battle that might as well have been decided by a coin toss.

“I’m kind of glad that I’m not eaten up with it and really bummed,” Clay said. “If I was then my priorities are wrong. I’m truly happy for those kids. I had the best time rodeoing with them this year. I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know them and rodeo with them and to have a successful year. They all encouraged me all year long. I have a lot of friends out there who are young guys. I enjoy bragging on them and telling them how good they are. They’re talented kids with dreams and goals, just like I had when I was young. Not very many 50-something guys get to go back and live things like when I was a young man.

“Being part of Chad and Jade’s success makes me feel better than if I’d won it. I’m OK not having eight. I’m perfectly fine with Rich Skelton being the all-time best heeler until somebody comes and gets him. Because in my book, he’s the greatest. I love the way he ropes, and I totally admire him as a person. I have a good time every time I’m around him.

“All I can do is the best I can do and enjoy what I’m doing. I’m having a ball. It’s all good for me. What I feel like is that I should be grateful just to have the opportunity to do what I’ve done. I don’t want to be a person wishing for what I don’t have. I want to be totally thankful to my God for being healthy, having a great family and friends, and getting to do what I love to do. Gold buckles are great, but they aren’t the No. 1 meaning of life. Being content with what we have is where fun and peace are. That’s where enjoyment of life is. People who are eaten up with the stuff they don’t have aren’t happy people.”

Versatility ranch horse competition is a challenging sport that combines multiple performance classes to showcase the many talents of ranch horses. The National Versatility Ranch Horse Association, formed in 2007, is one of the groups committed to promoting ranch horses, the sport, and Western culture and heritage. NVRHA's clinics and educational programs aim to make this fun sport accessible to all.

Learn more about the association and competition in the video below.

Need help finding your favorite H&R article from 2012? This complete list of 2012 articles should help.

Al Dunning’s How’s My Riding?
"Sitting Pretty,” Practice Pen, Jan., pg. 32
“Hard-Working Pair,” Practice Pen, Feb., pg. 32
“Trail-Course Prep,” Practice Pen, March, pg. 32
“Al Says, ‘Relax’” Practice Pen, May, pg. 46
“Small-Fry Horsemanship,” Practice Pen, June, pg. 28
“Rail Work,” Practice Pen, July, pg. 38
“Fence Work,” Practice Pen, Sept., pg. 40
“Reining Prep,” Practice Pen, Oct., pg. 40
“Schooling Session,” Practice Pen, Nov., pg. 34
"Sit Up in the Saddle," Practice Pen, Dec., pg. 34

Barns, Property Maintenance
“Melt Ice Safely,” Your Horse, Your Life, Jan., pg. 18
Stable Gear: “Stall Fronts,” Jan., pg. 64
“Savvy Storage,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 20
“Spring-Clean Your Barn,” Your Horse, Your Life, March, pg. 20
“Messy Job Made Easy,” Your Horse, Your Life, March, pg. 20
Special Advertising Section: “Barn & Ranch Makeover,” March, pg. 57
Stable Gear: “Barn Carts and Caddies,” April, pg. 78
“Nip It in the Mud,” May, pg. 80
“How to Handle a Hay Shortage,” June, pg. 56
“Three-Pronged Fly Control,” Your Horse, Your Life, June, pg. 30
“Small Size, Big Benefits,” Your Horse, Your Life, June, pg. 28
“Tack Theft—Now What?” July, pg. 68
Stable Gear: “Barn Fly Control,” July, pg. 78
“Winter-Prep Steps to Take Now,” Your Horse, Your Life, Sept., pg. 26
“Easier Hay Soaking,” Your Horse, Your Life, Oct., pg. 24
Stable Gear: “Winter Water Options,” Oct., pg. 70
“While You Wait,” Your Horse, Your Life, Nov., pg. 20

Behavior
“Sore Back; Foal Eats Manure,” Whole Horse Q&A, March, pg. 14
“Hematoma; Saddling Woes,” Whole Horse Q&A, April, pg. 14
“Rearing to Go—In A Bad Way,” Problem Solvers, June, pg. 88
“Club Foot; Sometimes Spooky,” Whole Horse Q&A, July, pg. 20
“Trailering Fears; Bowed Tendon,” Whole Horse Q&A, Aug., pg. 12
“Pasture Predator?” Your Horse, Your Life, Aug., pg. 19
“Clinician On Call,” Aug., pg. 43
“Keeping Kelly,” Aug., pg. 62
“Trailering Fears; Bowed Tendon,” Whole Horse Q&A, Aug., pg. 12
“Popped Splint; Trail Fears,” Whole Horse Q&A, Sept., pg. 14
“Barn Sour; Shoe Boil,” Whole Horse Q&A, Oct., pg. 15
“Eye Discharge; Pulling Back,” Whole Horse Q&A, Nov., pg. 12

Bob Avila’s Winning Insights
“Breeding Time Machine,” Practice Pen, Jan., pg. 30
“How Not to Lose,” Practice Pen, Feb., pg. 30
“Don’t Skip the Basics,” Practice Pen, March, pg. 30
“Tire Kickers,” Practice Pen, April, pg. 33
“Industry Update,” Practice Pen, May, pg. 38
“Horse Divorce,” Practice Pen, June, pg. 45
“What You Need to Succeed,” Practice Pen, July, pg. 36
“Know When to Quit,” Practice Pen, Aug., pg. 32
“Neck-Reining: Part 1: Introduce the Concept,” Practice Pen, Sept., pg. 34
“Neck-Reining: Part 2: Introduce the Curb Bit,” Practice Pen, Oct., pg. 32
“Neck-Reining: Part 3: The Romal Advantage,” Practice Pen, Nov., pg. 28
"Rules of Engagement," Practice Pen, Dec. pg. 26

Breed, Show Associations
“Did You Know? Surprising Facts About 10 Breeds,” Jan., pg. 50
“Once More, for the Memories,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
“New National AQHA Championship for YOU!” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
“Important USEF Drug-Rule Changes,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
Gallop Poll: “If Wishes Were Reiners,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
Have You Tried: “Entry-Level Reining,” Practice Pen, Feb., pg. 38
“New Show Options for All Breeds,” Your Horse, Your Life, March, pg. 18
“Happy Birthday, APHA!” Your Horse, Your Life, April, pg. 18
“PtHA, AQHA Innovations,” Your Horse, Your Life, May, pg. 20
“Inudstry Update,” Practice Pen, May, pg. 38
Have You Tried: “Saddle-Log Programs,” Practice Pen, May, pg. 48
“Save Big at AQHA Novice Championships,” Your Horse, Your Life, pg. 24
“Painted ‘n Pretty,” Your Horse, Your Life, pg. 24
“Genetic Test for Appaloosas Now Available,” Your Horse, Your Life, June, pg. 26
“Arabians Slide to Paychecks,” Your Horse, Your Life, July, pg. 24
“AQHA Video Delux,” Your Horse, Your Life, Sept., pg. 20
“Find a Trainer, Help a Youth,” Your Horse, Your Life, Sept., pg. 20
“Philanthropy at Pinto World,” Your Horse, Your Life, Oct., pg. 22
“Numbers Up at Quarter Horse Shows,” Your Horse, Your Life, Nov., pg. 18
“ACTHA Rides Benefit Service Members,” Your Horse, Your Life, Nov., pg. 18
"Not Too Common: Grullas," Your Horse, Your Life, Dec., pg. 16