As most of you know, this is a crazy, busy time of year for the rope shop and for ropers practicing for the big upcoming events. Lots of ropes are being made and lots of ropes are being used! In our second segment of Rope Talk with George McQuain, we asked for tips on the proper way to break in and store ropes for longer life expectancy, quality, and integrity.
What is the best way to break in new ropes?
George: “The general rule is to rope 2 or 3 steers and put them up for a few days — the longer the better in my opinion. I like to let mine set a couple weeks, but at the minimum I would say a couple days. If not the life expectancy of the rope will be much shorter.”
How should ropes be stored for maximum amount of use?
George: “I think as long as you store them somewhere it is not hot or really humid they should be fine. As far as eye position, you just want to make sure if you store them in your rope bag that eye is straight and not jammed in there where it could make it turn one way or the other. A lot of people like to lay them out in big coils on the floor of their tack room or in their house, but I think as long as they are in there normal coils or bigger it is fine either way.”
We hope these tips help with your routine and remember that SUCCESS IS IN YOUR HANDS!
Fall weather has graced us with its presence again, and it is prime time to get the horses legged up and the ropes broke in for all the awesome ropings coming up in the sport of team roping. The USTRC Finals in Oklahoma City are the last weekend in October and the World Series of Team Roping Finals are in December at the South Point during the National Finals Rodeo.
Ropers of all competitive levels get the chance to rope for hundreds of thousands of dollars…literally.
With all these things considered, we went to our rope guru to find out what is the most popular right now and who is winning with it. Some know him as the “rope god,” some know him as the man behind the brand, and some know him as George McQuain.
What is the top seller at Classic Rope?
George: The Heat is the top seller overall. Jake Barnes, Junior, Brady Minor, and Colby Lovell frequently use it.
Junior Nogueira
The Spydr would be a close second. This rope is used by Luke Brown and also sometimes by Colby Lovell and Jake Barnes.
Jake Barnes
The Heat and Spydr are popular among both headers and heelers. The GT4 would round out the top 3, and is predominately used by heelers like Kollin VonAhn, but it’s not uncommon to see them as head ropes.
Best of luck to all you ropers during this busy season and remember SUCCESS IS IN YOUR HANDS.
It came down to a photo finish this last week in the regular season! The highs were high, and the lows were low. Some dreams came true, and some had to lick their wounds and come back home. All in all 2015 was an exciting year and we will be excited to see what 2016 has in store. Members of Team Classic that will be competing at the National Finals Rodeo will be: Derrick Begay, Aaron Tsinigine, Colby Lovell, Erich Rogers, Jake Barnes, Luke Brown, and Clay Smith on the head side. Team Classic heelers are: Ryan Motes, Paul Eaves, Cory Petska, Junior Nogueira, and Brady Minor. Fans will be able to meet and greet Team Classic at the newly updated Classic Rope booth at Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Stay tuned for an autograph schedule! Here are the final results from the big weekend rodeos and official updated standings:
2015 Top 20 Headers
1
Clay Tryan
Billings
MT
$130,497.03
2
Derrick Begay
Seba Dalkai
AZ
$94,867.90
3
Chad Masters
Cedar Hill
TN
$92,658.18
4
Trevor Brazile
Decatur
TX
$92,267.56
5
Aaron Tsinigine
Tuba City
AZ
$83,768.12
6
Jake Cooper
Monument
NM
$80,933.16
7
Colby Lovell
Madisonville
TX
$78,830.01
8
Erich Rogers
Round Rock
AZ
$78,669.18
9
Nick Sartain
Dover
OK
$74,078.67
10
Luke Brown
Stephenville
TX
$72,409.64
11
Jake Barnes
Scottsdale
AZ
$71,910.86
12
Clay Smith
Broken Bow
OK
$71,228.48
13
Coleman Proctor
Pryor
OK
$70,129.55
14
Riley Minor
Ellensburg
WA
$67,591.47
15
Matt Sherwood
Pima
AZ
$67,435.90
16
JoJo LeMond
Andrews
TX
$65,803.44
17
Joel Bach
San Augustine
TX
$62,526.44
18
Travis Tryan
Billings
MT
$57,497.75
19
David Key
Stephenville
TX
$56,323.24
20
Cody Snow
CA
$56,301.76
2015 Top 20 Heelers
1
Jade Corkill
Fallon
NV
$130,497.03
2
Clay O’Brien Cooper
Gardnerville
NV
$95,987.90
3
Patrick Smith
Lipan
TX
$92,267.56
4
Travis Graves
Jay
OK
$85,265.12
5
Ryan Motes
Weatherford
TX
$82,636.66
6
Kollin VonAhn
Blanchard
OK
$79,024.00
7
Travis Woodard
Stockton
CA
$78,519.30
8
Kory Koontz
Stephenville
TX
$78,467.54
9
Paul Eaves
L onedell
MO
$77,430.09
10
Cory Petska
Marana
AZ
$74,827.26
11
Rich Skelton
Llano
TX
$74,078.67
12
Junior Nogueira
Scottsdale
AZ
$71,333.44
13
Jake Long
Coffeyville
KS
$68,343.79
14
Brady Minor
Ellensburg
WA
$66,262.55
15
Russell Cardoza
Terrebonne
OR
$66,079.83
16
Quinn Kesler
Holden
UT
$65,839.47
17
Tyler McKnight
Wells
TX
$65,815.53
18
Dugan Kelly
Paso Robles
CA
$63,305.59
19
Dakota Kirchenschlager
Morgan Mill
TX
$60,712.40
20
Jim Ross Cooper
Monument
NM
$55,042.62
San Bernardino, CA
Team roping: 1. Tom Richards/Tyler McKnight, 4.1 seconds, $2,400 each; 2. Darrin Finan/Bronc Boehnlein, 5.1, $2,147; 3. (tie) Ryan Reed/Cody Pearson, Riley Minor/Brady Minor, and Lane Santos Karney/Jordan Ketscher, 5.5, $1,642 each; 6. Travis Tryan/Russell Cardoza, 6.0, $1,137; 7. (tie) Wes Lockard/Chad Davis, and Matt Sherwood/Quinn Kesler, 6.3, $758 each; 9. Lane Lowry/Mike Monighetti, 6.5, $379; 10. Brandon Bates/Nate Preuit, 6.9, $126.
Stephenville, TX
Team roping: 1. Joel Bach/Jim Ross Cooper, 4.4 seconds, $3,371 each; 2. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Jonathan Torres, 4.6, $3,016; 3. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, and David Key/Boogie Ray, 4.7, $2,484 each; 5. Cory Clark/Ethan Cory, 4.8, $1,952; 6. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 4.9, $1,597; 7. Chad Masters/Travis Graves, 5.2, $1,242; 8. Brandon Webb/Mickey Gomez, 5.7, $887; 9. (tie) Justin Davis/Zane Bruce, and Garrett Tonozzi/Jett Hillman, 6.0, $355 each.
Omaha, NE
Team roping: First round: 1. Cody Snow/Dugan Kelly, 4.1 seconds, $5,865 each; 2. Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn, 4.3, $5,100; 3. Jake Cooper/Tyler McKnight, 4.4, $4,335; 4. Aaron Tsinigine/Ryan Motes, 4.5, $3,570; 5. (tie) Riley Minor/Brady Minor and Matt Sherwood/Quinn Kesler, 4.7, $2,422 each; 7. David Key/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 5.3, $1,275; 8. Joel Bach/Jim Ross Cooper, 7.4, $510. Finals: 1. Colby Lovell/Kory Koontz, 4.7 seconds, $400 each; no other qualified runs.
Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale- Omaha, NE
Team roping: 1. Jake Cooper/Kollin VonAhn, 4.1 seconds, $6,800 each; 2. Erich Rogers/Ryan Motes, 9.8, $5,200; 3. Dustin Bird/Paul Eaves, 10.4, $3,800; no other qualified runs.
The pressure is heating up with only 10 days left in the 2015 season. Where did the time go? This past week was filled with action as the famous Pendleton Round-Up concluded and cowboys were spread throughout the U.S. like a spilled jar of marbles trying to fit in as many rodeos as they could. Highlights of the week were Travis Woodward and David Key setting a new arena record at Pendleton with a 4.6 second run. Rainy conditions made the grass a little slick for slack causing a few wrecks and the already unique set up a little more challenging. A few might have tried to make the trip from Pendleton to Pasadena which is a mere 2,170 mile trek. Or from Pendleton to Albuquerque or to Abilene. Needless to say no matter where they were traveling, some cowboys put some miles on their trucks this week. Here are results from some of the big rodeos this past week and the updated world standings!
Only 17 short days until the 2015 rodeo season wraps up! As with any year, this has been a year for highs and lows for the rodeo cowboys. Some are still out there fighting tooth and nail to climb back into the Top 15, some of the very fortunate top gunners have secured their spot and have a heavy weight lifted off their shoulders. The new revised payout at the 2015 NFR will make the world title anyone’s game at this year’s finals, making a qualification as crucial as ever. Here are the rodeos going on this week and the Top 20 teams in the team roping.
Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena Livestock Show & Rodeo
9/11/2015 – 9/17/2015
Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo
9/15/2015 – 9/20/2015
Paul Eaves at ’15 Spicer Gripp Youth Foundation Memorial Roping
September is the beginning of a time of change. The summer ends, the leaves start to change, and school is back in session. If you are a professional cowboy, September is the beginning of the end. It’s the fourth quarter of rodeo. All roads have led to the northwest, and the cowboys are in the great state of Washington this week at Ellensburg and Walla Walla. There are several teams still vying for their chance at 10 head run in Vegas, and it will be a race to the end who will get those spots. Here are the results and standings this week:
Ellensburg Rodeo-
Team roping: First round leaders. 1. Brady Tryan/Logan Medlin, 4.6 seconds;2/3. (tie) Travis Whitlow/Tyler Whitlow, and Dylan Gordon/Gage Williams, 5.6 each;4. Garrett Rogers/Jake Minor, 6.0;5. Bryce Palmer/Monty Joe Petska,6.1; 6. David Key/Travis Woodard, 6.3.
Walla Walla Frontier Days- // = 11) Team roping: First round:1. Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess, 4.4 seconds, $1,538 each; 2. (tie) David Key/Travis Woodard, and Bubba Buckaloo/Jonathan Torres, 5.0, $1,140 each; 4. Spencer Mitchell/B.J. Campbell, 5.1, $743; 5. (tie) Manny Egusquiza Jr./Chase Tryan, and Clayton Hansen/Chase Hansen, 5.4, $371 each.
Second round leaders:1. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Clayton Hansen/Chase Hansen, Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess, and Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn, 5.7 each; 5. Shawn Bessette/Sid Sporer, 5.8; 6. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 6.3.
Average leaders: 1. Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess, 10.1 seconds on two head; 2. Clayton Hansen/Chase Hansen, 11.1; 3. Shawn Bessette/Sid Sporer, 11.5; 4. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 11.9; 5. David Key/Travis Woodard, 15.3; 6. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 15.7.
With less than $10,000 separating 20th to 12th, the NFR race is proving to be a tight one. Back on the bubble is 20x NFR Qualifier and 8x World Champion Rich Skelton and his partner Nick Sartain. Skelton suffered severe injuries due to a tractor accident this spring and has made a remarkable recovery. It’s a hard spot being on the bubble with only 7 weeks left in the regular season, but the rodeos left will make all the difference. Some of the cowboys were lucky enough to get a few days off with several relatively smaller rodeos located close together across the states such as Lovington, NM and Dalhart, TX to just name a couple. They will now head toward the Pacific for the “Northwest Run” that consists of Walla Walla, Ellensburg, and the infamous Pendleton.
One could easily argue the hardest part about the National Finals Rodeo is simply getting there. These cowboys have traveled thousands of miles by planes, trains, and automobiles, rode several horses, and wore out several tires, pick-ups, and trailers. If they can get the stars to align and secure their spot in the Top 15, anyone has a shot at the world title with each of the 10 rounds paying well over $20,000. The Road to the NFR ’15 is continuing to be one to watch.
The rodeo trail is starting to wind down with eight short weeks left in the rodeo season. It’s a pivotal point in the season when some are faced making the difficult decision to head home and regroup for 2016 or stay on the road and head to the Northwest for hopes of a NFR qualification. The majority of the rodeos this past weekend were saturated in Kansas, with Dodge City and Phillipsburg being a couple of the big name events. David Key and Martin Lucero fared well winning 1st at Dodge City and 2nd at Phillipsburg winning nearly $6,000 in the weekend. Luke Brown and Kollin VonAhn are roping with their momentum from Cheyenne and Salt Lake and won third at Dodge City and are climbing their way into a secure spot in the Top 15.
Aside from Kansas, the “Beef Captial of the World” was the topic of conversation this weekend as Hereford, TX hosted the 21st annual Spicer Gripp Memorial Youth Foundation Roping. Being one of the biggest jackpots of the year, cowboys came to rope for big money and take a small hiatus from the rodeo trail. Jake Barnes and Junior Nogueira roped in their habitual consistent fashion and took the win. They currently are sitting fourth in the world standings looking to punch their second ticket to the NFR as a team.
