Category: Roper Review

Stefan Ramone is the youngest of five children, growing up in Lehi, Utah, roping and riding from the time they could walk. Stefan’s mom, Patricia, says Stefan actually started swinging a rope before he could walk.
“As young kids we used to rope at the National Dummy Roping in Las Vegas each December,” says Stefan. “We would practice all year for it. My sister, Tashina, won it when she was about eight.”
Stefan and older brother, Brady, roped as a team as youngsters. They practiced every day using both a donkey and a lead steer for practice. Stefan credits his parents for pushing him to achieve his goals. Stefan’s father, Benson, is a horse trainer and farrier. His mom, Patricia, is a behavioral specialist at a children’s hospital.
“Stefan just doesn’t give up and has always had a lot of determination,” says Patricia. “He’s very easy going and doesn’t let things get to him. He’s able to shake it off and go to the next one. That has helped him in both roping and baseball.”
Stefan, a junior in high school, was recently crowned the Utah High School Rodeo Association Champion Heeler. He and his partner, Louie Ivie, plan to attend college in Texas after graduation.
In addition to roping, Stefan is an avid baseball player and has played varsity baseball since he was a freshman. He pitches and plays shortstop. Half Native American, Stefan is proud of his heritage and wears his hair in a long braid.
“I’m very thankful to have such a close family,” says Stefan. “My parents are always there to support us and help us achieve our goals.”

COWBOY Q&A

How much do you practice?
Every day.
Do you make your own horses?
Yes.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Speed Williams, Rich Skelton
Who do you respect most in the world?
My mom and dad.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My dad.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Go fishing.
Favorite movie?
Driven
What’s the last thing you read?
American Sniper
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Hard working, dedicated, motivated.
What makes you happy?
Roping, playing baseball and being with my family.
What makes you angry?
When my family gets beat roping.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I’d pay our place off.
What is your worst quality
– your best?
My worst is I get distracted easily. Best quality is being easy going.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
On a ranch in New Mexico.

Ted Chancey, Dover, Florida, has been training horses for over forty years. During that time he has finished two AQHA Supreme Champions. In 2008, Ted earned the last points needed, in heading and heeling, for Mr Joe Im Kool to become the 47th AQHA Supreme Champion, the first in twenty years. Five years later, Ted helped Gotta Good Habit earn the remaining points for his open Supreme Champion title on December 31, 2013, in Tampa, Florida. Gotta Good Habit was the 50th Supreme Champion.
As a kid, Ted grew up watching his elderly neighbor ride a big palomino and begging for a chance to ride. When he was about 12, his parents bought a little Quarter Horse stud. Ted was hooked and that was the start of his training career.
“I got my first check for training a horse when I was 14,” says Ted. “I was doing something I loved and thought it was the greatest thing ever to get paid to ride a horse.
“I didn’t know much but I would watch the people who were winning at the open horse shows and try to emulate what they were doing. I learned a lot from Jack Hennig. He was the first to talk to me about how a horse’s mind works and how they think. I’d ride all day and at night Jack would teach me to rope calves. It just kind of snowballed from there.”
Ted credits several horsemen for teaching and shaping him as a trainer. Henry Kitchen from Plant City, Florida, produced calf ropings where Ted would watch great calf ropers and horsemen. There he learned about position and training calf horses.
“Frank Barnett, Williston, Florida, is probably the best horseman I know. He was instrumental in teaching me how to control different parts of a horse’s body with the least resistance and how to work on position.”
In addition to the two Supreme Champions, Ted will quickly tell you he has been blessed to ride many great horses. “The buckle I wear today I won on a horse named Cody’s Boogie Man. I bought him for just $3,500 and he turned into a phenomenal horse. He was a great head horse that Nelson Linares hauled on the rodeo trail. He was eventually bought by a professional calf roper for $45,000.”
Ted has two grown sons, Trip and Ty, and one daughter Taylor, who is five. Trip and Ty are both farriers and avid team ropers.
“I ride for a living and it’s all I’ve ever done,” explains Ted. “Going to work for me is not really going to work. I enjoy team roping, I just don’t get to go very often. I go to about 30 horse shows a year and that keeps me pretty busy.
“I’ve been lucky to be around some great horses and people in my career, but my kids are still my greatest accomplishment.”

COWBOY Q&A

How much do you practice?
We ride everyday. Sometimes we take Sundays off. I pretty much live at the barn.
Do you make your own horses?
Yes.
Who were your roping or rodeo heroes?
Jack Hennig. Roy Cooper changed the face of calf roping like the Camarillo brothers changed team roping. They might not necessarily be my heroes but I respect the impact they’ve had on the rodeo industry. Now days Trevor Brazile is someone for the younger guys to look up to.
Who do you respect most in the world?
Anthony J. Sacco – he gave me my first really good horse to ride when I was young and had confidence in me. He is still a good friend to this day.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My dad.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Go fishing.
Favorite movie?
Lonesome Dove
What’s the last thing you read?
Bits by Lewis Taylor
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Driven, Laid Back, Patient
What makes you happy?
Listening to the horses eating early in the morning when it’s quiet, that brings me a lot of peace.
What makes you angry?
Abusive people – whether they’re abusive to animals or other people.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I’d build a covered arena and then give the rest to a children’s hospital.

What is your worst quality –
your best?
Though I’m patient with horses, I have a definite lack of patience with people. My best quality is my patience with my horses.

Not many ropers have a week like Scot Brown enjoyed at the World Series of Team Roping Finals at the South Point last December. Scot, a #9 heeler and #6E header from Orange Grove, Texas, was entered up at the finals, thanks to one of his sponsors. Scot and Josh DeBord, won 6th in the #15, earning each man $20,000.
Getting nothing done in the #12 and #13 was not devastating for Scot, who still had a $20,000 check in his pocket. In his last and final roping, the #11, Scot was scheduled to head for one of his sponsors, who ultimately couldn’t make the trip. Brown replaced him with Clayton Moore, a #5, who he had practiced with the week before back in Texas.
The team drew three good steers for an average of 22.90, making them high team back. A short round steer that ran, along with a late start, caused the team to be 9.5 at the back end, but well under the 11.9-seconds needed to keep the lead. Brown and Moore split first place prize money of $288,000, in addition to $6,000 for a rotation fast time.
“At the end of the run, the flagger, Brooks Bearden, rode up and told me that Clayton legged,” says Brown. “He was joking, but I didn’t even care. I told him, ‘That’s okay, we won second or third.’”
Brown, 37, stays busy running his business, Absolute Terra Services and Maintenance. He started the herbicide business in 2007. ATS sprays and kills weeds for commercial farmers and oil well pads, among other businesses. In 2010, the business was expanded and added mowers, seeding, and mulching services.
“Even though it’s a lot of work and responsibility, I enjoy owning my own business,” says Scot. “It enables me to spend more time with my family.”
Brown and his wife, Michelle, have four children, three sons and a daughter: Spencer, 16, Jackson, 15, Makayla, 8 and Brooks, 4. Michelle teaches online for Waldon University.
As a business owner with a large family, there’s not a lot of spare time for the practice pen.
“I’ve been very fortunate,” explains Brown. “I’ve been able to ride good horses and rope with some of the best ropers in the world. My mental game is probably my strongest asset in the roping pen. I thrive on pressure. In the #15, at the World Series Finals, we came from 21st call back where we had to be 6.2 to take the lead and we were 6-flat. I just love that kind of pressure.”
This May 8th & 9th, Brown will produce the 4th Annual Colton Rusk Memorial roping. This roping is held in memory of Colton Rusk, a Marine who was killed in Afghanistan. The proceeds are donated for scholarships. The first year it was held, in 2012, this roping raised $30,000. Each of the last two years the event has raised $100,000.
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” says Scot. “Not only honoring Colton’s memory, but being able to help kids afford an education is amazing.”
Scot is sponsored by Fast Back Ropes, Total Thru Tubing and Noble Outfitters.
COWboy Q&A

How much do you practice?
I don’t get the opportunity to practice as much as I’d like due to running my business. I always practice before an event.
Do you make your own horses?
I used to when I was younger. Now I don’t really have time.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Clay O’Brien Cooper
Who do you respect most in the world?
My dad.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My family.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Spend time with my kids.
Favorite movie?
Tombstone, Lonesome Dove
What’s the last thing you read?
Lone Survivor
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Motivated, easy-going, hardworking
What makes you happy?
My family.
What makes you angry?
Lazy people.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I’d pay off bills, take my family on a vacation and invest the rest.
What is your worst quality – your best?
My worst quality is procrastination. My best quality is being happy go lucky.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I hope that the business I’m building continues to grow and be successful, allowing me to spend more time with my family.

Jennifer grew up horseback riding, playing polo, and helping her late father, Phil Shurden, a blacksmith and horse trainer. As a teen, Jennifer was an aggressive polo player with a bright future. She was also an avid golfer, just two strokes from qualifying as a pro, when she decided she wanted to rope. Knowing her own determination and “all or nothing” attitude, Jennifer sold her polo horses and laid down the golf clubs to devote her efforts to team roping.
Roping was always a family affair. Phil and his five kids spent many hours in the roping arena, with mom, Linda working the video camera and cheering the family on. The Shurdens were regular competitors at Booger Barter ropings in the 1990’s.
Not long after she started roping, Jennifer met her husband, Speed Williams at a roping clinic. The pair began a friendship that grew into the 18-year bond they have today. The couple married in 1997, the same year Speed won his first world title. He would go on to win seven more consecutively. Behind the scenes Jennifer was a vital part of the team. Besides regular rodeo duties like all-night drives and grooming, Jennifer’s horsemanship skills helped keep their horses light, responsive and ready for competition.
After retiring from the rodeo trail, Speed developed a team roping training website, speedroping.com. The site features an extensive library of videos including instructional drills and horse training tips. Jennifer had always wanted to learn to heel and the couple agreed to document her learning journey on speedroping.com. By doing so, low numbered ropers would be able to recognize issues similar to their own and learn how to correct them.

Jennifer is no stranger to the winner’s circle. She has won the Windy Ryon All Girl roping (with mother-in-law, Bobbi Williams). Earlier this year she won second at the Wildfire All Girl roping heeling. She has been the reserve champion header at the PDL Richest Roping in Reno. But undoubtedly she is most proud of winning the #10 at the 40+ Finals in Stephenville, TX, with her dad, shortly before he passed away.
In addition to working on videos for their website, speedroping.com, the Williams’ stay booked with private clinics, mostly held at their home in DeLeon, Texas. Jennifer also home schools their two children, Hali, 10, and Gabe, 7.
It would be hard to meet a nicer person in or out of the arena. But if you want to visit with Jennifer, you better have your track shoes on because she seldom slows down.

COWGIRL Q&A
How much do you practice?
Every day
Do you make your own horses?
Sometimes. Usually we buy horses that need to be finished or fixed.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Clay O’Brien Cooper and my husband, Speed.
Who do you respect most in the world?
God.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My dad, my best friend, and my husband.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Do something fun with my kids.
Favorite movie?
The Big Easy and Lonesome Dove.
What’s the last thing you read?
The Bible.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Patient, loyal, hardworking.
What makes you happy?
My family and friends.
What makes you angry?
Bullies and people who won’t put forth effort.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
After tithing, I would pay off bills and build a covered arena.
What is your worst quality – your best?
My worst quality is I can be very blunt at times. My best quality is my loyalty to people I care about.

Team roping is a newer venture for the Garrisons, yet it has become a family pastime. This family of four who resides in Ft. Collins, Colo., enjoys being able to participate in a single event all together. Tyler and Kathy are 4 and 3 headers, respectively, in the USTRC and World Series. When they are not roping, Tyler is a farrier and Kathy is an Equine veterinarian.
They have two sons, Lane and Levi who often travel with them and participate in dummy ropings that are held at events where mom and dad compete.
Tyler grew up in Colorado and Kathy grew up in Montana and Texas. Both were introduced to team roping later in life. Tyler learned most of what he knows about roping from his uncle, Bruce Walter at age 20. Kathy grew up on a ranch and had roped at brandings, but she learned most of what she knows about team roping from her husband.
The Garrisons hope to keep improving their roping skills and keep it a family affair as much as possible.

Do have a motto that you try to live by?
Tyler:  Champions do what others are unwilling to do.
Kathy:  Hard work will bring rewards.

Do you enjoy attending larger or smaller ropings?
We like both but we really enjoy the camaraderie at the smaller local ropings.

Who has had a big influence on your roping?
Tyler: My uncle taught me a lot of what I know about roping and got me started.
Kathy: Tyler has helped me the most but I have many people that I’m thankful for.

How do you practice with both of you being headers?
We take turns hazing for each when we practice at home on our cattle. We also have friends that are heelers that come over for practice and we go their arenas to practice with them. We also use the Heel- o Matic.

Can you name some other aspects of roping that you enjoy?
Tyler: It is a great way to meet people and have great competition at the same time.
Kathy: It’s an adrenaline rush. Doing well makes you want to keep going.

What do your boys like to do?
They both enjoy riding the horses and traveling with us. Lane enjoys motorcycles and Levi is our little cowboy.

What are some goals you have for your roping?
Both of us would like to make it to the World Series Finals every year, make enough money roping to cover our expenses and just continue to get better.