What It Takes

Hello,
You probably get tired of me talking about the National Finals Rodeo, but that’s a large part of what I do with my life. My Goal is to become the 2007 and 2008 World Champion Team Roper and if you don’t qualify for the NFR that goal, is impossible. As soon as the NFR is over, you rest for a couple of weeks, lick your wounds or celebrate, depending on how you did, and start to prepare for the coming season. As I travel around the country I always hear about some guy that people think ropes great and maybe he does, and then they say the same thing. “that boy could make it to the NFR if he would just go.” The reason he doesn’t is because he doesn’t like the travel or he just don’t have the financial backing or he’d be there,” they say”. I don’t like confrontation and usually I just nod and say,” wow that’s great”, But the next time someone says that, I’m going to tell them what I think. It might not make a difference but it will make me feel better.
People don’t have any Idea what it takes to qualify for the finals. It takes a lot more then ability with a rope to make it. I don’t have enough room in this Magazine to list the things it takes but I’ll tell you this, money isn’t one of them. Does it make it easier if you have unlimited resources? Of course it does, but take a guy like Cesar de la Cruz that was raised by his mother because his dad ran off when he was a baby and he made it. For the last several years he has traveled to the rodeos in a little camper on his pickup. He pulls a bumper pull trailer and ropes a little wooden dummy religiously before every rodeo that’s home made.

Oh if I just had a sponsor! That kid grew up as poor as you can imagine in a tuff part of Arizona and there not going to have the NFR without him, you can bet on that! He reminds me of when they tried to figure out why Lance Armstrong kept dominating the Tour De France bike race and they were convinced that he was on some kind of drug. He answered his critics this way. Their all trying to figure out what I’m on, so I’ll tell you. I’m on my bike every morning before day light and busting by butt, that’s what I’m on!
If you want to tell someone, about a guy you know, that could make the NFR anytime he wants to, tell it to the 15 or 20 guys that went all year and gave it everything they had and came up short and see what they say to you. I’ve been in the bottom group after I went hard all year and didn’t make it. Then have someone come up and say that. They don’t have a clue what it takes. It’s all you can do not to hit them over the head with a saddle blanket.
With all that said, let me tell you something that I seen at the end of the season that really got to me. I’m going to be a little vague because I don’t want to a fend this team in any way because I have nothing but admiration and respect for them. They roped great all year and it looked like they were on there way to the finals. As we got to the summer rodeos their team started to have horse trouble and they took turns missing. They started to slip out of the standing and about the time they needed a really big rally, one of them got to where he couldn’t catch. I watched every time we were at a rodeo together. He couldn’t seem to turn it around. I watched them practice together, travel together and they stuck together, but still he couldn’t catch with the consistency that he had most all year. As we approached the late summer rodeos they still had a chance and we went to a huge rodeo that was very important to not just them but to everyone, but especially to them. It had almost come down to now or never and the way the rodeo was set up everyone got one steer in the afternoon performance and one in the night performance. I watched as they rode in the box on there first steer and I was hoping and pulling for them as hard as I could because I knew how hard they had tried. I’ve been out there, all year right beside them. The steer came out and he was the one you would want, not to fast and they got another no time. The same guy that had been struggling missed again and as he rode out of the arena and past me I could recognize the look on his face because I’ve been there, Oh man, have I been there, and it’s not a good place! Something you want more than anything you’ve ever wanted in your life and you just can’t seem to get it. No matter how hard you try. I wanted to say something to him but I didn’t know what and if he’s like me at that moment, he probably didn’t want to hear it. I looked for him between the performances but I couldn’t find him. I was going to tell him to not give up, there’s still time. Shake it off. You have roped great all year, don’t let this one steer break you down but he was gone. So here we go, the night performance and right after the grand entry. I see these two team mates riding around and one has got his hand on the other ones shoulder and there talking quietly. The one that was catching is doing the talking and his partner is just listening. I rode behind them in silence and just watched as they turned towards me tears was running down his face and I heard him say I’m giving everything I’ve got and his partner said, I know you are and I believe in you and it broke me down. Tears ran down my face as well because it’s an honor to rope against someone with that much try. I consider it a privilege to be in the same arena with a man with that much character. That, to me, is what life is about, to give every ounce of your heart and soul to something and to still be trying when others have given up. Don’t let them break you down kid, because when you’ve got class like you have, you’re a hard man to stop.
Until next month
Thanks for your time
Walt Woodard