Of course, just like always, when you quit roping with someone, You do nothing but win. We were no different. Dave and I made Great runs everywhere. Won 5th at Huntsville, 4th at Nacogdoches, and 3rd at the tour rodeo Austin. I also went to that Jackpot I mentioned and won 2nd and 4th. I heeled 31 steers in a row those three weeks, starting at the Strait and $29,000. Performance wise, my best ever. I feel like I’ve got my heeling finally figured out. It took me longer than I’d hoped, but I feel like I understand every aspect of it and I’m thankful for that.

So, I headed to California to start my new partnership with Broc. As I made the 2000 mile drive by myself I hoped that we would start off with a bang. Usually, I told myself, that doesn’t happen. Be ready to work on it, and accept losing for a while, until Broc and I find our niche. Thats just what happened. We drew bad and had heck and several rodeos right in a row. The spring in California is known for tons of good jackpots. We were jackpotting good but one of us would make a mistake somewhere along the way. All part of building a team. Young guys like to throw a fit at the first sign of adversity. It was nice to see Broc handle it with maturity and work through it. He turned the two very best steers at Clovis and we placed on our second one. I am very excited to get a chance to heel for him. I think we learned a lot this spring and It’s nice that we have a two month break before Reno and the 4th of July. I’m sure we’ll be in top form by then and ready to make a run at the NFR. If I’ve learned anything from my Dad it’s positive attitude and hard work will get you anywhere you want to go. I feel like I finally have a partner with the same mind set, determination, and work ethic as me. I feel overwhelmed with excitement when I think about the possibilities for Broc and I.

Till next time -TW

“I’d hold you up to say to your mother, “this kid’s gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid’s gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.” And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching you, every day was like a privilege. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you’re no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow. Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that! I’m always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You’re my son and you’re my blood. You’re the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, ya ain’t gonna have a life. Don’t forget to visit your mother.”.

I know It’s a little long for a quote, but It speaks a lot to how he taught me to go about things. So with that said, San Angelo is notoriously easy. Most all four headers are. I think to myself, ” Don’t miss, If I lay two more down it will be worth a ton.”.  Already a mistake. Instead of trying to win, I’m trying not to lose. Dave did a great job and I rode too conservative of position and missed….. Damn.

So, then we Drove all night to Tucson. Not because we had to, just because I needed some time to think. I had a big month coming up and I needed to rope well. I thought about fundamental things like, I needed to hang on to my rope longer, or get down the arena farther, but in the end I decided I just needed to be aggressive, and no matter what believe in myself and what I’m capable of . Instead of fix every little problem, let the bad stuff roll off my back. Instead of accepting the wins like, “thats what should happen”. I was going to pat myself on the back and enjoy them.

So, with my new way of thinking. Tucson slack rolled around and we had a steer that tried on our first one and a steer that was pretty good on our second. We mad good runs on both steers but I missed my dallies on both of them. Maybe could have got money in the second round if not for the misstep. Instead of beating myself up about it, I dwelt on the fact that I was happy to be 6th high call at such a good rodeo. After the Cervi (I roped well at the Cervi roping but my partners had heck.) and a few great days of practice at some great friends house in stellar weather. It was Sunday short round time. Saturday night brought a huge thunder storm to the Tucson desert and a very deep and muddy arena. I normally would have thought how tough the steers were gonna be to heel in such deep ground.  Instead I focused on how easy it was going to be, because the steers were going to be going so slow in the mud. We made a great run on a good steer and won fifth place, $2000.

Then it was back to Texas. I went back home and helped Dad teach at our place in Stephenville for two weeks. The only rodeo I went to was Glen Rose and won fourth 5.4. Good run. Rodeo is a scheduling nightmare. I drew up at Houston, Austin, and the Strait all the same day. So Thursday night was my first one at Houston. Our steer tried and Dave Waved it off. Spent the night and Got up at 5 am. Drove to Austin for slack at 10. Made two great runs 5.9 and 6.0. As of writing this we are currently setting 2nd. Then drove like a crazy person to San Antonio for the Strait. Ran six steers in an hour. Made the cut just once with Kelsey Parchman. Then jumped in the truck and made the 3 1\2 hour drive back to Houston. Made it with about thirty minutes to spare. Our steer fell down when he turned him. Then I hitched a ride with Tyler Magnus back to San Antonio for the short round and got there about 2AM. Got up and roped the next day in the finals. Kelsey and I were 5.66, 5.66, and 5.21 and won fifth for $16,000! then I jumped on a private plane, flew right to Houston and won the round there for another $2000. Making it a pretty nice little $18,000 day!

I wish I had more time to tell you about every run, but it’s not important. The Important thing is I changed my attitude, I changed the way I looked at things. I became more positive. More mentally tough. I normally would have been very nervous at the Strait roping for that much money. I just told myself “this is what you work so hard for”, “This is what you dream about”, and instead of being afraid of the opportunity. I welcomed it and was rewarded for it. People always wanna talk about fundamentals and horse position, but while thats important, it’s not everything. The difference between the guys who rope good and the guy’s who rope great, is attitude. They think they can, and they do. I was proud of my own mental toughness. Overcoming a bad schedule, lack of sleep, riding different horses, and overcoming tons of pressure. I’m going to keep on this path and see where it takes me.

Till next time- TW

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Walt, I wanted to take the time and drop you this email , and to thank you for teaching me to rope. No we have never met, but I have been trying to learn for a while now. I have been to a clinic and have watched many video instructional tapes. I was so discouraged, but wanted to keep trying to rope. I was waiting for my wife while she shopped in this particular store that had different DVD’s on team roping. Now understand I have bought them all  Speed ,Ricky’s, Jake’s, and they are all good, but there was something missing. So my wife ask if I was going to buy another DVD . I laughed and said I guess, and took your video on “heading” home. Well to save this from being a long email , that was in October 09. I made 18 in the call back out of 300 teams in the Circle T Arena team roping November 22  and qualified for the finals in May. Went to my good friends , Don and Jenifer Barnes arena in Mineral Wells and won the buckle for that Sunday January 10 th .You just made it easier for me to understand what I was doing wrong. I started late in life on this roping trail for I am 53 now and have been at this for about a year and a half, but I so enjoy it. I hope to meet you some day, and to thank you in person…..I just wanted to say good job Walt…and Thanks Eric.

DEAR  WALT, TRAVIS AND DARLENE,

MY NAME IS CURTIS HAWORTH  I’M IN NORTHERN ALBERTA RUNNING A DRILLING RIG IN THE FROZEN TUNDRA.MY WIFE JUST SENT ME MY COPY OF YOURE NEW DVDS UP WITH MY ROPING PARTNER.WE WATCH THEM DAILY AS WELL AS ROPE THE SAW HORSE EVERY DAY FOR A FEW HOURS .I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOURE FAMILY  FOR ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT  PUT INTO MAKING THEM AND HELPING PEOPLE. THEY ARE AN INVALUABLE TOOL TO US .THEY HELPS US MORE THAN I CAN SAY.THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT YOURE FAMILY GIVES TO MAKING PEOPLE BETTER ROPERS AND IN MY VIEW BETTER PEOPLE IS SECOUND TO NONE.I WENT TO  A CLINC FROM WALT LAST YEAR AND COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE WOULD GO TO THE LENGTHS THAT HE DOES TO HELP EVERY SINGLE PERSON.HE CHANGED MY ROPING AND HOW I APROACH AND LOOK AT THINGS NOT JUST IN THE ROPEN PEN EITHER .HE TOLD US MONDAY IS HATE MAIL DAY THOSE PEOPLE OUT TO LUNCH. THE WAY HE EXPLANES AND SHOWS YOU IN PERSON AS WELL AS IN YOURE DVDS IS INCREADABLY EASY TO UNDERSTAND.ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US THAT YOU HAVE HELPED UP HEAR THANK YOU FOR YOURE DEDICATION AND THE  SACRIFICES YOURE FAMILY MAKES TO IMPROVE AND MAKE BETTER ROPERS AND PEOPLE.                  THANK YOU CURTIS

Walt, just wanted to drop you a line telling you how much I enjoyed and learned @ your school 2-15.  Really liked the way you and Travis were informal but really professional, makes it alot easier when you are not intimidated by your professor.  Thanks to your wife and mother, the whole school was just great.  Thanks again and best of luck!  Jim Davenport

-TW