2008 Summer Team Roping
and Cattle Show/Sale is GREAT SUCCESS and FUN!

July 12, 2008 Cibolo Livery Stables, Bulverde, Texas

TCCA members converged on Bulverde, Texas for the first TCCA Non-Sanctioned Summer Roping, Performance Cattle Show, and Sale. The event was the brainchild of Billy and Dallas Luke of the Rockin BL Ranch, both members of the TCCA Board of Directors. Their idea was simple: TCCA would host a roping, our members would provide NACA-registered stock for the roping pen, and the ropers would do the actual judging of each animal, voting for the animals that performed the best.

Billy advertised the event through fliers posted at a wide variety of area businesses, as well as fliers handed out at area roping events; all ad copy directed the public to the TCCA website, where prominent advertising for the event was featured. The #8 and #10 ropings were pick 1/draw 3, maximum of 2 entries. TCCA membership was required to enter cattle in the performance class. Trophy buckles were provided for the high money Header & Heeler, as well as for the Grand Champion and Reserve Champion roping animals. To make sure the ropers voted, all voting ropers were entered in drawings for various prizes. These prizes, provided by TCCA Director Britt Holt of Morning Star Ranch, included 2 beautiful breast collars, a neon nylon hay bag, a rope bag, 2 pairs of splint boots, and header & heeler ropes.

Saturday, 7/12/08, dawned clear, hot & humid at the Cibolo Livery Stables and Arena in Bulverde, Texas, the site for the TCCA event. This has got to be one of the best places in Texas to have a fun event like this! Between the live band at the cantina, the delicious steaks, the ice-cold beer, the helpful arena crew, and the excellent layout of the facility, the TCCA members, guests, ropers and cattle were VERY well cared for!

Barney & Ruth Luke, Christina Teston, and Andrea Edwards set up and manned the TCCA table to take memberships, display the Roping and Performance trophies, hand out N.A.C.A. material and copies of THE CORRESPONDER, and take the ropers' votes. A pen of approximately 35 head of registered cattle were entered from 10 different ranches. It was very busy around the roping chute, as the TCCA volunteers, including Bobby & Sharon Beauchamp, Wayne & Stacy Lynn, Britt Holt, Dale Price, Craig Dorrance, and Benny & Sue Maben, got the cattle checked in, wrapped, and tagged. Meanwhile, Billy & Dallas Luke got the stripping chute organized, and made sure the show secretaries had everything they needed. My assignment was easy: I was the roving photographer! The roping started promptly at 10 am, with over 150 teams participating.

During the roping, TCCA volunteers actively solicited the ropers' comments on the cattle. A repetitive theme soon emerged: the ropers liked the consistent medium speed of the run, the predictably good handle once the animal was headed, and the animals' durability during a 5-hour, very hot & humid roping. Despite the fact that the roping pen was assembled from 10 different ranches, the arena management considered the pen of cattle to be very well-matched. Unfortunately, a prevailing comment was, "we didn't know you guys (NACA & TCCA) even existed, and we never heard of registered Corrientes before." NACA & TCCA have some marketing to do!

The ropers voted Lone Star Trophy Buckles for BL's Cow 71, owned by Joe New, as Grand Champion Roping Animal. LF Ranch Steer 715, owned by LF Ranch, was voted Reserve Champion Roping Animal.

Lone Star Trophy Buckles went to Chuck Fretwell as High Money Header and Wayne Lynn as High Money Heeler.

All the advertising for the event emphasized that cattle would be for sale at the event; after all, what better way to get ropers hooked on our registered cattle than by taking a few of them home for their practice pens? Interest in our NACA-registered cattle was keen, with buyers actively seeking sellers. (Jandal Corrientes hit the jackpot, selling all 7 available head, and going home with an empty trailer!)

Everybody had just the right amount of time to get cleaned up before the dinner -dance and rodeo started that evening. The team ropers at the Cibolo rodeo that night got to hear all about how much better the cattle were at the TCCA roping--getting even more people interested in registered stock! The TCCA volunteers loved being able to party and socialize together after the roping, without being responsible for any of the organization of the entertainment. What a deal!

The roping netted a small profit for TCCA. More importantly, we learned a lot about the ins and outs of hosting a roping where we brought all the cattle and the ropers voted. We've got a ton of great ideas to discuss for next time, such as a live auction cattle sale afterwards; soliciting TCCA members to bring fresh cattle (to be for sale on site) as well as broke-in cattle; and considering adding in other ropings, such as a Century, a Senior, or a Ladies'.

More importantly, a large group of ropers were exposed to N.A.C.A.-registered roping stock for the first time--and they liked what they saw! Given the enthusiastic comments and big grins on the ropers' faces, this won't be their last time to rope N.A.C.A.-registered cattle! We can't wait for the next TCCA event at the fabulous Cibolo Livery Stables/Arena in Bulverde, Texas!

Below is the Information posted BEFORE the Roping/Show.