Team Roping

As I previously mentioned Travis has taken up the sport of Team Roping. He started about 2 years ago, but has only entered himself in to 2 big ropings. It's so fun to be able to watch him participate in something he loves so much. He has been lucky to find a really great group of guys to rope with on weeknights.

Travis has improved so much since he started and I can't wait to be by his side as he enters more ropings in the future. I've submitted myself to being a rodeo wife :) In college Travis tried bull riding, and thankfully that phase of life is over with and I'll gladly support him as he continues with his team roping career.

If you are not familiar with team roping it consists of 2 ropers a header and a heeler. The clock starts when the header nods he is ready and they let the steer go. The header is responsible for roping the steers horns. After the header has roped the steer it is then the heelers turn to rope the back to legs of the steer and then they both pull out all of the slack in both of their ropes and the clock stops. Travis is a header, but is also learning how to heel.

One day we hope to be able to enter a roping together as partners (go ahead and start laughing at me now). Now, I don't intend on making it a hobby like Travis, but one of his wishes is for me to rope with him once. So, once my horsemanship skills get a little better (OK, a lot better) then I can practice roping and hopefully we can enter a roping together one day!

It's only fair if I enter a roping with him since he did run a marathon with me. It just might be 10 or 15 years before I'm ready to do something like that.

Below is a video I took last night at the roping pen. Team Roping is an event you typically see at the rodeo, so I'm sure you'll recognize it when you see it.

Roscoe P. Coltrain

On Sunday we returned from our weekend trip to the Roping in Glen Rose to find that one of our dogs was gone, Roscoe.

Roscoe is a tough dog. Always wanting to protect us. Last week he killed a 4 foot rat snake and brought it to us to show us he killed it. Roscoe was Travis' first dog and has been around longer than I have.

We have looked everywhere but have not been able to find him. He's notorious for getting out and coming back, but this time he has yet to come back.

After talking to one of our neighbors we found out that they saw Roscoe, BUT thought he lived in the subdivision a mile up the road so they loaded Roscoe in their truck and dropped him off in the subdivision. Seriously, who does that? Finds a dog and just drops him off all alone in a subdivision not even attempting to see who owns the dog.

So, everyday we have checked the animal shelters with no luck, searched the subdivision the neighbors said they took Roscoe to, put ads on Craigslist, and made flyers.

If you have time say a prayer that Roscoe is safe and happy and that he can find is way home.

Everynight when we've gone to feed the dogs we've scooped 4 scoops so used to having 4 dogs and it's just not real that Roscoe is gone...