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The Cruel Girl Ladies
| | By: Melinda Clements | Cruel Girl Championships—Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds—Oklahoma City, Ok
Thursday October 29, 2009
By Melinda Clements
There is a fictional character in Super Looper Magazine by the name of Gracie Mae who writes stories about why she hates team ropers. Perhaps if she could rope as good as all the Cruel Girl team ropers she would like it a lot better.
Talk about an elite group of ropers the ladies of the USTRC are a very classy group of team ropers. With the finesse and rank of true professionals the girls in the Cruel Girl Championships exhibit the epitome of proficiency and skills of true athletes. Gracie Mae is obviously very envious.
On four head of steers the girls were looking at $59,300 in total payout and beautiful Martin Championship Trophy Saddles and National Shoot Out Spots. Twenty of the best women ropers in the business came back to rope in the short go round of the Cruel Girl Championships held on Thursday October 29th at the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Ropings.
Despite a wet and stormy morning in Oklahoma City the girls were cheerful and having a good time as the roping unfolded and got underway.
“This is an excellent roping,” commented Abilene, Texas heeler Lari Dee Guy. “It has been a really roper friendly roping and the steers have been really good. I’ve had some good partners and overall I think everyone roped really well. It has been a good Finals.”
Guy was the third high team back going into the short round with partner, SeVette Early of Flat, Texas. Unfortunately, the pair failed to make a qualified run and moved out of the average. The second high team back of Laura Lea Coe and Jessica Bowen quickly took the lead in the average when they posted a time of 11.84 to give them a time of 37.69 on four head of steers.
Guy and partner, Barrie Smith were the high team back coming into the short go round. They had tried to be solid and consistent throughout the course of the roping and it had seemed to work for them both.
“All I wanted was to get everything caught,” Smith said. “Besides my heeler gets really mad at me if I don’t catch.”
Guy had no recourse because Smith turned a nice one in the short round and the pair posted a time of 8.24 to take the win in the average of the Cruel Girl Championships. It was good enough for a pay off of $15,600 and new Championship saddles.
“I think we both wanted to rope smart and use the steers we had,” Guy explained. “My goal was to rope eight by two feet and to do whatever I needed to do to catch. Of course, we always want to win and this was a great roping to win.”
Smith concurred when she elaborated, “I wanted to be solid, consistent and try not to break out. I made it my goal to handle all my cattle for my partner. We had good cattle and the roping was a good one.”
The women in the Cruel Girl Championships are good representatives of the sport. They rope well and love the competition. With the competition comes the fun and with fun comes the reason why women in the sport of team roping are a growing trend.
Posted: Oct.30, 2009 |
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