Breaking it Down by Speed Williams – March 2025
While in Las Vegas, Gabe was adamant about going to the NTRL Finals in Jacksonville, FL, in January so I decided to book some lessons in Florida prior to the roping. Afterwards we would head to Lexington, KY for the American Qualifier. I reminded him that Lexington was 13 hours from Jacksonville. He said, “Dad, that’s not a problem, we have all night to get there.” I thought about it from his point of view, and I was the same way at 18. Sleep was not really a factor.
While in Florida a winter storm was forecasted predicting ice and snow all day Wednesday, the first day of the NTRL Finals. I left it up to Gabe whether we went to Jacksonville but told him if there was snow and ice on Wednesday, we’d have to stay in Jacksonville and miss the American Qualifier. I told him I wouldn’t drive all the way to KY and couldn’t let him drive on snow and ice at night. When I asked what we were doing, he thought for a minute and said, “Why is this my decision?” I told him, “I’m here with you, on your trip, and these are your options.” It needed to be his decision but if it looked dangerous, we weren’t going to both. The southeast is not prepared for that kind of weather. Gabe chose to go on to Kentucky and miss the NTRL Finals. Probably a good decision since from Orange, TX to the panhandle of Florida they got over 9” of snow.
At the American Qualifier there were only 13 teams entered, two were entered once, 11 were entered twice for a total of 24 teams. The top ten make Saturday night so there were only three teams that would have to enter the Buy Backs to make it to Saturday night.
We’re entered twice and make a 7-second run on our first entry. On our second entry we drew a steer I’d seen go at the American Qualifier in Las Vegas. As Gabe roped the steer and turned, I tried to throw fast, but my bottom strand didn’t make to the ground. When I watched the video, the tail fouled my bottom strand, and I missed him.
Gabe did a good job of roping our second steer, and I roped a leg. We were one of the last teams to go, we just need to make a clean run to make it back to Saturday night. We know our steer runs a little. Gabe does a good job of getting out, takes an extra swing and ropes the steer around the horns but the steer dropped his head, and it waved off.
Now, we must enter the Buy Backs. I handed my son my credit card and told him to put us down. There are only three teams, we just need to make a qualified run. Gabe came back and said he put us in twice at $1,000/man. His reasoning was, “We didn’t drive all the way over here to not make back to Saturday night.”
The thing about the Buy Backs is you’re roping all the steers they’ve culled, so some run and some duck their head. Gabe and I have a steer with big horns that goes left. The object was for Gabe to break out, get it on him and get a time. He breaks the barrier; the steer is coming left, and he ropes the neck. As the steer is coming up the wall, I’m trash talking my son during the run, “Hey, what about a handle back here!” He came off the fence, I roped two feet, and it came off as fast as it went on.
I cannot explain the emotions I felt at that moment. I had a flash back to the 7th round of the 1988 NFR. Casey Cox and I had 27-seconds to go to the lead in the average. He missed the first loop, and after rebuilding and roping the steer, we were coming up the fence. I heeled him, and he got out. I had an overwhelming surge of emotion about failing to execute the run. When people come to my house for lessons, we work hard on making qualified runs. It will go down as one of the most humiliating moments in my career.
Now our second steer runs hard and goes right. Gabe nods, the cow doesn’t start, and he reacts and scores, and gets out behind the barrier. We are rolling wide open to the back end. He ropes him around the horns and turns him. I go about two jumps and feel my horse shutting down. I kick up and when I heel the steer, I rope two feet and his tail wraps in the honda.
Another déjà vu moment for me… I don’t know what year it was, but I was high call and had 13-seconds to win the #15 at San Angelo. My header turns and goes two hops, I rope two feet, and the tail gets in my rope. I’m holding my slack, and it will not come out. I’m putting so much effort in holding my right hand up, my left hand is turning. This run is why I don’t wear snaps on my reins anymore. The snap comes off the right side of my bit. My horse is turning in a left circle, and I have one rein. I have two feet, no control of my horse, and the crowd is roaring. I didn’t get a dally and the steer ended up getting out of my loop. It was a bad day.
Anyway, I’m holding my hand up and can’t get my rope to pull out. Then I miss my dally and have to kick my horse forward while holding my rope up. I get it tight on one leg and get a time. We’re going to make it to Saturday night. Gabe says, “Dad, do you want to take a victory lap?” My reply was, “Not after that performance I don’t.” I want to ride out of the arena and forget about this incident.
Had I let two steers out of my loop and not made it back, after driving all the way to Kentucky… well I think my phone would have blown up from all my students and clients who I drill about learning to catch. This is one of the main things I stress upon – riding your horse, taking a high percentage shot and executing a run. I am very thankful we were able to get a time and I had the opportunity to rope with my son on Saturday night.
Of course, Gabe had to remind me what a great idea it was to buy back in twice.
Saturday night we don’t really draw the best and are second or third out. There are 14 teams and five make it back. Three from Buy Backs and one from the Super Qualifier. We draw the steer with the head trick that Gabe waved off in the second round. Gabe gets a good start, gets it on the horns and it waves off. We went through a lot to have the opportunity to rope at the American. I thought Gabe did a good job of scoring and getting it on the horns. We ran seven steers and caught five – the only one he missed, he missed twice.
I did enjoy the trip and getting to rope with my son at the American Qualifier. I didn’t enjoy the thought of failing my son in the Buy Backs. I heeled both steers by two feet and one got out and the other almost got out. He has one more chance for the American Qualifier in Tulsa, OK.
I have to give the American Rodeo a shout-out for giving contestants, in all events, the opportunity to compete for an unprecedented payout of $100,000 and a portion of the $1M if you’re a qualifier. Can you imagine a teenage girl or boy, not old enough to buy a PRCA card, having the chance to qualify for the American rodeo. As we saw with the Kimes Ranch roping, young and unknown people have a good opportunity to win life changing money.
I’m very excited for the sport of rodeo. I have two kids who are invested, love the sport, and have a real chance of making a living doing it. Hats off to all the sponsors who make this possible. With the amount of prize money up for grabs in the World Series, Kimes Ranch Breakaway, and the American it’s created a lot of opportunities for instructors like me. People can justify getting lessons to help shorten their journey to success.
