Nothing is more piercing than the stare of a lion. And those that have stared back at roping great, Leo "The Lion" Camarillo understand the power of that stare. The piercing stare from a real African Lion comes from his confidence in knowing he is the king of the jungle (or Serengeti) and has the skill, polished by endless hours of practice, and the "attitude" to win. That same confidence in the animal, can be achieved in the human if certain principals are applied. First, stay focused. Ever seen a lion in pursuit of a gazelle pull up and start looking at the birds flying by? Second, expect the results you want. I'm convinced the lion sees the kill in its mind even at the start of the hunt. Third, practice. Its starts with the lioness and her cubs, and everyday that lion refines its skill. Fourth, be consistent. Lions observed in the wild will typically start a pursuit based upon their knowledge of the prey, terrain and their own health. Essentially making choices and compromises based upon conditions present. Your roping should be the same way. Stay focused, expect to catch (see it mentally every time), practice relentlessly, and be consistent. Understand the difference between cocky and confident. Use that mental edge to your advantage. The Camarillos share stories of yesteryear when Leo, Jerold and Reg would pull into a roping and other ropers would start loading horses to go home. In some cases the contractor would ask them not to come. "you're killing me! every time you boys show up, half of these guys want to leave." Because the Camarillos got lucky and won a few ropings? No, consistency, focus, and practice yielded many, many, many wins. If contractors and promotors aren't asking you to load up and go home (because you are winning so much) then maybe its time to "
learn from the lion". Use the same principals a lion uses to hunt. If you aren't roping with the focus and consistency you want, then get some more expert help when you practice. Don't just go to the practice pen, doing the same thing over and over expecting better results. Go talk to Leo or Jerold about a spring tune-up lesson so that your summer season is more enjoyable. It's fun to go rope, but putting a few bucks in your pocket each time makes it a bit more so. When you get up tomorrow and you're brushing your teeth in the mirror, take a good hard look at yourself. Do you have lion eyes or lyin' eyes?
(guest author)
