IN THE HEAT OF THE SEASON

Well it’s June, and in Rodeo that means another chance for MEGA MONEY. For those who have chosen to try and make the NFR it’s a chance to get an advancing foothold towards the big goal. For others (June-July 4th) it’s a time to bust your balls and never look back.

“Cowboy Christmas” (June through the 4th) is an opportunity to excel or reestablish yourself regardless of what happened the past winter or spring. Typically the idea is about trying to post a fast time somewhere and jump ahead, catch up, or at least acquire future entry fees. Of course, as with any time in rodeo, you’re either rock’n-&-roll’n on a downhill go or you’re constantly “recalculating” the GPS.

A good June run on a competitor’s summer tour is like a good June rain on a rancher’s summer pasture (grass grows/greener pastures). Garnering a World Championship at the Reno Rodeo not only puts a nice jingle in your pocket, it puts a nice jingle in your spurs and sets the stage for what I consider the best season of all in rodeo—the period just after Cowboy Christmas.

Embarking what I call the majors (Nampa, Salinas, Salt Lake, Cheyenne, Ogden, Calgary) with a relaxed mind and checkbook, (as opposed to stressed-out and starving) makes a big impact on a competitor’s summer-tour, but nevertheless, you bring your “A” game to these rodeos and expect to do some opportune damage. Most of them are 2-headers and a final, and because these summer majors are where the cream begins to whip, you don’t enter the arenas--in fact you don’t even enter the competitions--without a plan. Unless winning doesn’t matter, you’ve got to be prepared, professional, and proficient, o adios amigo.

Back in the day, if a west-cost team roper didn’t have a good Salinas it got mighty dry. The next nearest “Team Roping” rodeo didn’t roll around until Albuquerque come late September. Consequently, he could head out on a redemption-run through the Midwest hitting every Tom Green County Fair on the map and hopefully still have a horse and a vehicle when he finished. Today’s team ropers have the luxury of a mandated event. With the “75-rodeos” rule one hasn’t much worry about the time of year. Which brings me to a question I’d like to propose to my readers: Why can’t they let a guy rodeo all he wants AND THEN pick his best 75 rodeos of the season?

I welcome and look forward to any discussion or inquiry on this subject via my email or blog page found at (www.camarilloteamroping.com)

Best’a luck this summer…

Make it happen!

The Lion

Tune up your roping with a Pro - Costly or Priceless?

Just this spring, Case Hirdes spent a week with Jerold Camarillo tuning up his team roping skills.  Jerold spent time specifically working on his delivery and slack pull in addition to other fundementals.  Who is Case Hirdes you ask?  Your 2010 California High School Rodeo Association (CHSRA) Champion Team Roping Heeler.  He is now qualified for the National High School Rodeo Finals and will be competing in Gillette, WY in July.  Case and his partner won the state title with 36.27 on 4 head, with the longest run at 9.24.  Sure working with a Pro costs some money, and taking time off to do it can be inconvenient, but as it proved out in Bishop, CA last week, it is often money well spent.  Call Jerold or Leo about available slots for personalized instruction.

Vindication - Finally

Vin·di·ca·tion: the defense, such as evidence or argument, that serves to justify a claim or deed.

That is just what happened for Jerold Camarillo last weekend as two of his roping students performed very, very well at the annual NCJRA Rodeo in Clements, CA. 

Jerold was finally vindicated by the performance of these two students, after watching a few not so stellar performances.  These two roping students, Colton Farquer, and Amanda Valente, have been receiving consistent instruction from Jerold for the past year.  At times they've looked good, improving monthly and even placed well in a couple of rodeos, but like the nursery rhyme "when she's good she's very good, and when she's bad she's horid" they both have been hot and cold throughout the past few rodeos.  "When they are on, it looks great, when they are off, you have to scratch your head and wonder why.  I've seen them turn steers in under 8 in practice" said Dardalee, Colton's mother. 

That all changed last weekend in Clements, California. Amanda roped very well in the steer stopping, 1st in breakaway and 3rd in team roping, netting her cash and the Girls Reserve Champion All-Around title on Saturday.  Colton won the tie down roping, 2nd in steer stopping, and 3rd in the team roping (heeling for Amanda), and snatched the Champion All-Around title on Saturday.  He went on to win the tie down roping again on Sunday at a second rodeo, and did well enough in steer stopping and team roping (with Amanda) to net him the Reserve Champion All-Around title for Sunday.

In not so many words Jerold Camarillo said "I put a lot of work into training these two.  It's hard to go to a rodeo as their coach and sponsor and see them perform poorly when I know they can perform so much better because I see it at practice." He added, "Finally, they do great, and not just in a single event.  It was nice watching Amanda and Colton placing well in multiple roping events and then see both of them win All-Around titles in the same day. It really made me feel good" he said.

"The team struggled some this year, at times blaming each other, but lately that has stopped and they put the team back in team roping.  That one thing, working as a team, seems to have made all the difference.  Amanda handled steers great all weekend and Colton cleaned up two feet when he needed to, neither blaming the other, and both doing their job." says Byron, Colton's father.

"I know Jerold has been wondering if it was ever going to come together for me (tie down roping) because he's watched a few of my rodeos, but after last weekend I hope I've made him proud, winning not just one tie down roping but two, back to back, and an All Around and a Reserve All-Around title in the same weekend." says Colton.

When complimented by an adult roper about his performance and his back to back tie down wins Colton responded modestly "I could have done better, ...and tied faster." That brought a smile to Jerold.

Amanda Valente and Colton Farquer both live in Oakdale, CA and take lessons at Camp Jerold on a regular basis. Amanda and Colton are qualified for the CHSRA State Finals in Bishop, CA June 2010.  In addition to roping Amanda competes regularly in Barrels, Goat Tying and Pole Bending.

A VIEW OF THE FOREST

Just about every professional roper today, myself included, wants to beat on his drum. With the convenience of mass communication anybody anywhere can say anything and somebody somewhere will be sure to hear it. The other day I was thumbing through the various roper newspapers/magazines strewn across the table, and in every one I found “How-To” words from the experts. Different tips and theories on A to Z all aimed at the same goal: expediting (roping) relativity. And while I appreciated their competitive angles and progressive ingenuity my underlying question was what level of roper the experts assume their readers.
Back in the day, my brothers and I went down to South America to put on a school. We arrived a few days early and upon mingling with the natives got caught up in a jackpot. The Southern-Am boys wanted to try us in a 5-header. To that point, their only exposure to roping had been a National Finals tape. You can imagine their strategy. Sixty teams of ‘em, all trying to cut their hands off reaching, ducking and making dust for “day-money” every round. They challenged us on a pen of Zebus (native Brahma) that had been so roped out they were like Billy goats. Characteristically Zebu horns grow straight back making them tough to pipe, and this pen was so savvy anytime a loop came near their horns they’d tip their heads back and shrug it off. Of course our opponents had no clue how to neck one. Their whole thought was to rope as fast as one can, and if their loop landed around the neck it was sheer fluke. My brother and I were familiar with the Zebu and their tricks, so we decided to work things to our advantage. Settling back we let them out and “just caught” our five (around the neck) to win the average, for which of course nobody cared--accept us. Though we took the lion’s share of loot the average wasn’t a big deal. Nobody even considered it. In fact, folks still don’t. Nothing much is ever said about the average until the last steer, making it more of a supposed bonus. In any case, the South Americans’ misconception about winning was that it’s all about speed.
Building on their perception of what the pros were doing left the South Americans in the dark. They were bent on one idea, one way of roping. Once we took them in the school and laid some foundation they saw the light. Developing their fundamentals shed light on our perspective of safety, solidity and therefore, fun; as well as the value of versatility. We showed them how to incorporate and work with conditions, i.e. how to rope “pesquez” (Portuguese term for around the neck). And contrary to their National Finals tape, how to utilize 200 x 500 foot of arena by stretching the score out a ways to give their cattle a chance. A longer score gave the ropers an opportunity to operate the “team” dynamic (a major tool on the open range), and ultimately discover smooth, as opposed to speed, is what makes fast. With a view of the whole picture their previous NFR-style methods proved no longer cool because the consistency was low, the danger was high, and it would be no good to them on the ranch if they end up in a ravine somewhere with their fingers bleeding and hanging off.
Today I work with all levels, novice on up to pro, and at all stages it’s about catching. Look at last year’s National Finals. One team out of 14 caught 10 steers. At that caliber missing is not a skill-issue. It’s a view issue, tunnel-vision to be exact. In a one-head situation all 15 teams know what it takes and have what it takes to win. However, one-headers aren’t a matter of catching they’re a matter of time. Since making a solid run can be equivalent to making a quick miss, competitors are condition to just nod and react. With that, they get bent on one idea, one way of roping.

When rodeo was born there was no professional exposure. Roping and riding was a way of life, and cowboys used what they had for fun, making rodeo their recreation. Individual challenges helped the sport get better and faster, but on the whole competitors were handy because they rode their horse all day long working and were exposed to countless circumstances a horseback. When they rode in at the end of the day and wanted to hone their skills for the weekend competition, they just picked up their rope, but never got off their horse. They could zero in on their rope because riding was automatic. Now days the team roper rides the pick-up, and the young protégés hang around 7-11 playing video games until it’s time to rope. Their only time in the saddle is in the arena when they’re practicing or learning, which amounts to a drilled turn and smoke, turn and smoke steer after steer. All creativity and instruction is directed at speed, hence the view of team roping is the same view our South American students had 30 years ago. As a result horse AND rider vision is narrowed to “now or nothing”.

This year’s National Finals champion-team had something the other 14 teams were missing--and I’m not talking about cattle and I’m NOT talking about skill. Amongst the gunslingers, Nick Sartain (Header) and Kollin VonAhn (Heeler) were able to keep their composure, keep their focus (on the total picture) and systematically manage their own challenges to rope as a team. That was basic discipline--a rare attribute in today’s arena, be it competition, practice, and otherwise.

Bottom Line: the majority of “how-to” articles written by the pros are for the pros. It’s o.k. to take on pro ideas, but a roper has to be disciplined and experienced enough to know when they’re applicable. Acting on top-level/pro ideas when one’s riding and roping ability is not solid will leave him in the dark just like it did the South Americans. It eventually clouds his view of the whole picture and sets him up for all kinds of trouble and hindering habits. Would it be wise for the novice skier to follow the Olympic champion up the highest mountain and then try to emulate him down the double-black diamond run? I’m sure he’d get to the bottom, but he may be sorry about how he gets there. For those I work with, my goal is stable advancement. How far they soar with the skills I give them is determined not by how fast I send them, but how solidly. And when they can see the whole picture, the sky becomes their limit.

That’s all I know…
Rope Smart!

The Lion

Lion Eyes

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)

CHSRA Challenge of Champions

Every year, California High School Rodeo Association (CHSRA) sponsors a Challenge of Champions rodeo.  This invitational style rodeo selects the top three contestants from each event, from each of the nine districts.  These top cowboys and cowgirls then compete in a single go event split over the weekend, and the top ten come back in a short-go Sunday performance.  This year Jerold Camarillo was present to watch not one but numerous youth champions compete that he had coached over the years.  From Farquer to Valente, Santos-Karney to Hirdes, and the list goes on and on.  "It was like siting next to the mayor of a small town", Byron (contestant Farquer's dad) said when describing how many people Jerold commented on. "He seems to either know everyone, coached their kids, or tuned up their rope horse at one time or another".  he added.  When Case Hirdes (a District 5 top ranked tie-down and team roper) had a horse pull up lame in Clovis, Jerold was able to get him mounted on a really good calf/heel horse in time for the Challenge of Champions.  "I knew what horse would fit him and sent him up with another family so Case would be competitive, not just mounted" said Jerold.  Editor's Note: Case Hirdes and his partner placed in the top 10 in team roping, and came back to compete in the short go on Sunday.  As fellow rodeo contestants and fans watch various performances throughout the year you are likely to see a cowboy or cowgirl, youth or adult, that Camarillo's have either coached or riding a horse that they have tuned up at some point.  Congratulations to all of those CHSRA cowboys and cowgirls that made it to the 2010 Challenge of Champions rodeo.  Some of the kids expressed a big thankyou to the Camarillos who continue to show this sport that winners do more than just win, they help others do the same. 

NFR Finals - The Wrap Up - Leo Camarillo's Point of View

As usual, the team I expected to be savvy proved me wrong. In the final round, Chad Masters had a chance at the one steer I’d been waiting all week for them to cut out. The steer literally walked out of the chute every round, and why they kept the oddball in the herd is beyond me. Nevertheless, Chad drew him in the final round and he was riding Hanson. When referring to Hanson, the first words out of anybody’s mouth are, “HE’LL DUCK.” Hanson, in his day, was the epitome of a head horse, and he still is a great horse, but he’s notorious for ducking. He’s now on the last steers of his life, ready to retire and is what he is. Due to his age and experience he’s good for one round—only! He’ll give a guy the first round, but peg him the second. He’s experienced and quick to figure a guy out.


Last year, Hanson’s owner (World’s Champion Matt Sherwood) understanding this fact, got on Hanson to win one round and then got off him. This year Chad got his run on Hanson in the 9th round. In the tenth, when Chad lifted up and went to swinging his rope in the box (ready to pounce on a world record), Hanson read the play. Understanding the call to cheat (Chad going off in the box) he anticipated the stick and figured to cut left as soon as they left the box. This wasn’t Hanson’s first rodeo NFR. He knew when and where he needed to go. He’s been blueprinted, and he took the route. Unfortunately, instead of heading for the steer, he headed for the hot dog stand.

Them old veteran horses are smarter than most ropers. On a horse like Hanson, a guy can’t advertise his intentions and quit riding because the horse knows exactly what’s up and what should go down—before his rider does. I’m sure Chad knew that steer wasn’t going anywhere. I assume Chad was focused on the drop of that neck rope and Masters-fully stick’n a new record. Hence, he committed to his rope and quit riding his horse. (Que lastima) His reflexive-communication with Hanson (correcting his duck) came long after his shot was gone.

Pulling for Chad, my beef was why they kept that eight-ball in the herd in the first place. But that’s rodeo. Like rolling the dice, you get what you get and that’s what you work with. Prove how high you can cowboy-up and be flexible. Power swings and box-shots seem the trend these days and are beneficial when you draw a dart, but when you’ve got a “walker” and you absolutely know it’s not going to out run you, contain your urge to keep pace with the pack. No sense in swinging (for power) when a steer is stopping. Slow steers can be just as tricky as quick steers especially when they’ve been tried a few rounds. You’ve got to regroup, be patient and let him out before you knock him off. Dribbling your ball up and laying your shot in is perfectly acceptable.

Team Roping is (has always been and will always be) about catching, and no matter what the situation—slow steer, fast steer, any kind of steer, the one thing you always do is ride. RIDE YOUR HORSE! ALWAYS!

With the new NFR requirements for catching I say it’s time to open up that tight, little Thomas and Mac. They’ve got it set like a mouse trap (a quick, short score; smaller cattle), so the cattle have no real chance of their own. Winning or losing is predominantly up to weather the cowboys beat themselves. Since today’s competitors are full-time specialists, it’s time to do-away with two loops, second jumps, and all the running around. Put a little bit more animal back into it (bigger calves, bigger steers, fresh bull dogging steers, etc.), stretch that score out there, and bring on some real cowboy-challenge. Speed takes on a whole new significance when things aren’t set up to be fast.

That’s all I know… Rope Smart! The Lion