Roping partners hit pay dirt in state, national shoot-outs
"The horse
makes the difference"
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Tobe Moore of Marion and Leroy Parks of Hillsboro have been roping partners for about 15 years. They have participated in numerous competitions, and this year was their most successful year ever.
They won the state championship in May in Hutchinson and brought home beautifully-crafted, fully-tooled saddles as well as $2,300 each.
Because they were state champions, they automatically qualified to compete in the final round of the national U.S. Team Roping Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla.
They competed Oct. 31 and placed second at the #5 level. As reserve champions, they won a total of $46,400 and beautiful gold Gist buckles worth $5,000 each.
"I went out and bought myself a new truck for cash," Parks said. "That's the first time in my life I've done something like that."
Moore didn't disclose how he intends to spend his share.
In competition, each team ropes five steers. The lead man, known as the header, ropes the steer and gets it into position for the second man, the heeler, who ropes the two back legs. Each roping is timed, and times are added together for the final score.
More than 300 teams competed at Oklahoma City. Moore and Parks were third in line among the top 30 who qualified for the final round. Their time was 38.55 seconds, less than three seconds behind the grand champions, who finished at 35.35. The third place team finished at 39.62 seconds.
Moore and Parks were happy with their average roping time per steer and also because they moved up to second from their original placement at the number three spot. They improved their time more than seven seconds from the 42.37 second finish at the state shoot-out.
Both men agreed their horses get a lot of credit for the good showings, although, as Parks mentioned, the steers that come out the gate also can make a difference.
Parks has been using the same horse, a registered American quarter horse nicknamed Nick, for at least nine years.
"The horse makes all the difference," Moore said. "Once you find a horse that fits you, he makes your job easy."
Moore had many good things to say about his roping horse. It is a registered American quarter horse which he nicknamed Biscuit. Biscuit is a five-year-old palomino gelding.
"I owe my success this year to Biscuit," Moore said. "He gives me the same shot on every run we make."
Biscuit is the son of Moore's registered 10-year-old palomino stallion, Cowboy. The young horse broke a hip at age two, foundered at age three, and finally was broke at age four. Now, the stud is used to breed mares.
"I got lucky when I got Biscuit," Moore said. "He is a real calm horse to be around. He is the last horse I trained by myself from start to finish. All the ropings I have won or placed at this year were on Biscuit. It makes me very proud to do this on a horse I raised and trained by myself."
Moore and Parks are lifelong friends. They grew up together in rural Florence. As adults, in addition to roping as a team, they have a partnership producing Corriente cattle, a small Mexican breed used for roping. (See article in June 9, 2004 issue).
The two men plan to continue to compete in roping contests. They practice almost every week and hope to move to higher levels of competition.
"We can't go lower, we can only go higher," Parks said.
