Dear Ropers,
Team roping has seem to take a huge leap in 2006. From what we hear here at the AATRC offices, ropers everywhere are on the road ready to rope! Memberships are up and lots of first timers seem to be learning how to swing the ole lasso! As you all know team roping has become a family affair! Moms, Dads, Grandparents and kids are all practicing and hauling to go to a roping. What better way to know and invest on what your kids are doing and where they are going!
Ardmore Ok was our last roping. This AATRC event was held at the newly remodeled Hardy Murphy Coliseum. The arena has been lengthened and now has heat and air along with 300 stalls and lots of RV hookups. Looks like our finals will be moved here to better accomidate our ropers!
The weekend at Ardmore was somewhat eventful. After the first roping our computer totally shut down! I mean TOTALLY! But thanks to our great office help and an old computer we made it through the weekend gracefully!
Our ropings consisted of a #8 pick and draw to a #14. As we were speaking of families roping together the #8 winners show that not only do they rope together but some times they win! One of the nicest couples in team roping you will meet, Katy and Dean Jamison, started off the weekend right by keeping it “All in the family.” Katy and Dean won the #8 with a 5 second lead of 28.23 on three. This husband and wife team took the winning checks totaling $2400 back to Pilot Point Tx! Congratulations to the Jamisons and all our winners from Ardmore! For the rest of the winners check out our results page in the back of the Spin to Win.
Don’t forget we will be in Ft Smith Ark July 7-9. This is usually one of our biggest ropings of the year. Looks like we will have a #10 where only 300 teams will be taken then we will feel the rest of the weekend with a #8. Buddy has added an aluminum trailer for you guys in the #8 and lots of saddles, buckles and of course $$. This is a great place to bring the whole family so make plans to attend and don’t forget to bring a fan!
For you guys that have kids that rodeo take note of our kids camp in June. Top notch instructors are lined up for this weekend! From successful futurity trainers to NFR qualifiers we have it all. The boys camp will be held June 23rd to 25th with team roping and calf roping. Only 12 boys will be taken in each event (heading, heeling and calf roping). The girls were not forgotten this year! We have included a camp specially for them! Barrels & poles, goat tying and breakaway will be offered June 26th thru the 28th. Included in the cost of only $200 is instruction, food and lodging. Yes we will take care of your kids for 3 days so make plans for that getaway you have always wanted and drop your kids off in good hands! We hope to return them to you as a better competitor and most importantly full of Gods word to go our and change the world around them. The theme this year is “Team Kingdom” it takes us all spurring each other on to do Gods work! If you are interested email us at fearnot@brightok.net for more info.
If you have read our newsletter before you know we always end up with a quick tip on “How to Walk in Victory.” This months tip is taken from 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 1-4. These verses start out on how to please God. I am sure if I asked each of you “Do you want to please God?” You would say Yes. But are you doing it? Some of you might say that your hearts desire is to do good but it doesn’t always happen. Even the great apostle Paul wrote that this was a fight he had. He said although he had good intentions to obey God his flesh (body and mind) put up a fight! This is were our key word comes in…don’t get scared it sounds really religious….SANCTIFICATION. Verse 3 says “It is God’s will that you be sanctified.” If you are like me your first thought is that sounds way to hard for me to understand! But actually it is quite simple. All sanctification is, is moving away from evil; wrong; sin and moving closer to God. Becoming more like Jesus! The good news is God doesn’t expect you to become sanctified all in one day. This is a PROCESS little by little day by day. Two key words in verses 3 and 4 are avoid and control. First we must understand that there are things and people we need to avoid. If you have a problem with an addiction don’t go to your buddy’s to practice if you know that they will be doing this! AVOID things in life that bring you down. If you have a problem with being depressed don’t hang out with people that only want to talk about what is wrong with themselves and EVERYBODY else. Second is control. Ok this might get personal so only read on if you really what a change in your life! You might say “I cant control ____.” (You can fill in the blank) ex. Temper, selfish desires, lazyness etc. Well lets take a look at an example. Say for instance your spouse or kid made you really mad and you lost your temper. Here you are spitten screamn and kick!@# You see the preacher driven up the drive and you greet him with your heavenly voice of “Preacher it is so good to see you!! Yes my families in the house” He doesn’t know that they just ran in cause you scared the liven daylights out of them with your temper tamtrem! . Or how about you are so tired that everyday you hit the snooze and are late for work or you have to lay on the couch and watch TV while even the goats are haven a hard time keeping up with the grass in the yard. Yet to your surprise your friend down the road that has a nice pen and good cattle calls and says “Lets rope!” The tiredness just left and you and ole paint are loaded in about 3.5 minutes headin out to play. My point is you can CONTROL yourself and your weaknesses. Now to daily walk in victory of avoiding and controlling you have to sanctify yourself with God by (1) reading the good book (Bible) and (2) talkin to the man upstairs (Praying) daily! I know you can do it! Just try it and see how God’s blessing and peace seem to flow through yours and your families lives daily!

Get sanctified and start enjoying the ride!

Kelly Norman
AATRC
Fear Not Productions
fearnot@brightok.net
AATRCROPE.COM