DEAR ROPERS,

2002 STARTED OFF WITH A BANG!! ADA OKLAHOMA WAS THE PLACE TO BE, ON FEBRUARY 2ND & 3RD, FOR USTRC RATED #1?S AND #2?S. THE AATRC OKLAHOMA OPENER WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. GOING INTO THE 2ND YEAR FOR THE AATRC OUR FIRST ROPING HAD OVER 1300 TEAMS. WHICH ALLOWED US TO ADD $20,000 TO THE ALREADY FABULOUS PRIZE LINE OF $5900, 1 EXISS BUMPER PULL TRAILER, 4 RUNNING P SADDLES, 3 BILLY COOK ROPE BAGS AND 13 HY O SILVER BUCKLES.
BECAUSE OF THE AATRC FORMAT (ALLOWING YOU TO MISS ONE AND STAY IN THE ROPING) LOTS CAME BACK TO THE MONEY ROUND. 6 FAST TIME MONEYS WERE PAID OUT IN THE MONEY ROUND AND THAT GAVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO TAKE HOME SOME CASH EVEN IF THEY DIDN?T HAVE ONE OF THE TOP CALL BACKS. JUST ASK JOHN HIGHT AND DAMEON WHITE. THESE GUYS CAME BACK FROM THE 215 CALL BACK ROPED A 6.05 AND STOOD FIRM THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE ROPING. THAT WAS GOOD FOR 2 BUCKLES AND $1000!
WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO THE TOP 15 CALL BACKS 11 OUT OF THE TOP 15 MISSED. OUT OF THE 4 TEAMS THAT CAUGHT ONLY 2 ENDED UP PLACING IN THE TOP 12 AVERAGE. ONE OF THOSE TEAMS WAS THE 9TH CALL BACK KENNY HILL & BROCK JONES. THESE GUYS ROPED AN 8.26 AND THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO HOLD 1ST PLACE. KENNY AND BROCK TOOK HOME $4200 AND 2 NICE RUNNING P TROPHY SADDLES. 2ND IN THE AVERAGE CAME FROM THE 17 CALL POSITION ROPING A 9.12 ON THEIR CALL BACK AND THAT WAS BODIE MARION AND JOE CUNNINGHAM. SECOND PLACE IS SOMETIMES SOON FORGOT BUT NOT FOR THIS TEAM. THEY WILL REMAIN IN OUR MINDS FOR A WHILE. REASON BEING THE HEELER, JOE, HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT THAT MORNING WHICH MADE HIM HAVE TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND HAVE SOME STITCHES IN HIS FINGER. RIGHT BACK HE CAME AND NOT ONLY DID HE CONTINUE TO ROPE BUT HAD A FEW GOOD CALL BACKS AND WON SOME FAST TIME MONEY ALONG WITH HIS 2ND PLACE IN THE AVERAGE. I DO BELIEVE MR. CUNNINGHAM HAD A MENTAL EDGE. MAYBE BEING THE MANAGER OF A MAJOR LEAGUE FARM TEAM AND HAVE PLAYED A LITTLE BASEBALL HIMSELF MOLDED HIM INTO THE MIND FRAME OF A WINNER! THEY SAY A BIG % IS MENTAL AND WHAT A GREAT EXAMPLE THAT WAS! AND SPEAKING OF A WINNER THAT DESCRIBES BODIE MARION JOE?S HEADER. BODIE IS A TALENTED YOUNG MAN THAT HAS MANY MORE SADDLES AND BUCKLES COMING HIS WAY! JACKIE MCCREARY AND STACY SCHULTZ WERE THE 3RD PLACING TEAM. JACKIE IS TRYING TO MAKE A HABIT OF GOING TO THE PAY WINDOW! SHE TURNED A BEAUTIFUL STEER FOR STACY GIVING THEM AN 8.68 FOR A TOTAL OF 27.15 ON THREE.
THE HAPPIEST ROPER THAT LEFT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CASEY HARRISON. CASEY PLACED 4TH, 10TH, 11TH & 3RD FAST TIME WHICH GAVE HIM ENOUGH POINTS TO WIN THE HIGH POINT PRIZE AN EXISS BUMPER PULL TRAILER. CASEY ROPED EXCEPTIONAL WELL THE WHOLE WEEKEND. AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF ROPING I TURNED TO BUDDY AND MADE A PREDICTION THAT THIS YOUNG MAN WOULD BE PULLING THE TRAILER HOME! AND HE PROVED ME RIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS CASEY!

I WANT YOU GUYS TO LISTEN UP! IF YOU COME TO ONE OF OUR ROPINGS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CURRENT USTRC CARD AND A CURRENT AATRC CARD. AS WE GOT DOWN TO THE PAY WINDOW 2 TEAMS WERE DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE THEIR USTRC CARDS WERE NOT CURRENT AND SO THE PLACES MOVED UP. SO YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF AND YOUR PARTNER THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS!

TALKING ABOUT TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED AT THE DUMMY ROPING! IN THE 5 AND UNDER TWO YOUNG MEN REALLY STOOD OUT. AFTER MISSING HIS 7TH STEER WYATT ROGERS PLACED 2ND AND BRADY NORMAN WON 1ST. YOU BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THESE TWO! IN THE 6-9 COLBY NORMAN WON THE BUCKLE AFTER CINCHING HIS 5TH SET OF HORNS. SECOND WAS NECK TO NECK BETWEEN CLINT WHITE AND GARREN DORER. AFTER 5 ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF ROPING OFF 2ND GARREN DORER WAS OUR 2ND PLACE WINNER. THE 10 TO 12 HAD TO HAVE SLICK HORNS AFTER THEIR 1ST THROW. DUSTY ABBOTT WAS SUCCESSFUL IN THAT AND WON 1ST PLACE. SECOND PLACE WENT TO COOPER BRUCE WINNING A CACTUS ROPE.

IN CLOSING I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH A QUESTION? HAVE YOU INVESTED FOR YOUR FUTURE? NOW YOU MAY BE THINKING FINANCIALLY BUT THAT?S NOT WHERE I AM GOING. YOU SEE WE CANNOT TAKE THESE MATERIAL THINGS WITH US WHEN WE DIE. ALTHOUGH GOD DOES WANT TO BLESS US AND THEY ARE NICE TO HAVE ON THIS EARTH THEY WILL ROT HERE ON THIS EARTH. MATTHEW 6:19-21 SAYS, "DO NOT STORE UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES ON EARTH, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DESTROY, AND WHERE THIEVES BREAK IN AND STEAL. BUT STORE UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DO NOT DESTROY, AND WHERE THIEVES DO NOT BREAK IN AND STEAL. FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO." THE WRITER HERE SEES THE FUTURE AND SEES WHERE WE SHOULD INVEST. IN THE BOOK OF JAMES HE SAYS, "WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? YOU ARE A MIST THAT APPEARS FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN VANISHES." OUR FUTURE INVESTMENTS SHOULD BE FOR THE FUTURE THAT WE CANNOT SEE WITH OUR EYES BUT CAN ONLY BE SEEN THROUGH OUR FAITH. YOU MIGHT ASK HOW CAN I STORE UP TREASURES FOR HEAVEN? NUMBER 1: LETS DO A CHECK AND SEE IF YOU HAVE GOT RESERVATIONS! IF SO PROCEED TO NUMBER 2. IF NOT THEN YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION. OPTION 1-DO WANT TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN WALKING ON STREETS OF GOLD WITH JESUS CHRIST AND WHERE THERE WILL BE NOT MORE TEARS OR SORROW. WHERE YOU CANNOT EVEN FATHOM HOW WONDERFUL IT WILL BE. OR DO YOU WANT OPTION 2-WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS EARTH YOU MAY SPEND ETERNITY IN HELL WITH THE EVIL OF EVILS (SATAN HIMSELF) THE BIBLE DESCRIBES HELL AS A LAKE OF FIRE WHERE THE FIRE NEVER GOES OUT AND OH YEA! GNASHING OF TEETH. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT GNASHING IS LOOK IT UP IN THE DICTIONARY! IT IS NOT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO YOUR PARTY. WELL IS IT BURNING IN THE FIRE OR WALKING DOWN STREETS OF GOLD? I THOUGHT YOU WOULD SEE IT THAT WAY! YOU SEE JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS SO WE CAN GO TO HEAVEN AND ASKING JESUS INTO YOUR HEART, TO BE LORD OF YOUR LIFE AND TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS IS WHERE YOU START OUT. NOW YOUR FAITH IS IN JESUS! HAVING FAITH IN WHAT WE CAN NOT SEE IS SOMETIMES HARD FOR THE HUMAN BRAIN THAT IS WHY FAITH IS A HEART THING. THAT LEADS US TO NUMBER2: AFTER WE HAVE OUR RESERVATIONS IN ORDER WE NEED TO START PREPARING FOR IT. AND THAT IS BY OUR WORKS. NOW WORKS WILL NOT GET YOU TO HEAVEN BUT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS WHAT? YES.. JAMES SAYS IT IS DEAD.
WE WANT OUR WORKS TO BE ALIVE SO LETS TELL OTHERS ABOUT GOD AND HIS LOVE! AND BETTER YET LETS SHOW OTHER GODS LOVE THROUGH US. WHEN YOU ARE BEING ATTACK BY SOMETHING OR SOMEONE USE IT AS A TOOL TO SHOW GOD?S LOVE. THEN OTHERS WILL WANT WHAT YOU HAVE! NUMBER 3: PREPARE YOUR FAMILY! TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO CHURCH. NOT JUST ON EASTER BUT ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND LETS GO ONE STEP FURTHER AND SAY PRAY AND READ GOD?S WORD (THE BIBLE) WITH YOUR FAMILY! YOU WILL NOT ONLY BE INVEST IN THE FUTURE BUT THE PRESENT. YOU WILL SEE A PEACE AND JOY IN YOUR HOME! NUMBER 4: SEEK GOD?S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE. WHILE WE ARE ON THIS EARTH GOD HAS A PLAN FOR US. AND IF YOU ASK GOD HE WILL TELL YOU AND WHEN YOU DO IT YOU WILL FEEL MORE JOY AND SECURITY THROUGH THAT THAN ANY BIG STOCK PAYING OFF COULD GIVE!
HOPE TO SEE YA SOON!
KELLY NORMAN