SULPHUR SPRINGS - Brad Amos, of Sulphur Springs, who lives on Honey Creek Road northwest of Gravette, and his partner Ronnie Carter, of Berryville, were big winners at the National Finals of Team Roping held in Oklahoma City last week.

The team roped four steers in a time of 33.19 seconds, besting 398 other teams in the Number 12 Gold Plus Division to capture the U.S. Reserve Championship.

The duo received the $28,400 prize along with Gist Silversmith buckles.

Amos is a 1998 graduate of Gravette High School and has been roping since he was 16 years old.

“It’s all I ever wanted todo,” Amos said. “I started roping because a man who worked for my dad liked to rope and I looked up to him,” Amos added.

Team roping is a timed event that requires a team effort. A team is made up of a “header” and a “heeler.” The header’s job is to catch the steer around the horns and then set it up by turning it across the arena. The heeler then rides in and ropes the steer around both hind legs. The clock is stopped when the steer is secured between both ropers and their horses are facing each other.

Amos explained that at competitions riders randomly choose partners. He and Carter met that way. They have ridden together at several competitions, including a USTRC Roping competition win at Bentonville. He has also won several other competitions with other guys, he said.

Much like in the sport of golf, ropers are handicapped or receive a classification rating based on their skill level and competitive ability. Ropers can be classified from a Number 1 to a Number 10, depending on their roping position and ability. The added total of both roping partners’ handicaps determines their division eligibility. For example, if the division is a Number 11, the total rating for both ropers cannot equal more than 11, with some divisions requiring a handicap floor.

A total of $4.2 million in cash and $625,000 in prizes were awarded in the 12 event divisions.

Community News, Pages 9 on 11/03/2010