Tyler Magnus is one roper I’d thought about interviewing for quite a while. He’s always been incredibly polite and very quiet. Inwardly maybe I was afraid he’d be a “Yep” and “Nope” interview which can be pretty difficult. I couldn’t have been more wrong. He’ll always be incredibly polite, but I also discovered he is extremely passionate about roping, his family, his horses and having a lot of “try.”

Any time I watch him rope, I am always in awe of his horsemanship. He is one of those few people that look like he’s actually part of his horse. Because of that, we spent a lot of time discussing horsemanship.

At 37 years old, Tyler has been married to Knel (pronounced Kan-nel) for several years and they have two children, Truman who is 22 months old, and their newest addition, Ruby, who was two weeks old at the time of this interview at the PRCA rodeo in Sonora, Texas. - Teri Fanning (Originally printed in The Roping Pen, September 2001).

Have you always roped?
All my life, since I was four or five years old. My Dad was a rancher and he used to rope calves when he was younger, but he mainly roped outside. Roping is all I’ve ever known and all I’ve ever wanted to do.

What gave you the desire to do it for a living?
Most kids want to be firemen or astronauts when they’re growing up and I never did. From the earliest I can remember anything, I knew I wanted to rope. When I was three years old I tied down dogs and roped the dummy.

Growing up, whose roping did you admire and try to learn from?
I watched everybody growing up: Mark Fanning, Joel Maker, Paul Lee Foreman, Bronc Fanning. I remember seeing Bronc rope a steer at Ponca Creek, Oklahoma one night, when I was about eight or nine years old, and thought it was the most awesome shot I’d ever seen. Joe Glenn helped me a lot when I was younger. Not many people know of him, he won the world in the ‘50s or ‘60s. I watched everyone that I thought roped good and tried to take a little from each one to make my own style. I’d say Arnie Byrd taught me how to win.

Over the years how has your roping changed?
Roping and handling a rope has always felt very natural to me and I always felt it was a God given talent because it was so easy for me. Now, the older I get, the more I learn about roping because now I have to figure out some things because maybe I don’t have the speed or the ability I used to. Now, I have to work on things that never even used to cross my mind and it’s helped me understand a lot. It’s made me a better roper and helped my mental game. It’s especially helped me be a better teacher in my schools.

What approach do you take in your roping clinics?
I think to teach you have to be part psychologist. You have to read people. Not all people are alike or comprehend things in the same way. At my schools I like to treat people the way I’d want to be treated. I’m not going to holler and scream at anyone. Like with a horse, I’m going to give my student every benefit of the doubt up to a point.
People need to realize that to rope well it takes a lot of time, effort and horsemanship. You have five heart beats going at the same time: a header, heeler, two horses and a steer. It takes a lot of control to make things happen correctly.
I truly enjoy putting on schools and teaching people to rope. I especially enjoy private schools where groups of eight or ten people come to my house. My biggest goal when teaching is for people to be happy. I don’t want anyone to leave my house that’s not satisfied. And there’s not one soul alive that can’t rope at my house - that will never change. I’ll always have steers and if someone’s there and wants to rope, all he has to do is back in there and rope. I’ve roped at people’s houses all over the world.
At my schools I always have people that will pull you off to the side and say, "I know what you’ve been telling these guys - now tell me the secret." There are no secrets. There are no short cuts and I don’t think there are in anything.

Do you stress horsemanship in your schools?
Yes. A lot of guys look at a horse like a pick up, just something they have to have. It’s not that way anymore. I try to make people understand that horsemanship always has to be your first priority. Any time horsemanship is not your number one priority, you’re in the ditch. You might catch, but you’ll never find consistency without horsemanship. And, without consistency, there’s no way to achieve speed and control. Speed comes from control.
If you’ll look at the top five in any organization, from the PeeWee rodeos to the PRCA, you’ll definitely see the top five horses, but you’ll also probably see the top five horsemen as well. Ropers, especially at the top level, are starting to realize the importance of horsemanship. It doesn’t really matter how good you rope. Roping a steer is not much different than roping the dummy except you have a horse under you. You have to be able to make the same throw from a horse as you do standing on the ground. That, and consistency, is the toughest part.
Everyone that comes to your roping school pays for a roping school. Usually all they’re looking at is their loop. It’s hard to get people to understand that their loop has nothing to do with why they missed. They didn’t give themselves a chance to catch and it doesn’t matter how good of a loop they threw. It may have started when they left the box with their horsemanship. They never gave themselves the opportunity to use that loop. It’s very hard to get people in that mind frame. They paid to come rope and they want to worry about their rope. It’s getting a lot better though because of the information available today, like the articles in your paper and other publications. The knowledge getting out to ropers is amazing. I enjoy reading everyone’s articles myself.
I think horsemanship is the hardest part for the low numbered guys. They work all week and only get to ride or rope a couple of times during that week. It takes a special kind of horse to fit them. The old days of "fixing" horses are gone.

Why do you say that?
Because he’s going to come undone. I can fix any horse for myself but he probably won’t fit a #3. I could have a really good horse but he’s got to fit the person who will be riding him.
There’s definitely a fit between horse and rider. A good fit is especially important at the open level because you’re trying to trim off time in order to beat guys like Speed and Rich, Kevin and Martin, Matt and Clay or anybody that’s in the top fifteen. I may not like someone else’s horse or he may not like mine. Now, we could both catch on them, but it may be a swing or two further than we would on our own horse.
There’s little things that make a good fit. The longer you have a horse, and the more confidence you get in him – that’s when you become great. It’s like Charles riding Scooter for twelve years, its unbelievable or Speedy on Viper. When you see those guys back in the box on those horses you know you’d better hump up. When you’ve ridden a good (or great) horse for a long time your confidence level has become so high and that’s what it boils down to anyway. Whether you’re roping, riding a horse, shooting pool, playing golf or whatever - if your confidence is high, you’ll do well.

Everyone goes through “slumps.” How do you handle them?
I’ve really worked on that a lot. I used to be high as a kite on one run and then as low as a snake’s belly on the next if I missed. Over the years I’ve really tried to have a more even keel and stay more in the middle.
I’ve tried harder to realize why things didn’t work and what it took to win. I’ve always been really critical of my horses and myself and I’ve tried to ease up on that a little. Now I only beat myself up for an hour or two instead of days. In the last couple of years, I’ve learned not to expect the max from my horse every time. Sure, there’s been times I’ve wanted to quit but I’ve given up on that now; roping’s just part of me.

Why did you want to quit?
One time in particular, in 1992 at the National Finals I was a “starving artist” or whatever. We didn’t have much and back then you rode what could. All I did was eat, sleep and drink roping – that’s all I’d ever done.
We’d gone all year to get to the finals and hadn’t made any money. The bottom five guys are not going to have any money in the bank when they get to the finals. I was one of those bottom five and had worked as hard as I possibly could all year to get there. At the finals there had been a torrential downpour for four or five nights in a row and I was sitting out there in knee-deep mud that was up to my horse’s belly. I thought, "This is not the way - this could be better." I’m not whining because of the way it was. I thought, and still think, the PRCA could be a lot better.

In what way?
In a lot of ways. I think we’ve always been led to believe that money was a problem and I just don’t see Las Vegas having a problem with money. I’m not putting all the blame on anybody in particular. We, the cowboys, are our biggest enemy because we’ve never had any unity. I think the PRCA keeps us out there with our heads down so long trying to fight out a house payment and truck payment that we don’t have the time or the knowledge to maybe better ourselves.
We do it because that’s the way it’s always been done. Rope here tonight and drive somewhere else as fast as you can to make the next one. I think there’s a better way; it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m not going to 100 rodoes, it’s ridiculous. The Pro Tours are helping a lot. Still, we’re the only sport where you’re penalized for getting better. We’re the only sport alive that doesn’t promote our top people.
When I was growing up it was a big deal to make the finals, that’s all you wanted to do. Now days if you put a pen to paper, you almost look like an idiot. There’s not three guys in the PRCA that win $50,000 at the National Finals. And, to do this, we have to go to eighty rodeos, wear out a truck and trailer and be gone 200 days during the year. What’s appealing about that?
There’s no incentive for anyone to get better. From beginners to #3’s and #4’s have the opportunity to win a truck almost every weekend. The Lariat Bowl pays $50,000. You know as well as anyone that you’re never going to make a living from rodeoing. The day you don’t win is the day you don’t have any money. It’s gotten better over the years and continues to, but, also every year the cost of pick-up trucks, trailers, horses, etc also gets higher.

I have to admit to picking your brain during this interview. I’ve always admired your horsemanship and really enjoy watching you rope because you always look like you're an extension of your horse.
I enjoy riding, especially good horses and I like to make a horse good. I don’t think they’re any better than we ride them. It’s takes a lot of thought and planning because every horse is different. A lot guys like to rope but they don’t like the practice and the work ethics that go into winning. I feel lucky in that respect because I’ve always enjoyed that a lot, not just roping but riding my horses and making them as good as I can.

Do you sell many horses?
I get a lot of calls from people looking for horses. Once I see someone rope I feel like I can match them to a horse pretty well. For instance, I may see a horse in Montana that will fit a guy in Houston and it works pretty well because I travel and get to see a lot of horses.
I like finding someone a nice horse. As long as you’re completely honest and never cut corners it usually works out. There have been times I’ve taken a loss when I thought it was a good horse but he didn’t fit the guy and I’ll take him back. I feel like horses sell themselves and the more good horses you have out there, the better you’ll do. When people win on your horses it’s an advertisement for you.

What do you look for in a good rope horse prospect?
I grew up riding anything and everything and back then you just picked one out of the pasture and made a horse. Now days, there are so many guys that rope good and the horse is a major factor. Pretty much everyone that’s at this rodeo can win first at anytime. It’s through horsemanship and horse position that their throws are made possible.
In the last few years, through the USTRC especially, with the smaller steers and longer barriers - your horse and horsemanship have become crucial. You have to be riding a horse that will give you the chance to win.
Everyone has their own preferences but all good horses share some of the same characteristics. They have to be athletic and have a good mind. The really great horses have a different look to them. It’s in their eye, their mannerisms, and in the way they carry themselves. You’ll notice a good horse out in the pasture while you’re driving down the road because he’s a got certain look to him.

I’ve heard that said before. What exactly makes that "look?"
It’s an aura about him, his attitude. You can see it in the way he carries his tail, the position of his ears, his eyes. That can tell a lot. There are certain things I look for and the older I get the pickier I get. You can save so much time by being a little picky. You need to realize what kind of horse fits you and then have a plan of what you’re going to do and ride that horse accordingly.
A horse is no different than yourself. You need a plan for him every day and set goals for him to complete. Then, if he doesn’t progress or accomplish those goals, maybe it’s time to look somewhere else. I’m not saying to put all the emphasis on your horse, but they are very important because roping has become so tough.

If I were to send a broke, but inexperienced, horse to you to be trained, how would you start him?
I would start slow and learn the horse if I didn’t already know him. I keep slow training steers at home. The first time I rode him I would know what his abilities were and what he wanted to do. That’s a big part, to find out what they want to do. Because if they don’t want to - you’re swimming upstream from the start.
They have to have some athleticism and conformation has a lot to do with it. In the last few years I’ve started paying a lot more attention to breeding. If you’ve ridden a certain breed of horse it can help make things go quicker when you’re training another horse of the same bloodline.

When you’re training and riding a horse, do you let him pick the pace?
It depends on what he is and what I want. It also depends of what time of year it is and who he’s for. My goal is to match the horse with his owner. I’ll know how this person ropes and I’ll ride the horse accordingly. If the owner is a #3, there’s no need to make the horse fit me.

What are your plans for the future?
I’m headed in the direction of putting on more schools, training some horses and going to more horse shows. I love to rope and can get as much enjoyment from roping at home as I can from winning this rodeo here today. People find that hard to believe but it’s true.
I’d like to stay home with my family more. Having my kids makes it hard for me to leave home. I used to think there were a lot of rodeos that couldn’t go on without me and now I could care less. I still like to go, I just don’t like leaving my family. But that's just part of it. I’m not going to miss my kids growing up. I can be gone for just four days and overhear Truman say something new while I’m on the phone with Knel. Not being there when it happens bugs me.

There’s a lot to be said for getting older and maturing. When I turned forty it seemed like things came into focus for me and I was happier.
I know what you mean. That happened for me when I got married. Getting married is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. Having my kids is the second greatest thing.

It tends to put things in a little different perspective.
I’m not sure what it was, it gave me a more relaxed feeling. Everything was good and everything around my life has just gotten better since. My business, my schools, my horses, everything and I feel like it gets better every day despite the normal ups and downs in life.
I believe we have to make opportunities for ourselves and be aware of them when they happen. I’ve never wanted to do anything more than treat people like I’d want to be treated and be as honest as I can, whether it’s good or bad - every day. I think it’s a pretty good way to live life.

Who, among your peers, do you admire the most?
There are so many guys that amaze me and so many I have admiration for. I’m a big fan of roping first of all. I could be five flat here today and if Kevin and Martin and Speed and Rich made good runs and were 4.8 and 4.9, I would be almost as excited as them. I love to see good runs. I’ve never really caught myself saying, "Oh, they were just lucky," and I hope I never do.
I really admire Clay O’Brien Cooper for his mental toughness. You never, ever, see him out of character. I’ve been watching him rope since I was a kid and in all that time he’s always been professional. He always carries himself in a gentleman like way. Whether he does good or bad, he’s always the same and that’s good. You never see him flip his rope or his head, he just takes it and goes on. He’s strong in his character. I also admire his physical strength as well because of the shots he can make through horsemanship and the things he can do. He must be unbelievably strong in his upper body where he can control a horse and deliver at the same time, it’s really hard to do.
Al Bach, I’ve always called him the “scrapper.” It doesn’t matter what a steer does, he’ll just hustle until he can get there. You never see him come around and let off of one. He tries hard from the time he rides in the box. And, I admire Rich Skelton’s control. He’s roped so long he’s like a robot.

Will you encourage Truman to rope?
I wouldn’t persuade him to rope or not to. I wouldn’t ask anyone to go through what I’ve been through in my life. You’d have to really want it very badly to do it. I wouldn’t do it again, not now. I feel like I’ve tried as hard as I could every day of my life to do what I wanted to do. That’s real important to me, having the drive to finish everything you start. Whenever you get done with anything, you look back and think you could have done better. You can always do better but hindsight is twenty-twenty.

What do you say to kids that tell you, "I want to do what you do?"
Kids are a lot like horses. You can see the ones that have the passion and drive and then the ones that just want to have fun. It has to be fun to all of us first before we can rope good or anything. If it’s not fun, you won’t fight it every day and be successful. I’ve tried and know a lot of people who have. I just want kids to enjoy it to start with and realize the importance of their horse. That would be my first priority for them.