Wins 5th Consecutive World Championship

February 2002

How was winning the world this year different than the last four years?
RS: This one was more difficult because we’d had trouble off and on all during the year. This was probably the best, other than the first year, because we did have trouble and pulled it out and came out on top. I really have to commend Speed for roping outstanding at the finals. He roped great and gave me a lot of chances. If he’d had problems on one or two steers we probably wouldn’t have won the world.

In the previous four years at the finals you roped almost flawlessly and Speedy made some mistakes. Did this give you a different perspective?
RS: You can’t blame it on anyone messing up; you take chances because you have to. At the finals when I missed that steer and had to use the second loop, I probably felt more pressure than any steer I’ve ever run. Thankfully it all turned out well for us.

After having a difficult year, how will you approach 2002 differently?
RS: Hopefully things will go a little smoother for us. Last year it wasn’t anything either one of us did. We didn’t draw very well, especially when we really needed to.
The year before, everything went great. So, it’s really hard to compare the two years. We faced a lot of obstacles last year we didn’t have the year before. It’s kind of hard to say we had a bad year when we won the world. But by our standards it was a bad year. Like Speed said, we won the world on the last fourteen steers and that made it all worthwhile.
It goes to prove how important the big money is at the Tour Finales and the National Finals. To struggle like we did, and then do well at those places, and still be able to come out on top. It’s important to stay focused and do well at the right places and keep things in perspective.
It’s always been a goal of mine to win the average at the finals and it seems ironic to achieve that after a year where I didn’t feel I roped that well.

When you have to overcome, how do you stay focused?
RS: You have to rely on your years of knowledge and practice principles. You know you can win, you know your horse is going to work. When Speedy’s riding Viper and I’m on Roaney, there’s not many times we don’t do well.
Speedy was able to ride Viper at both the Tour Finale and the Finals. He didn’t feel like his horse worked as good as he could have and I didn’t feel like Roaney worked like he could of, but we still won. That says a lot for both horses.

After achieving your goal of winning the average at the National Finals, what your goals now?
RS: Now with five world titles, it makes you look at the Jake and Clay’s record of seven team roping championships. When we had one or even two, it wasn’t that important because it was so far away. It’s not something that I’m really going after, but if things go well for us it would be great to have that record. One of my goals this year is to rope better than I did last year.

Did it change the finals having so many new ropers there?
RS: It didn’t really change it that much. There’s always some teams that are going to do well and it just so happened this year that there were some younger guys there that roped real well.

Do you see yourself slowing down in the foreseeable future?
RS: Not as long as Speedy wants to rope and our horses are doing well. As long as everyone’s healthy and having fun. The main thing now is to have fun and pay your bills. As long as I’m able to do that and enjoy it, which I do.

When the time comes that you don’t rodeo, do you know what you want to do?
RS: Lay on the couch (laughs). No, I don’t really know yet. Hopefully in a couple of years I’ll have my place paid for and then I can look at what I want to do.

We’d like to congratulate your win, but also commend you both for the respect you have for each other as partners.
RS: Thank you.