The Start...
This is probably the least practiced but most important part
of being successful as you continue on to the next levels in rodeo.
Often in practice, very little thought is
given to how much of a head start is given to each animal. While most get
the hang of catching up in the right part of the arena, in the practice
pen they don’t have a clear enough understanding or enough repetitions to
really be proficient at this vital part of rodeo.
First: Practice
At the next rodeo, you go to sit behind the box and with the
aid of a friend practice the start. Put the hand you hold the reins 2 inches
above either their shoulder or knee, and as each animal leaves the chute, drop
your hand when the proper head start has been reached. Then have your friend judge how well you got
the start. After about 10-15 runs switch
and let your partner do the same, and you can judge how they did on the
start. You will be surprised how this
exercise will sharpen you up on your scoring ability.
Second: DIY
So many people leave this very important element up to
someone else. They walk up and ask the
guy on the back of the box what the start is. While he may be honest and he may even be good at scoring, that guy is
looking to see what “he” needs to see and you may not score the same as he
does. If you “throw them for the show
and score them for the dough” why would you leave something as important as that
to the prevailing opinion? Figure out
the start for yourself!
Third: See the Big Picture
While the goal is to be close to the barrier, you need to
realize there are times when six inches late may be a better start that
knocking it out of the latch. There are other times when your best chance of
placing is to try to see how far you can stretch it. Also, if I am going hard at the barrier rope it is going to let me catch up quicker than if I am pulling when I get
there.
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