Cowboy Felllowship hosts roping clinic

The Ridin’ the River Cowboy Fellowship hosted a roping clinic on Friday, October 22, taught by professional ropers Nick Sartain and Trey Johnson at the Ridin’ the River Cowboy Church arena.

Seventeen ropers came out to learn from Sartain and Johnson who are well respected talents on the rodeo circuit.

The cowboys and cowgirls worked on groundwork, machines, and on live cattle as they divided into headers and heelers.

Practice was necessary to reinforce muscle memory according to the trainers.

Each run was analyzed and dissected by the trainers to help the ropers improve their performance.

While the cowboys came out in short sleeve shirts, polos, gimme caps and work-a-day boots, they seemed to have boundless enthusiasm for the sport.

That afternoon they practiced on live cattle who were somewhat unpredictable and wily.

The headers and heelers took off out of the lane chasing some sprightly yearlings around the arena until the cowboys were able to land a rope on their horns or on their back hooves.

Smiles of pride broke out as the riders knew they had accomplished their task.

The group adjourned for a home cooked BBQ lunch and reconvened at 1:00 to begin working the cattle again.

The weekend began in Bandera and then moved to Kerrville at the 1000 Hills Cowboy Church. There, Justin Todd Herrod used his skills to assist the cowboys on the second day of the roping weekend.

On Sunday, Trey Johnson preached a morning sermon at the Ridin’ the River Cowboy Fellowship and came back in the afternoon with a clinic on groundwork.

The weekend closed out with some tired cowboys, horses and steers. The students praised their teachers for their expertise and showered them with jokes as the afternoon wore on.