INTERVIEW WITH A TEAM ROPER

alamosaddlery1
Dec 18, 2017
2 min read

Leisha and I recently had the privilege of sitting down and speaking to team roper Edgardo Contreras. Here is a part of the conversation we had with him.

Cyndi: Where do you and your partner live?

Edgardo: I live in Del Rio and my partner lives in Laredo

Cyndi: Are you the Heeler or the Header

Edgardo: I am the Heeler

Cyndi: How did you get into roping?

Edgardo: My uncle got me into it at the age of 6, but I didn’t get serious about it until age 11 with the Texas Junior High School Rodeo Association (TJHSRA). I later roped for the Texas High School Rodeo Association (THSRA)

Cyndi: How do you get prepared for a roping event?

Edgardo: I train twice a week with steers or with a training machine.

Cyndi: Does the distance between you and your partner make it difficult to train for events?

Edgardo: No. We pretty much know how the other one runs, so we just practice on our own and then we get together right before the roping event to practice.

Cyndi: What is the best part about roping?

Edgardo: Doing what you love, and winning is just an extra.

Cyndi: What is the hardest part?

Edgardo: Accepting loss and moving on to the next roping.

Cyndi: Where do you typically rope?

Edgardo: I usually stay within a 100 mile radius, but I occasionally rope in Stephenville, and other parts of Texas and Louisiana. I do jackpots, county rodeos, amateur rodeos, CRRA, Preifert World Series and USTRC

Cyndi: Do you ever win any money?

Edgardo: Yes, but I spend more than I win in entry fees, food, diesel and tires for the truck, feed for the horses, camping spots, etc.

Cyndi: Is it worth it?

Edgardo: Absolutely

Leisha: How long are the ropes you use?

Edgardo: The heeler rope is 35 feet and the header rope is 30 feet.

Leisha: What kind of ropes do you use?

Edgardo: We use Classic Ropes

Leisha: What is your toughest challenge?

Edgardo: Timing. Not being impatient

Cyndi: What kind of advice would you give to someone starting out roping?

Edgardo: Not to be embarrassed to start.