The sport of team roping is the cowboy’s equivalent of golf. Arenas are scattered across the country like golf courses and many cowboys belong to a weekly roping club. If you have trouble picturing the technicalities of this wreck, it is enough to know that the lasso never comes tight around Kevin’s boot.

A FAVOR

Have you ever had a simple gesture of kindness end up unappreciated?

James and Kevin were entered in the team roping and had just chased a steer to the end of the arena in a fruitless attempt to head and heel the crafty critter. James had lost his hat during their run, so Kevin stopped to pick it up for his header.

He hung his loop and coils over the horn and swung off. Well, not quite off. As his right boot cleared the cantle, it hooked the loop!

Kevin remembered very distinctly seeing the rope around his ankle as he neared the ground. He kicked, meaning to shed the snare, but instead, he stuck his toe into Buck’s flank!

In that split second, he thought, It’s a good thing I’m on ol’ Buck. A less seasoned horse would spook. Buck, of course, was thinkin’, Whoa! What was that?! He spooked and was goin’ flat out in three jumps!

Down the arena they went! Kevin did a couple of half gainers and managed to put a nice figure eight between his boot and the saddle horn!

He sat like a man on a sled tryin’ to prise the loop off his foot as he bounced along on his pockets, feet in the air, hands on the rope, leaving a trail through the arena dirt like someone draggin’ a sack of watermelons down a sand dune!

Ten feet behind the flashing hooves, Kevin peered through the flying dirt. They were fast approaching the awestruck ropers at the chute end of the arena!

In desperation, Kevin lay flat on his back and kicked at the captured boot! The loop came loose, his heels bit into the dirt in full flight! They stuck and he stood straight up like Wile E. Coyote runnin’ into a canyon wall! With a dramatic flair, he tipped his hat.

James rode by the rigid, unrecognizable figure covered with dirt from his hair to his spurs. “Nice ride,” he commented. “Least you could have done was pick up my hat.”