The Team Roping Journal

The Team Roping Journal magazine educates and entertains readers who actively participate in the sport. We help you to obtain the best results with step-by-step instruction in how to perform at a higher level and win more often. After all, we all know that while the heart is in the land and on the ranch, the ego is alive and well when it comes to besting your friends in the arena.

Dear Roper

The Team Roping Journal

NEW YEAR, NEW CHECKS • Shawn Edwards and Kody Gentry kicked off the new year with a $17,680 win at the Ariat World Series of Team Roping qualifier in Andrews, Texas. The Texas men roped four steers in 30.85 seconds to win the #11.5 Bloomer Jan. 3, 2026.

TRIPLE CROWNED • Heath King and Stephen Britnell are International Professional Rodeo Association world champs yet again, winning their third consecutive world title together Jan. 18, 2026. King and Britnell won the IFR average inside the Lazy E Arena with a time of 26.7 seconds on four head to finish the year with $52,886.35. and $57,382.01, respectively.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ • Rhen Richard and Jeremy Buhler raked in $25,000 at the 2026 San Diego Rodeo Jan. 16-18. Richard and Buhler topped the four-man round with a 5.8-second run inside Petco Park.

GOLDEN STATE TITLES • Blake Hirdes and Jake Edwards rang in 2026 with the California Circuit Finals win Dec. 31, with a time of 17.0 seconds on three head. Hirdes and Edwards pocketed $9,275 a man in Red Bluff to also pick up the year-end circuit titles with $41,054.66 and $39,948.86 won on the year, respectively.

ARIAT WORLD SERIES OF TEAM ROPING ANNOUNCES 2026 FINALE ENTRY PRICING & NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT OPPORTUNITIES

VERSION 2 GLOBAL HANDICAP SOFTWARE LAUNCHED JANUARY 1

T.J. SMITH AND SCOT BROWN WIN FIRST FRONTIER AVERAGE AND CIRCUIT TITLES • Placing in every round and taking the average win made the difference for Smith and Brown.

At the Barrier | new products

(At Home With) • Kolton Schmidt roped at his third Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December. The native Canadian cowboy headed for Shay Carroll at his first NFR in 2016, Hunter Koch at his second one in 2020, and Jonathan Torres at #3 in 2025. Kolton and his wife, Katy, currently live in Stephenville, Texas, with their two little boys, Kru and Kreece.

ROPING FAST: USE IT OR LOSE IT

EMBRACING TRANSITION, ADAPTATION AND CHANGE

KING OF THE CHUTES • From his perch above the chutes at the Lazy E Arena, Delmar Smith has launched every Timed Event Championship run—and learned what truly makes a champion.

ROPING FOR RELIEF • A lifelong first responder, J.R. Berry turned to roping as an outlet.

BIG BREAK: SMITH AND EAVES KICK-STARTED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PARTNERSHIP WITH 2016 DENVER WIN

KASE KEY CAPITALIZED ON HIGH-NUMBER ROPINGS TO TIE FOR FOURTH ON THE RESISTOL JUNIOR USTRC LEADERBOARD • The 15-year-old has 47 points so far this season.

TIED FOUR WAYS FOR THIRD: BOELHAUF, SMITH, TATE & WATSON ALL WITH 10 POINTS IN CINCH LADIES HEELING STANDINGS • Third in the Cinch Ladies heeling standings is getting crowded.

MANAGING YOUR SLACK TO FINISH THE RUN

Freeze Frame

PER YATES FAMILY TRADITION, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE HORSES • The Pueblo, Colorado Roping Dynasty Continues

WORLD CHAMPS Ward & Long Partners on the Same Page • Red Hot NFR Gets the Gold for Andrew and Jake

Using a scoring lane • Trainer Logan Olson explains one of his favorite tools.

FEELIN’ LUCKY: NATIONAL TEAM ROPING'S NATIONAL FINALS XII TO BRING ARIZONA FUN • The CINCH National Team Roping Finals XII in Wickenburg, Arizona, hosted at Rancho Rio, is slated to run March 7–14, 2026, with more team roping fun and Arizona heat for the entire family in a team roper's paradise.

Welcome to the 2026 Fort Worth...