21St Annual George Strait Team Roping Classic
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APRIL/MAY 2003 VOL. 21 NO. 2 21st Annual George Strait Team Roping Classic 21st Annual George Strait Team Roping Classic Sets New Records It started out with 642 teams and a pile of and Chris Green earned $9,998 for 7th. The go-round with David Key and Clay O’Brien dreams on Friday morning and ended on final and 8th payoff slot went to Chuck Cooper taking top honors of $9,998 with a Saturday afternoon, as the pressure mounted, Doebbler and Colton Nieman who earned time of 4.81 while second best was Daniel with team after team missing an opportunity $4166 each. The best time in each round and Chris Green with 4.92 worth $7,499. to grab the golden ring. When the dust set- during Saturday’s finals earned $1200. The Third place money of $4,999 went to David tled and the tears dried, Turtle Key and Kory Koontz with a time Powell and Kirt Jones rode away of 4.99 and a fourth place time of with an estimated $150,000 in cash 5.03 was worth $2,500 to J.D. and prizes. At least a dozen teams Bacon and Bryan Bacon. had a great shot at winning the The total cash payout for the championship on the final day but 2003 GSTRC was over $208,000 Powell and Jones fended off the while the total cash and prize pack- pressure the stretch their final steer age value was well over $300,000. in less than six seconds to give Cavender Chevrolet of Boerne, them the winning time of 18.30 on Texas and Tractor Supply three head. "This is definitely the Company were the sponsors of the biggest roping," said Turtle Powell, 2003 event. H.E.B. Food Stores the winning header of the GSTRC’s put up $20,000 for Red-wrapped top placing team. "There are other steers during the final days go- big ones but they don’t give away rounds but no one was able to pick trucks and trailers like this. I still up the bonus money. Brake Check can’t believe I won it!" Powell and provided the entertainment Jones each received a Chevy between the second and third go- Dually DuraMax diesel truck fur- Turtle Powell, Buddy Strait, Kirt Jones and George Strait round on the final day as Jerry nished by Cavender Chevrolet of Diaz performed. U.S. Smokeless Boerne, Texas and Bruton Strait Extreme 3- first go-round money winners were Jake Tobacco brought in their outstanding score- horse slant trailer furnished by Tractor Supply Barnes and Britt Bochius with a 5.55 and the board for this years event and it provided fans Co. to go with the $49,992 they split. second go-round money went to David Key and ropers with a great opportunity to keep Shane Sproul and John Philipp finished and Kory Koontz with a 4.94. The final go- up with the action. Wrangler had leather second with a distant 19.92 on three head. round winners were Shane Sproul and Dugan jackets custom-made by Hollywood Classics For their efforts they both received Twister Kelly who had a time of 4.78. for the champions. Other sponsors that were Saddles and $15,831 in cash. Sproul also fin- There were some big money winners on the a major part of the 2003 GSTRC included ished second in 2002 with Martin Lucero. first day as each go-round paid several win- Cactus Ropes, Resistol, Justin Boots and Third place in the 2003 GSTRC went to ners. First go-round money of $8,332 went to Classic Ropes. Marshall Samples and Kinney Harrell with a Florida ropers Nelson Linares and Derrick George Strait again roped in the Classic but time of 21.27. They each received Gist Freeman with a time of 4.88. The second came up a couple of seconds short of the time Buckles and $10,832 in cash. Four place and fastest time of the first go was 4.98 by Daniel needed to make the finals. He and Bubba $9.165 each went to Charley Crawford and Jo and Chris Green who earned $4,999. Third Strait had a very quick 6.92 on their first steer Jo Lamont while fifth place money of $7500 place in the first go went to Jake Weddle and but ended up with a total of 15.88 on the two each went to Mike Fletcher and Jett Hillman. Cody Lewis with a 4.99. It was worth head. It took at least a 13.29 to make it back Travis Tryan and Kyle Lockett split $11,665 $3,333. for Saturday’s finals.n for their sixth place finish while Daniel Green Four places were paid for Fridays second STRAIT TALK George Strait Receives Backstage Visit From Astronaut March 5, 2003 – At George backstage and presented him with Strait’s opening night show of three commemorative plaques. One the Houston Rodeo & was mounted with the same belt Livestock Show on February buckle and CD that went into space, 25, he was visited by Lt. Col. another with a photo of the CD float- Paul Lockhart, the NASA shut- ing in the zero gravity conditions tle pilot who flew the space with Earth in the background that ship Endeavor to the was autographed from Lt.Col. International Space Station last Lockhart to George "with much June. On that journey, Lt. Col. admiration," and the third was deco- Lockhart took along one of rated with photos of Earth from George’s belt buckles and a space, the ship’s launch and landing copy of Latest Greatest Straitest and Endeavor’s crew as well as an Hits that George personalized American Flag that went up in the for the astronaut. When the flight. It also features an engraved astronaut requested the items he dedication that reads, “For Keeping told George that he wanted to George Strait and Lt. Col. Paul Lockhart Alive the Spirit of Western Music take along something into space from the National Aeronautics and that truly represented America. Naturally, After George’s sold out performance at Space Administration and the crew of the George was thrilled to oblige. the Rodeo, Lt. Col. Lockhart met him Endeavor STS 111.” n Team Ropers Cherish Title, Not Prizes By Lee Scheide The first roar from the crowd came when this, it usually is going to happen with your San Antonio Express-News Tyler cleanly caught the steer's head, then regular riding partner, and that's what hap- Turtle Powell was outside the Rose Palace turned the animal for Bach's heeling attempt. pened today. Turtle and I have been roping arena, preparing his horse for travel to his The multi-world champion tossed his loop together for a while and we've won a little next stop on the team-roping carousel. His perfectly, but the steer had other ideas, step- money, but nothing like this." partner, Kirt Jones, was outside the arena ping out before it closed, recording a no-time The duo began roping together in college, talking with his wife when Matt Tyler and for the team. when Jones was at New Mexico and Powell Allan Bach backed into the chutes for the Besting 659 other teams over two days of at Tarleton State in Stephenville. They com- final steer of the 2003 George Strait Team competition, Jones and Powell put their peted in the collegiate national champi- Roping Classic. names squarely among the top team ropers onships, but now have their sights set on Bach only is considered one of the best with their victory in the 21st edition of the bigger arenas. heelers of all time, with Tyler resting com- competition. The duo's 30-plus seconds of Namely, the Thomas and Mack Center in fortably among the Top 10 headers. work over two days allowed them to split Las Vegas, where the Wrangler National "I was thinking that second place was still nearly $50,000 and each was awarded a new Finals Rodeo is held for 10 days each going to be a pretty good check," said Jones, Chevy pickup and three-horse trailer. December. the header of the pair, who had a combined For Jones, of Piedmont, Okla., the spoils of Winning an event with the history and tra- time of 18.30 seconds on three head. victory were nice, but the prestige of win- dition of the Strait, while not giving them Powell concurred: "When you are in the ning the event was even better. official money, certainly gives them the con- top three you think you have a chance, but "Ever since I was a little boy and started rop- fidence needed to push on down the road. Matt and Allan are two of the best out there. ing, these are the competitions that you "That's our goal, just like it's the goal of I was outside when I heard a big cheer and dream about winning," Jones said. "You have every roper out here," Jones said. "Turtle and then an 'Ohhhhhhhhhh.' I started thinking, all the best ropers in the business here and I happened to have a very good weekend, at 'No way, did we just win?'" with everyone getting three tries, it's tough to the right time, and it was enough to Yes, Turtle, you and Kirt just won. Oh, boy, beat the best. win." n did you win. "But if you are going to win something like STRAIT TALK George Strait Will Receive The Academy of Country Music’s Special Achievement Award For Achieving 50 #1 Hits He Will Also Perform On The ACM May 21st CBS Telecast BURBANK, CA — George Strait will Less Traveled”.