RopeSmart Q+A with Calgary Smith
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you’re from.
A: I come from a little town in Oregon called Adams but I’m not sure if it is on the map so I tell everyone I’m from Pendleton, home of one of the biggest and most unique pro rodeos of the year: the Pendleton Round-Up.
Q: What first sparked your passion for team roping?
A: I think what first sparked my passion for team roping was just going to rodeos with my family and always having a rope in my hand since I was little. When I was young I would stand outside in only my boots and rope the dummy.
Q: How do you think the RopeSmart Smart One Ground dummy affects someone learning to rope seeking the proper fundamentals?
A: I think the RopeSmart smart one dummy helps beginners by forcing them to have a correct swing in order to catch it. You can’t cheat this dummy and that’s what I like most about it.
Q: What do you think contributes most to your success in the arena?
A: What contributes most to my success in the arena would have to be all the practicing I do. I try to make sure I rope every single day no matter what I rope whether it’s the Smart One, the Switch, or live cattle, I always want to rope every day.
Q: What is the most memorable moment of your team roping career?
A: My most memorable win and my first big win would have to be at the 2012 ACTRA finals. I was in the 8th grade and was a second high call back and ended up being the fast time in the short round and won the average.
Q: You’re packing up the trailer to head to roping. What are three things that you never leave without?
A: 3 things I never leave home without when traveling to rodeos would be my puppy slinky, my Smart One roping dummy, and my favorite pillow. I can borrow anything else.
Q: What are the benefits of the Smart One Ground Dummy to an upper-level roper?
A: On of the huge benefits this dummy can help an upper-level roper with is not cutting your delivery off… when rodeoing guys can get anxious on pulling their slack and roping, this dummy makes you make sure you watch it go on the horns before pulling your slack.
Q: If you had one piece of advice to give to a new roper, what would it be?
A: One piece of advice I’d give a new roper is don’t let the ups and downs get to you… rodeo can take you from as high as possible to as low as possible in a few days. So stay as humble as you can and everything will always work out.
Q: What RopeSmart products do you use and how do they benefit your practice?
A: Ropesmart products I use are the Smart One, the Switch, Blue Viper Bands, RopeSmart Horse Boots, and RS Saddles. I use all of this equipment because I feel like it helps me perform at my best level.
Q: Who do you look up to most in the sport of team roping?
A: The person I look up to the most in the team roping world would probably be Chad Masters. I really like the way he rides his horses and how he ropes. He’s a very nice guy and is one of the best headers out there in my opinion.
Q: Is there one thing you always do right before getting in the arena to compete?
A: One thing I always do before I compete is take everything out of my right pocket for some reason… I’m not sure why I do but I have always done that. I also chew on gum a lot or rubber from my saddle horn and I’ll spit that out before I go.
Q: Have you roped the RopeSmart Switch and if so, how would you compare it to other sleds out there?
A: Personally I think the RopeSmart dummy is outstanding… I have roped just about every dummy out there and like the RopeSmart one the best. It’s the only dummy out there that you can adjust the head to make easier or more difficult to rope and that is nice because not every steer is perfect so the switch gives you every opportunity to rope different kinds of cattle.
