The organizers of the National Team Roping Horse Association are due a round of applause for their efforts to elevate the status of the American roping horse.

On a local level, when team roping is held at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene, it is sometimes painful to see a good run ruined by the lack of experience by one or the other partner.

And sometimes the only qualification of a roping partner is availability. The good ones are snapped up quickly and others are chosen only to fill out the card. Most times when they rope, it is the first time the competitors have met.

The premise of the NTRHA is "it's about the horse."

A roper enters as a header or heeler at the Open, Non-Pro or Amateur level. He then chooses a partner to handle the "other end of the roping steer." That partner is to rope and hold the animal while the contestant does his thing to the best of his ability. It eliminates the sweat factor.

It's obvious many operational procedures are taken from the American Quarter Horse Association and the National Cutting Horse Association rule books. The multiple-judge system is the more obvious factor. And eliminating the top and bottom of five scores emulating the NCHA brings a leveling factor into the equation. The AQHA uses the multiple judge system but doesn't eliminate any scores.

The multiple judge system is employed in the point-earning system to qualify a rider for the world show.

Like all new things, this will take awhile to catch on.

Hope their pockets are deep enough and their appeal to sponsors is successful.

Inaugural Heartland Tour Final under way

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association introduced the Heartland Tour Series in October 2007 with 271 rodeos and payout purses at $30,000 or below committing to the schedule.

It got under way Friday at the Heart O' Texas Coliseum in Waco. It runs through Oct. 11.

A year later and the field has boiled down to 30 contestants (30 roping teams) who will split into three groups competing back-to-back over the event's first six nights.

The top four contestants or teams in each group based on total money return for the Challenge Round Oct. 9, reducing the field to 12 in each event.

The top 10 scores and times from the Challenge Round qualify for the semifinal the next night. The top eight will qualify for the Oct. 12 championship round.

Schedule update

Send information about your event or organization to Horse Column, P.O. Box 30, Abilene, 79604, fax (325) 670-5242 or e-mail sports@reporternews.com

Today National Team Roping Horse Association, Taylor County Expo Center, Abilene

Today-Friday Heartland Series ProRodeo Championship, Heart O' Texas Coliseum, Waco

Saturday Leon River Cowboy Church timed event rodeo, Eastland

Sunday Dist. 9, National Barrel Horse Association, Taylor County Expo Center, Abilene

Oct. 16-18 Southwest Region, National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Vernon

Oct. 17-19 Big Country Cutting Horse Association, Nolan County Coliseum, Sweetwater