Dear Roper,
There’s something infectious about the Western industry, and it gets in your blood.
The Roping Bug: An Inside Look at the April 2026 Issue
Chelsea ShafferApr 8, 2026
Over the years, we’ve covered plenty of people who’ve found their way into team roping from professional football, baseball, horse racing, aerospace, law, acting, etc. So when I met retired UFC fighter Travis Browne at a roping school this winter in Temecula, California, I was inspired by how eaten up the former heavyweight is with this sport.
The man has been on professional fighting’s biggest stages, fighting in Las Vegas in front of millions on pay-per-view. And yet, he talks on page 60 about how riding into the tunnel at the Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale is a different kind of rush—one that he got to truly enjoy.
This issue is packed with more content to help you enjoy your time in the arena, too, whether the Thomas & Mack or the South Point is your end goal.
Page 46 has our new Finer Points department, a section that breaks down the little things that make the greats just a little different from the rest of the pack to help you up your game, one change at a time. On page 50, you’ll find our Digital Editor Calli Montague’s breakdown of Jake Smith’s Next Level tips, helping you really nail down another small detail of the game. On page 52, Managing Editor Taylor Vollin worked with Andy Holcomb on a point-by-point breakdown of his masterful heeling training and showing to understand how you can apply his methods to your own game.
That’s just a brief summary of what you’re going to find in this issue, alongside the core details you need to maximize your Ariat World Series of Team Roping and USTRC memberships.
As always, we’ll see you down the road somewhere, cameras in hand, so don’t be afraid to say hello.
Chelsea
This article was originally published on Team Roping Journal. View original article →
