Speed Williams Archives - The Rodeo News

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Is it the Horse or Horsemanship?

October 30, 2019

Recently at a jackpot I watched a young girl whose head horse was ducking out hard. It was pretty scary and like most people watching I assumed he just wasn’t that great of a horse. Not long afterwards she and her father came to me for private lessons. While we…

When Things Don’t go According to Plan

September 25, 2019

My daughter has been very excited about her first high school rodeo because the Breakaway and Team Roping is pretty tough in Region 10. During her first year in junior high rodeo, a young man, Logan Moore, talked to her about them roping together her first year of high school…

Helping Your Kids Want to Rope

September 3, 2019

When my daughter, Hali, was young she was always a “horse girl” and horse lover. She wanted to be down at the arena riding and helping me. She was my little side kick. When I tried to walk out the door she wanted to go where ever I was going.…

Competition & Injuries

June 27, 2019

Throughout my career as I prepared for big events I tried not to run as many on my good horses. When you practice a lot before a big event sometimes things happen. You burn your hand, jerk a shoe off your horse, etc. Quality over quantity is the best practice.…

Keeping Your Kid’s Horses Working

May 22, 2019

When kids like to rope and want to run a lot of steers, it’s often difficult to keep their horses working well. That’s one of the reasons we built the Speed Trainer. I wanted my kids to use their hands and feet better and improve their riding without the wear…

Kids and Their Numbers

April 25, 2019

There are a couple of opinions about kids getting their number raised. On one hand, it’s validation they are improving and proof their hard work is showing. But, as a parent, you want them to have the best chance at winning when they’ve put a lot of effort into practicing…

Wildfire Pro Am Event

February 14, 2019

Last weekend my kids both achieved something they’ve worked at for the last few years. One roping produced at the Wildfire event, is the Sponsor Pro Am. In this roping, companies who sponsor the Wildfire event are given a spot for a #5 or under to rope with a Pro.…

Dealing with Winning and Losing

January 31, 2019

I’ve heard it said, “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” I don’t agree with that. I think it all pertains to how you’ve been raised and how you’ve been taught to conduct yourself in the arena. Personally, my father did not allow temper tantrums in…

Keeping it Fun While Learning

January 7, 2019

One of the most common conversations I have with parents is how their kids want to switch ends in the practice pen. They may head at the ropings or rodeos, but when they get in the practice pen they want to heel. Many parents won’t let their kids play or…

Effective Preparation is More Than Practice

September 25, 2018

Last weekend I was inducted into During my acceptance speech at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame I told the story of when Rich and I first started roping together. We went on to win eight world titles together but we weren’t exactly on the same page in the beginning.…

Going for First or Just Catch?

July 30, 2018

We made our first trip to the Junior High School National Finals in Huron, SD, last month where Hali had qualified in the Breakaway. She had roped well at regional finals and was 5.1 or 5.2 on two and won second. Then at Texas Junior High Finals she roped a…

Working Multiple Events The Difference in Breakaway & Heading

June 21, 2018

We just got home from the Texas Junior High School Finals in Gonzales, Texas, and I’m proud to say Hali qualified for the National Junior High School Finals in the Breakaway. I almost find it ironic because before junior rodeo she had no interest in breakaway roping. She was a…