When I went to college I practiced with Nathan and Puddin Payne and rodeoed with Buddy Geter, Roger Branch and Rex Koester. I always wanted to do better and learn from the best. I just thought that was common sense. I thought about roping the same way some people think about picking a doctor. Do you pick a run of the mill doctor or do you pick the one with that graduated from medical school at the top of his class?
I’ve discovered that the vast majority of these people were always willing to help a person that was trying to learn. They like to be around winners as well. I firmly believe if you hang out with the tougher ropers long enough some it will rub off on you.
I wanted to learn how to bulldog while I was in college, so I called down to Talihina and went and practiced with Don and Ricky Huddleston. I figured if I was going to learn, it would be better to learn from someone that’s good at it. This way hopefully, I wouldn’t get started off on a bunch of bad habits.
This past week I played in a softball game that was adults against some school kids. The kids wanted me to take batting practice in their hitting cage, so I did. I don’t play softball at all. The last time I played was many years ago.
I told an eighth grade boy he needed to work on his pitching mechanics. They had a pitching mound in there and I threw a few pitches showing him how I was taught. Then he threw a few. After I worked with him a few minutes he was throwing strikes. I told him I went to Chandler baseball camp and learned from major league players.
I got to bat twice in our game. I hit the ball to the fence both times, almost knocking the ball out of the park. It was kind of funny, those kids were impressed that I could hit and throw at 52 years old. I told them it’s because I had the best teachers I could find. I think they listened.
James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.
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