Cesar de la Cruz explains that a heel loop is placed in position, not exactly thrown. De la Cruz has a no-throw drill to teach how to correctly place the heel loop, using your fingertips over momentum of the swing.

Watch Cesar de la Cruz practice with his wife and three boys in Casa Grande, Arizona.

How has former CNFR Heading Champion Arena de la Cruz adjusted to roping after motherhood? Her tips and tricks for getting back into the game after a long break.

Cesar de la Cruz taps his wife—CNFR Champion Arena de la Cruz—to turn his heeling donkey for him to work on a green heel horse.

Cesar de la Cruz uses his donkey on the ground to work on his heel loops.

Cesar de la Cruz trains his heel horses behind a heeling donkey to build their foundation and keep their mental game sharp. His heel horses learn to enjoy the heeling donkey before they get the high-pressure of live cattle.

Cesar de la Cruz has spent the last few years prioritizing his horsemanship. In this video, de la Cruz explains the responsiveness he needs in his heel horses, how he achieves it and how that affects the longevity of his heel horses.

Cesar de la Cruz works on heeling his pygmy goat, Oreo, to master tough heel shots.

The goal of goat roping is to master timing and loop placement, and in this video, Cesar de la Cruz explains his goat-roping practice routine.

Cesar de la Cruz and his brother developed a special dummy for the cattle at the National Finals Rodeo, where the steers’ legs come out more wide-legged than at a normal rodeo. In this video, de la Cruz describes how he heels his “Clifford Franklin” dummy to master his coverage and timing on the ...

 Cesar de la Cruz believes the heel loop is never thrown; instead, he says it’s placed in position. He talks about how to finesse his heel loop to the ground with his fingertips without even swinging the rope.