In this conversation, Wesley Thorp and Ryan Motes share the influences that shaped their styles—breaking down what they learned studying ropers like Rich Skelton, Cory Petska, and Clay Cooper. From Rich’s unmatched consistency in holding perfect position, to Cory’s elite swing angles, to Clay’s a...

In this candid conversation, Wesley Thorp and Ryan Motes talk through the ropers who shaped their styles—and the lessons they still rely on to this day. From Rich Skelton’s flawless position and patience to Corey Petska’s rope angles and Clif Cooper’s footwork, they break down how to study the gr...

Wesley Thorp is back on a new heel horse, working through the early stages of building consistency and control—starting on the dummy. This horse has been passed between riders, recently heeled on left-handed, and shows signs of drifting out of position after the turn. The focus today: drive to th...

Patrick Smith breaks down horse position with a student in a heel shot.

Patrick Smith works hard on keeping his horses' heads slightly to the inside when he ropes. He shares some of his tricks on keeping his horses soft and framed up.

Where you stand when you rope the Pipes really matters when you're looking for quality, realistic heeling practice. Joseph Harrison demonstrates proper position on the Smarty Pipes.

Are you faster when you cock your rope in the corner or when you hold the saddle horn? Trevor Brazile and Miles Baker analyze their swings from each position and talk through which is best.

What do you do if your run isn't quite perfect in Las Vegas and you get up against the wall? Clay O'Brien Cooper has some experience with that and breaks it down here.

How much distance does World Champion Wesley Thorp need to keep between his hands? 

American Champ and NFR heeler Ryan Motes explains heeling position.

Heelers need to rope the Smarty Pipes with the same athletic position they'd have on the horse. Joseph Harrison demonstrates. 

Tanner Lutrell describes a drill that he uses on the dummy to train greener horses. He keeps his positioning and capitalizes on the controlled environment that the sled offers to keep his horse working correctly.

Training your horse and yourself to stay in good position starts on the sled. This controlled environment can help you get the reps needed to become a positioning pro.

Rhen Richard demonstrates what good position means when roping the Smarty Sidekick. 

Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp set their run up leaving the box to maximize their catch percentages. In this video, they both talk about how they leave the box to set their runs up for success

Leaning is a bad habit. Walt Woodard explains why leaning doesn’t necessarily make your horse stop. The reason a horse stops when heeling is because your horse is anticipating the same throw you make.

How wide should you be going down the arena? Travis Graves talks about the position he rides. 

Your tip and body position affect your catch ratio, plain and simple. In this video, Joseph Harrison explains how you could be erring in your heeling dummy practice with the wrong position.