Team roping training insights from Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper focus on managing horse quirks, scoring correctly, and using muley cattle to improve practice sessions.
Hall of Fame ropers Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper share stories and strategies from their decades in the arena—covering everything from quirky horses and scoring challenges to building rhythm with fresh cattle.
In this video, they explain:
- How different horse personalities and quirks affect practice and competition
- Why maintaining a good attitude after a miss matters more than the run itself
- Tips for scoring head horses and recognizing their cues at the gate
- The value of practicing on muley steers and learning to rope up close
- How rhythm and timing in cattle movement guide better shots for heelers
Another installment in Barnes & Cooper: Inside the Practice Pen, this video offers practical horsemanship and roping tips straight from two Hall of Fame cowboys.
Up Next in Practice Pen
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Roping “Draggers”
In this in-depth discussion, Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper break down one of the most technical—and often misunderstood—aspects of team roping: how to handle dragging or heavy steers.
Clay explains the difference between a steer that’s dragging versus one that’s getting heavy, and how the...
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Fine-Tuning Runs and Roping Smarter
In this episode, Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper focus on details that separate good practice from great preparation. Jake rides a seasoned 17-year-old horse—one he admits he almost overlooked in the past—and shares how this horse has become one of his best yet. From Ariat World Series of Tea...
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Evaluating Horses, Fresh Cattle, and ...
Team roping greats Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper take a deep dive into evaluating horses, managing fresh muley calves, and building timing as both a header and a heeler. This practice session blends practical horse training tips with mental strategies for improving consistency.
In this video, the...
