A Foothills area roper has a good head for finances.
Foothills Composite Grade 11 student Ben Bamford won close to $30,000 — and several saddles — as a header in winning prestigious team roping titles in the last month.
"I've done pretty good lately," the modest Priddis area resident said. "I won $15,000 at the TRC (Team Roping Canada) finals in Calgary and then I think I won another 15 at the Wrangler Team finals in Billings, Montana."
Bamford and partner Dale Valentine, from the High River area, won the No. 8 title in Calgary Sept. 16.
"I've always roped with Dale, he's one of my good buddies I rope with him in High River," said Bamford.
A handicap system is used based on skill. The better the roper, the higher the number.
For no. 8 the team ropers' handicaps cannot total more than eight. Bamford was a 4 in Calgary.
The competition has an initial go-round of three heads. The teams were whittled down to the top 20 for the three-head short-go final. The time for all six head among the 20 finalists determined the winner.
"It was kind of a catching game," Bamford said. "You don't necessarily have to be fast, but you have to be clean. I think we were the only team that was clean on six head."
He was also second in the No. 9 category with his neighbour, Steve Blatz in Priddis.
They were almost clean with their six head. They snared just one of the steer's heels rather than two for a five-second penalty.
Bamford then proved he can also rope south of the border at the Wrangler Team Roping Championships in Big Sky Country Sept. 29 – Oct. 2.
He won the No. 3 division (the handicapping system is different in the United States. Bamford was a No. 1 in Billings) with a partner that was close to home -- Lane Jardie of Okotoks.
Bamford had struggled earlier in the week, but was on the mark for his buddy from Big Rock Country.
Bamford also won the No. 1 Incentive in Billings.
Not bad for a guy who started team roping about a year ago.
“I went to TRC finals last year and I was watching these bigger names like Jeremy Buhler, Rocky Dallyn and I wondered if I would ever rope with them,” he said. “Now I got a chance to rope with them this year. That was really cool.”
Buhler and Dallyn have both qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo in November. Buhler is also heading for Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo.
While in Billings, Bamford roped with two-time world champion Jade Corkill.
Bamford has been a header for the majority of his short career.
"People usually start as a header," he said. "People think heeling is harder, but it's like snowboarding and skiing, whatever you start with and do more of you get better at."
Bamford has created one problem for the family’s spread out near Priddis.
With Bamford winning nine saddles in a year, things might get a bit a bit crowded.
“My grandpa says I should start a saddle shop, sell them,” Bamford said with a laugh. “But I think I will keep them as trophies.”
