High School contestants learn the fine art of goat tying
Bill Brewster , The Big Sky Sun
Published 08/21/2008 – 10:57 a.m. MST
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A dozen high school rodeo contestants learned about the fine points of goat tying recently from clinician Lynn Smith during a clinic at Copper Spring Ranch.
Copper Spring Ranch hosts a clinic by Smith twice a year as part of their commitment to provide educational programs for both youths and adults interested in various aspects of the western performance horse industry. Casey Thiem, a Copper Spring ranch employee from Gallatin Gateway, was among the clinic participants.
During the three-day clinic at this quarter horse ranch near the Four Corners area of Bozeman, Smith provided tried-and-true instruction to give the young women the technical, mental and physical skills required to be successful in the highly competitive goat tying segment of high school, collegiate and open rodeo competition. Smith, a national collegiate rodeo goat tying champion, breakaway roping, and all-around champion, now serves as the women’s coach at Central Wyoming College in Riverton. Smith picked up her formal education at Central Wyoming and the University of Wyoming. She grew up in Otter Tail, Minnesota.
Her experience conducting clinics for the past eight years in 17 states showed up here with the attention to detail she requires from her young students.
Her “Better Basics” clinics are designed to improve each student’s techniques for faster, more consistent and competitive times in the arena.
“Like any other high level sport, participants need to understand the basics and the details that help to make them successful,” Smith said.
The girls compete for different reasons and at different levels of commitment.
“Some compete because of their parents, some for social reasons and some do it to win,” she said.
Because of the current costs of fuel, the significant investment in good horses, trucks, trailers and the travel expenses required to rodeo by their parents, she encourages her students to focus, be committed and learn the necessary techniques so they can be successful.
“Goat tying has become a highly competitive event at all rodeo levels so this required physical ability and horsemanship,” she said.
Smith told the students she likes to practice at least once a day, every day for six weeks prior to the first rodeo. Daily practice doesn’t have to be for an entire hour, she noted. She suggested that practice could be broken down into simple one skill drills or combination drills such as flanking and tying, or flanking and gathering or working on running into position.
To accomplish her objectives, each element of goat tying gets broken down and worked on separately so the students develop an understanding of the desired movements.
“I keep my horse work sessions short, starting with slow work, then building speed and slowing it back down with usually no more than 10 total practice runs on my horse,” she said. “This keeps it simple for my horse so he’ll be encouraged to stay working.”
Smith broke the clinic down into segments that included equipment, tying, gathering, flanking, ground work, horse dismounts, practice speed, nutrition/exercise and the mental attitude and goals.
The instruction at Copper Spring Ranch included both specific information to help understand the reason for various skills and practical hands-on experience in the arena.
Her instruction advanced over the days as the students increased their skill level.At the practices in the arena, a variety of goats were used so the students learned how to handle and win under varying situations.
Students were also video taped throughout the clinic and then given the chance to analyze their practice sessions.
“There are three major elements in any competition,” she said. “They are the technical skills needed to perform, the physical condition needed to prepare your body through exercise and nutrition and the mental toughness needed to train our mind to handle the stresses of competition.”
Information on upcoming events at Copper Spring Ranch can be obtained from the website: www.copperspringranch.com.