ProRodeo Sports News - February 9, 2018

PARTNERS

Billy Bob Brown, seen here Sept. 23, 2017, is teaming with Trey Johnson in 2018 in hopes of qualifying for the WNFR. William Kierce photo

BILLY BOB BROWN • Residence: Carbon, Texas • Age: 26 • PRCA member since 2013 • Header • Finished 59th in 2017

roping with Brown? We started practicing right after the NFR. Our first couple of practices, I asked him to be at his best, and then I changed a few things on my position and being up and ready. He sets the steers up good, so I made some minor changes to get the run faster. I moved my position in a little bit in the pen, and then moved my horse up the arena a bit. Before, I was wide and back, but our run was quicker by stepping up a stride and making my position a foot closer to the steer. I watched a lot of videos figuring that (out) and being ready with my swing. We recorded a hundred of them, so I studied them and those are the changes I made. What are the advantages you see from roping with Brown? His heart is like mine, he wants to grow as a man and as a roper. I do clinics around the world, like at unsanctioned events and in Australia and going to Brazil to preach and do clinics there. Billy Bob understands my No. 1 priority is reaching people, and roping is a part of that, and his desire to work as a person (helps). He works at it and has good horses, so when you find someone with the same heart and vision as you, it works out well.

to talk and break stuff down but stay positive through all of it. Some take it as cutting it down, but we’re learning and getting better so the more positive we make it, the more positive of a team we’ll be. What are the advantages you see from roping with Johnson? He’s got good horses and loves to work at it. He’s an amazing guy and always positive. Whatever he’s doing, he puts everything into it. He’s the most respected guy in the PRCA for team ropers because he’s there for everyone. Rodeoing is hard because there’s so many variables that go wrong, and a positive partner is a huge difference maker, and that’s what he is. TREY JOHNSON • Residence: Weatherford, Texas • Age: 42 • PRCA member since 1999 • Heeler • Finished 172nd in 2017 What changes have you had to make to your roping now that you’re

What changes have you had to make to your roping now that you’re competing with Trey Johnson? I don’t think anything changes, it’s so fast out there now that you have to be aggressive. It’s my job to get out of the barrier and turn the steers, as it would be with anyone else. We have practiced a lot this past month and he told me what he likes, and I try to do that. You get a run that fits, that’s a winning run, and that’s what we’re working at. If you do everything right, your run is fast enough to win. It’s like any team sport where we talk a lot and watch videos of our runs and break them down like an NFL team watching a video to find out what you did wrong and go in there and fix it. And when you can’t practice, you run the runs through your mind by watching them. Rodeo is such a mental game, it’s important to keep your mind sharp and positive on all those things. We like

ProRodeo Sports News 2/9/18

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