New roping club establishing within Wheatland County

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Wheatland Roping Club is a new organization kickstarting in order to provide a local and affordable option to practice roping sports within the county. 

“What we are doing is that a group of us have, for quite a while, recognized that there just are not any places that are available for new ropers, young ropers, people who are just wanting to go and have some fun for an evening and do some roping,” said Scott Campbell, president of the Wheatland Roping Club. “There are a number of private stables that do roping, but they are private stables, usually smaller … so we are just looking for an opportunity to give people that opportunity to get started in the sport and grow the sport forward in a positive way.”

Club activities are typically hosted Friday nights at the Tyrell Riding Academy, weather permitting, generally beginning at 6 p.m.

Campbell explained activities will range from roping static dummies on the ground to heel-o-matic training, which consists of a dummy being pulled erratically behind a quad.

“That is really good for people who have never roped before, and even for the pros … who spend hours roping dummies every day,” he said. “I know when I was competing, I would throw 80 to 100 times a day at a dummy. It is just solid practice and it is a great way to learn those basics on roping.”

Prices for entry to the club are not yet set in stone, as it has only been operating for several weeks; however, both drop-in rates and regular membership options are being made available. 

Additionally, a group of instructors have been recruited to assist the club in both teaching new ropers, and to aid those looking to refine their skills in the sport. 

“Several years ago, when my son started to show real interest in roping, we needed to find a place that we could rope at that was going to be good, was going to be safe, and a place where he could learn,” said Campbell. “Through our searches, we discovered the Cochrane Roping Club, which is a fantastic group of people and they were hosting through the summer, a youth roping night.”

The inspiration to start a more local option stemmed from the prior requirement to drive over an hour into Cochrane in order to participate. Though Campbell and his family have no qualms about making the journey regularly, it may not be something that would be as appealing to others interested in roping.

Campbell added the club is currently seeking sponsorships in order to keep costs to participants as low as possible, as well as to purchase hay and cattle.

The ultimate goal, he said, is to host an official launch as a not-for-profit organization in February of the new year once more of the paperwork required has been filed with appropriate authorities.