In It For The Long Haul

In It For The Long Haul

- Kendra Santos

I’ve been roping for a living for more than 30 years, and I’ve always tried to be the very best I can be—and the very best, period. It’s been a battle start to finish to try to stay on top. So many guys rope so good right now. You can’t stay at the same level or they’ll pass you by. You have to work hard and keep evolving and reinventing yourself to stay competitive. Everyone experiences different stages in life. When Clay (O’Brien Cooper) and I were dominating, roping was my life. That was before I had a family and a bigger picture of a life. Everyone goes through the different stages. I’ve been a champion. I’ve been a husband and a father. I’m going to be 58 next month, and I still look at roping the same way I always have—I enjoy being competitive and trying to be the very best I can be. Age is just a number, and it isn’t much of a factor to me, other than I can physically tell a difference when I ride and rope all day. My body has a few more aches and pains. But my mind