San Antonio, TX (March 12, 2005) – On Friday, March 11, A total of 502 teams from 33 states came to the San Antonio Rose Palace in San Antonio, TX to compete in the George Strait Team Roping Classic. All came for the chance to vie for huge cash purses and prizes including two Chevy Silverado Trucks provided by Cavender Chevrolet of Boerne, Texas and two Strait X-treme 3-horse slant trailers by Bruton, Twister saddles and Gist buckles. 

            Teams competing on this first day of the event needed to rope their steer clean and in under 11 seconds to be able to rope in the second round. The 50 teams with the highest scores on two-head return Saturday morning for the three-header non-progressive finals. (See below for complete list of returning finalists.)

 

            Host and Header George Strait roped a 7.38 and a 5.62 on two steers beating out the time of many of the top team ropers in the sport and earning him a spot in the second round but during each of his second go's, his heeler didn’t catch the heels therefore knocking him out of Saturday’s finals.

 

            Cash prizes were awarded for Friday's teams with the fastest times in the first and second rounds (see below for complete list of Friday’s money winners). Richard Taylor and Shane Edmondson split $12,120 for their fastest time of 4.47; Wade Wheatley and Britt Bockius (who won second place on the first go in 2004 as well) split $7,270 for their second fastest time of 4.73 and David Key and Kory Koontz split $4,845 for their third fastest time of 4.77.

 

During Saturday’s finals, teams can win additional prize money through the HEB Food Stores’ “Red Wrapped Challenge” wherein teams winning the best time of their round, pick up $15,000 if their calf has red wrapped horns. The contest is progressive so up to $60,000 could be available if there are no winners in the first two rounds.

 

Hosted by Country Superstar and avid team roper, George Strait, the GSTRC is among the largest and most prestigious open ropings in the circuit and annually plays host to the most accomplished names in the sport. Past money winners of “The Strait” include, among others, Jake Barnes, Steve Northcutt, Allen Bach, Matt Tyler, Steve Northcutt, Tyler Magnus, Turtle Powell, Kirt Jones and the team of Rich Skelton and Speed Williams who broke the GSTRC record with a lightning fast round of 3.69 seconds last year.

 

Sponsors for the 2005 George Strait Team Roping Classic are: Cavender Chevrolet, Bruton Trailers, HEB Food Stores, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, Tractor Supply Company, Brake check, McCormick’s Foods and Spices, Gist Buckles, Wrangler, Georgia-Pacific’s Brawny Towels, Justin Boots, Cactus Ropes, Resistol Hats, Classic Ropes and Southwest Texas ACA.