May, 2024 • The WRANGLER • 3
LETER FROM THE PUBLISHER
May is an exciting time up north. It's the start to branding season, calving and foaling season, and the temperature
is slowly starting to heat up. When it gets warm in Wyoming, that means the cowboys & cowgirls come out to
play! In May, we see many significant events starting to take o«!
My favorite event is the Royal Crown, which is held in Oklahoma. This year, they are calling the Lazy E home for
a jam-packed 10 days full of barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, and calf roping! You are missing out if
you have not attended a Royal Crown event!
We will also see Full House Horse Sale held in Newcastle, Wyoming and the Women Of The Wild West Horse
Sale in Gooding, Idaho happen over Memorial Day weekend!
Our May issue is all about team roping! Team roping started on the ranches when cowboys had to doctor
sick cattle, and the task proved too complex for a single person. That life skill was set in stone when one two
cowboys bet another two cowboys they were, in fact, better than the other, and as they say, the rest is history!
Team roping has come a long way in the past few years as we see a rise in the Futurity world with events like
ARHFA (American Rope Horse Futurity Association), the Royal Crown, Riata Buckle, and the two newest futurities,
Gold Buckle, & the Platinum Medal. There is truly NO better time to be a team roper!
There is another key story in this issue concerning mental health within the cowboy culture and suicide
awareness. I hope one thing you will learn from this issue is this: mental health is essential. In the past years, far
too many have left us untimely. I specifically asked for this story as I feel like mental health is still so stigmatized
in our industry, and it should not be. You are not alone. You are loved. My heart sank after seeing Jason Finke,
a cowboy, write his final goodbye on Facebook. So many friends and family shared their love for him on his post.
Unfortunately, he would never see it. His letter has been shared 2,200 times. People love and care for you,
even when you feel alone. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please call 988. Help is available. Another great
organization is No More Empty Saddles- together we can all help break this stigma.
Sincerely,
Alicia Werner
"Life is getting up one more time than you've been knocked down."
— John Wayne
