You can't believe how many discussions I get into concerning the high dollar game versus the weekly jackpot game. I think many believe that I will debate the issues with them, which I don't. But be honest, how many of you thought I was absolutely insane when I came with the $150 enter once format in 1990. I find these "impact payoffs" of the World Series very satisfying, but the bigger component is playing with probabilities, and odds. This is the reason that I will engage anyone in a discussions on multiple entry and high team counts. The same is true of the 80% paybacks, what contractor wants to debate it?
But with all of that said I truly don't believe that the money is the only reason that you are coming. Those of us who are little longer in the tooth tend to be little more honest with ourselves about why we rope. Rationalizing it to others might be hard to explain, but at least we understand why we continue, despite the negative income/expense ratio we have experienced with years of roping. (another reason I am messing with the ratio)
Even though we can track our success in a given year in a monetary fashion, the vast majority of the time roping is not as simple as winning and losing money. I guess it is if you have no personal goals for yourself, or if you can't enjoy your golf or any other sport unless you can find someone to whip, then maybe it is as simple as that, but I don't think so. I have had many days when I didn't win, but if roping made me feel like a loser every time I didn't win, I probably would choose another diversion.
It is a pretty naive individual who believes that he can consistently win more than he looses. Don't put the PRCA ropers in this group because those of us that have farmed and ranched realize how important it is for the majority of them, as a professional, to chase the dog's tail. Every year when the loan payments were made or we borrowed more money against our land, my father would say the same thing my grandfather said, "next year will be our year". In an era of credit cards the majority of the PRCA ropers must cling to their hope, "if we can make it to the finals, then maybe we can break even or get ahead".
I am afraid we have too many recreational types that have this little idea (dream) bouncing around in the back of their head that roping could be a professional, instead of a recreational roper. At any given jackpot event, 2% to 10% of teams win money leaving 90% to 98% who don't. A roper must contend with the law of averages, probabilities and Murphy's Law to consistently win at the recreational level. That doesn't leave much room for ending the season in the black. Ropers also must truly believe in their hearts that roping associations never monitor winnings against entry fees, and they must also believe it is in the best interest of roping associations if individuals are allowed multiple winning seasons.
Don't misunderstand, the amount of money we win is the standard measurement of how well we are doing. At every roping school someone will say, "to improve your roping and horsemanship skills you must set, and fight for achievable goals". However, if your only goal is to make more money each year you rope, you can't get there from here. Chase the carrot all you want, but contrary to the roping school teachers, I don't believe winning consistently is an achievable long-term goal for recreational ropers. If that were the case there would be more at the top of the pyramid winning consistently. That just isn't the nature of the beast. Associations who handicap ropers will continue in their attempts to advance consistent winners into higher and higher levels of competition, lest they forget they are competing in "handicapped events". Bottom line, if you are able to enter a handicapped event, face it, it ain"t about money it's your hobby.
With all that said, hey lets roll the dice. Roping for Two Million in Two hours may screw up all those ratios and all those theories. Trust me winning $70 or $80,000 at your hobby is way better than winning it as a profession. And it sure makes it easier to rationalize to family and friends why you do this?
