Jorge Jauregui Marrufo and Jose Rodriguez claimed victory at the Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale (opens in a new tab), taking top honors in the Ariat WSTR #14.5 Apex Next Evolution Finale with a total time of 26.87 seconds on four head, earning them a whopping $162,000 payday.
Both trainers for Las Tunas (opens in a new tab) Cattle Company—the official ranch of the Ariat World Series of Team Roping—Marrufo and Rodriguez achieved their win on a pair of 5-year-old horses that played a crucial role in their success.
“We have confidence in those horses,” Rodriguez shared. “When I worked that horse in Las Tunas, moving cattle and ranching every day, I knew it was something special, and he showed that today.”
The cowboys from Seminole, Texas, and El Paso, Texas, respectively, Marrufo, 51, and Rodriguez, 27, approached the Finale with a simple yet effective strategy: rope all four steers. They clocked runs of 7.04, 5.76, 6.54, and 7.53 seconds.
All Ariat WSTR Finale XVIII Champions (opens in a new tab)
“We had luck on all four steers,” Rodriguez said. “They were the perfect steers for us. It’s all God’s plan, and I’m so thankful we succeeded today…Before I back into the box, I thank God. He has the plans for us, and today, it all came together.”
Look for the full story on the #14.5 Apex Finale coming in the February issue of The Team Roping Journal.
