This Cowboy Ropes Steers, Real Ones!

Roping is not a common sport in Medellin, but Pedro Jaramillo a Columbus School student trains with Juanita Villegas and Esteban Posada to become a Colombian champion. A goal most of the riders have is to become a roping title-holder, just as Pedro, he dreams to be one of the world best ropers.

Team Roping is a common sport in the United States, approximately 20 years ago this beautiful passion came to Colombia. It is about two mounted riders that follow a steer, the first roper is known as the “header” who needs to rope around the neck and the second roper is the “heeler” who needs to rope the steer by its hind feet. Pedro is an experienced cowboy in Colombia, given that he trains many times a week and is very dedicated.

“This started 6 years ago when Camilo Arbelaez took me to a roping school in El Alto de Las Palmas, since then, my crazy passion started,” Pedro Jaramillo, 11th grade Student said.

This sport is developed on working ranches where it is necessary to capture the cattle; Pedro brings this skill since it is a legacy left by his grandparents. When he went to Rancho Apalache, his life changed, he became a responsible and passionate person for his goals.

“My goal was always to be the best, from the first day I trained I decided that always I had to be in the top of the ranking and I knew this was not easy to achieve. Many people criticized me because I did not go out with friends anymore and I was only training,” Jaramillo said.

It is necessary to train several times in the week to be the best, to be well prepared for the competitions. Training at least three times a week, especially on the weekends, has made Pedro outstanding over others who practice this difficult sport.

“Being the best in my category has cost me many sacrifices, staying up late at night, I have ditched studying to train and achieve my goal. This is no bummer to me, I just do it because it’s my passion,” Jaramillo said.

Esteban Posada, his teacher saw a great potential in Pedro´s ability to rope steer and manage horses. He demonstrated this quality in his first tournament, where he won and showed superior capabilities.

“I saw a great horseman riding and roping, I knew I could improve his ability being his right hand. The only thing I wanted was to exploit all his skills to the maximum to make him the best,” Esteban Posada, Roping Teacher said.

Juanita Villegas was inspired watching Pedro as a cowboy. She realized that riding horses was one of her greatest skills, and from that moment she started in the rodeo world, she only concentrated to be the best like Pedro.

“I went to see a competition of my brother. In the moment I saw Pedro, I got a feeling that can’t be explained, something special. At that moment, watching Pedro, I realized that my passion was in horses and the fastest possible I needed to go to my first training,” Juanita Villegas, Cowgirl said.

Pedro not only trains hard, he watches videos and has gone to Mexico to improve his technique by studying with Aldo Garibay, 11 times national champion of Mexico. He also took a  variety of courses in Colombia; the only thing he wants is to improve every day.

“Not only training has been my way of being successful, all courses, summer camps, clinics, and tutorials have been part of my way of being the best,” Jaramillo, said.

It is almost impossible to be 100% successful in this sport because it depends on many variables. You and your team pear need to have the best technique, the best horses, the best trainer, and good luck to get a good steer.

“In this sport, there will never be perfection given that there are many variables, the horse, the rope, the steer, and me. Apart from me, my team pear also has to accomplish all these variables to get the full score,” Jaramillo, said.

Esteban tells us that Pedro is the best student he has taught in his years as a trainer. Is not only training, for this sport you need to be born with talent, that few people have and Jaramillo is fortunate to have it.

“Pedro has been my best student, he goes through many difficulties and always exceeds them, talent and dedication make him the best of his category,” Posada, Roping Teacher said.

In Pedro’s life, horses and roping is the most important piece after his family. He competes at least once a month and train at least three times a week. Jaramillo spent his vacations studying and correcting his technique, as a reminder he wants to be on of the world best ropers. Dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice are the words that describe the success of Pedro Jaramillo in rodeo.