Ryan Schroeder of Gainesville, Texas, and his 10-year-old gelding Cant Skippa Blaze came into the tie-down roping finals in first place with a score of 223.5 from the prelims earlier in the day. By the time Ryan had his calf roped and tied, he would best that score by one point to add another championship in tie-down. The Journal caught up with Ryan right before he headed back in the arena for the heading and heeling finals to asking about his winning run in tie-down.
Q. Tell me about your ride.
He was great in the first round today. He ran out there and stopped hard liked I wanted him to. Worked just right. In the second round, I couldn’t ask for him to do any better. He’s been going strong all year long. I take him to rodeos. He couldn’t be any better.
Q. You've been roping on Cant Skippa Blaze since 2003. How did you come by such a great horse?
My mom and dad owned him as a 2-year-old, and we sold him to Lorenzo and Matthew Armenta, and they did the amateur on him. And then they used him for a year and won the amateur deal on him, and then we got him back. My mom and dad traded a couple of horses for him. I got him as a Christmas present then. I had no clue about him. I walked down to the barn Christmas morning to get ready to go to the (Florida Quarter Horse Association) Gold Coast Show and there was a big bow on his stall. And that’s where I found him. He’s been with me ever since. Everywhere I go, I just about take him with me.
Ryan Schroeder and his gelding, Cant Skippa Blaze, won the tie-down
roping finals with a score of 224.5.
Q. What makes Cant Skippa Blaze so special?
His personality and the way we work well together. He knows what I want and I know how he takes it, and we just connected.
Q. Who would you like to thank?
I would like to thank a bunch of people but mainly my mom and dad for being there with me and helping me through everything. And Dad just spending tons of hours with me out there roping calves all day, every day. He’s helped me with my roping, getting me calves and supporting me with calves. (Ryan’s father is AQHA Pro Horseman Robbie Schroeder.)
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW
Besides their Ford Youth World championships in heading and tie-down roping (two, by the way, if you count this year’s), Ryan Schroeder and Cant Skippa Blaze were the 2006 world champions in senior heading. They plan to return to the 2008 AQHA World Championship Show in November to compete in senior tie-down, senior heading and senior heeling.
