Looking for Roping Instructor in Washington, DC area

[nate-eagle]

@Aces_N_Eights & @Bluey: I really can’t express sufficient gratitude for your advice. I think you’ve diagnosed my problem accurately, and I also found a video that I think covers the same problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1zwQvL9mt8

He talks about the wrong way of swinging (leading with the bottom) “creating a figure 8,” which is exactly what’s happening with my rope, though I wasn’t able to describe it nearly as helpfully. He gives a cue–thinking about looking at your watch as you swing it around in front–that seems to be the same idea as your image of “wiping your brow.”

I may take you up on the offer of posting a video if I’m still struggling with the swing after practicing today. Again: thank all of you for your advice on this!

[nate-eagle]

The rope I have is HM (hard medium), and I ordered it from Chick’s Saddlery: Professionally Used Lariat. TBH, I don’t feel like the hardness is a problem, and I like the way it looks in terms of being dirty and broken in.

I’ve ordered an XS Fast Back Excaliber Head Rope so that I can see whether I might do better with a softer rope—I’d hate to find out I was making things harder on myself than I need to because I never bothered to follow the general advice out there. If I use it, I’ll definitely have to do my best to get it dirty.

[AllTheCarrots]

@nate-eagle, make sure to tell us when and where your DC-ish show opens! Horsey people aren’t really the type to wish each other broken legs (we can rack up the injuries well enough without encouragement, thankyouverymuch), but in this case I think we can make an exception!

[nate-eagle]

I decided to go ahead and upload a video of where I am now so that I can get critiques or suggestions. I have to admit that I’m more than a little self-conscious about stepping out (virtually) in front of a bunch of experts who know way more about this than I do, but the chance to get specific feedback on what I’m really doing is too good an opportunity to pass up.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1vOedUV2G5g

1. I’d love to figure out a more elegant way to do the second movement to expand my loop – the first one is fine, but the second larger one always feels a little awkward.
2. How does the actual swing look? I’m really trying to do the “wipe my brow / read my watch” and have the bottom of the loop lead over my head.
3. Any other things I could or should think about to try to look like someone who competently handles a rope?

[nate-eagle]

I really appreciate the well-wishes!

The show is Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love for a little community theater in Falls Church, VA, and it runs from January 30 - February 15th.

Community Theater | NOVA Nightsky Theater | Falls Church

[Paint_Party]

I watched your video and while I’m no roping expert by any means (I only have to do minimal rope handling for my competitions), I think you rope that chair just fine, especially for your purposes in the community theatre.

By the way, you must be thrilled to perform in a Sam Shepard play. Fool for Love is one of my favorites!

[nate-eagle]

Thrilled is putting it mildly, to be honest. Sam Shepard is amazing, and this play is an absolute firecracker. I appreciate your feedback: once our set was built enough for me to actually practice roping in the space, it became clear just how little space there was. I’m so close that I’ve had to learn to not really throw the loop, but to kinda place it on the bedposts / chair, not let go of the spoke, and snap it back.

I’ve been meaning to post an update here mainly as a record for anyone who might come along trying to learn the same things. One of the big things I had to figure out was that the way one holds the loop is incredibly important in determining whether the loop starts figure-eighting. You really have to use the rest of your fingers to press down both the loop and the slack in your hand so that they don’t immediately flip as you start to swing.

Now, that’s also an admission that I’ve never mastered feeding the loop – I can’t manage to coordinate letting the tip of my loop tug that little bit extra through my right hand while starting the swing without letting the whole affair to go hell. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the feed is really necessary in this situation. I’ve tried to do everything I can to make this action researched and authentic, but I think I’m gonna have to accept a compromise on that particular point.

[nate-eagle]

A cast-mate recorded a video of some of the stuff we were working on in yesterday’s practice. (The set is still under construction and this is without any of the show lighting set up, etc.) But I thought I’d post it as a continued record here: https://youtu.be/6X03QgCJeMg

You can see just how small the space is. I still have a part of me that’s a little nervous about the fact that I can never miss this! Anyway: my hope is that it’ll be an effective moment in the show. Thanks again to everyone on this thread who pointed me in useful directions for figuring out how to do this!

[Paint_Party]

Looks awesome and you make a very believable cowboy.