Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community member Trevor Waters has been interested in roping steer at the rodeo since he was about 12 years old. At the time, he reached out to his uncle Shay Enos, who had an arena and five cattle and roped all the time.

“He’s the one who had a lot to do with where I am today [in cattle roping],” said Waters. “You know, the mental game and riding horses and things like that.”

Waters is competing in the team roping category at the Indian National Finals Rodeo (INFR), a prestigious rodeo championship competition for tribal members across Indian Country, taking place October 22–26 at South Point Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I always wanted to rope there as a kid,” said Waters about competing in the INFR. “Now I rope with everybody who’s there and rope against them all the time.”

His cousin Ty Romo, An SRPMIC member and a former INFR champion who resides in Whiteriver, is also competing in the big event. The rodeo circuit tours across Indian Country all year, culminating in the grand finale, where participants compete in a variety of rodeo categories for prize money.

“He’s the real deal,” said Waters about Romo. “He’s always been good with rope, and to this day, I still can’t be where he’s at. I see him at these rodeos as we’re on the road and I ask him questions about things I need to work on. I’m thankful for that.”

To prepare, Waters rides his horses and keeps them in shape, practicing as much as he can when he’s not working his full-time job. He competes on weekends. During the summertime, to escape the desert heat he will travel north to compete in rodeos in places like Montana, Oklahoma and Idaho. At cooler times of the year, he won’t have to travel as far.

“Here in Phoenix, it is actually the capital of steer roping,” said Waters. “This is where everything happens.” The greater Phoenix area has a colorful rodeo history, and the town of Wickenburg bills itself the Team Roping Capital of the World.

Recently, Waters traveled to Globe to compete in a rodeo and placed fifth with his partner. Waters takes with him his 16-year-old horse named Bay, which he purchased from someone in Maricopa a couple of years ago. He’s a dark-colored horse with a black mane.

In team roping competitions, Waters is considered a “header,” meaning that he ropes the head of the steer. His partner, Scooter Garcia, who is from Gallup, New Mexico, catches the steer’s hind legs as the “heeler.” He began competing with Garcia about a month ago.

“You have to work as a team,” said Waters. He explained that in team roping, the header must catch the steer first and “turn it” for the heeler. There are penalties for some actions, such as roping only one leg or not giving the steer a head start. Time is added to the time score whenever there is a penalty, and the best time wins.

“Riding a horse, I believe, is good therapy,” said Waters. “With the horse running at top speed, going out to catch a cow and roping for money; it’s a good adrenaline rush being inside the arena.”

Waters thanks his mother, Selena Espinoza, for all her support when he was younger, and for her continued support.

“She was a single mom taking me to all my competitions, whether they were near or far,” he said.

For more information about the upcoming INFR, head to www.infr.org.