Sandy Suter has roped her way through Western Canada and the United States. During her travels, she has ridden in some major rodeos and snared some prestigious titles.
But, nothing she has experienced thus far can compare to what she will do later this month.
Suter, a 32-year-old team roper from Prince George, will be in Reno, Nev., for the Reno Rodeo Invitational. As part of that massive gathering, she'll compete in three different events, including the world-famous Bob Feist Invitational.
"All the best ropers in the world go to it -- all the really top dogs," Suter said. "They put on that, and then they put on another one called The Richest Roping in the World and it costs I think $2,700 a team to enter. Then they have the Reno Rodeo Women's Roping, and you actually have to be accepted to go into it. You have to apply, and it's open women's roping."
For Suter, the fun will start on June 20 and stretch for three days. She'll be taking in the Reno sights and sounds for the first time in her career, which stretches back to childhood.
"This isn't just a season highlight, this is kind of a life highlight," she said.
"I'm roping really well right now -- some of the best I've ever roped -- and I have a great partner, so I'm hoping to have good results."
Suter's partner in Reno will be Montana's Jill McCallister, whom she met and teamed up with a couple years ago in Arizona.
"We won the fast time there -- she roped really well," Suter said.
When chasing down a calf in the rodeo ring, Suter throws her lasso for the head, while her partner goes for the back feet. Team roping is a timed event, so, against tough competition, every millisecond counts.
Suter, a 1996 graduate of Prince George secondary school who later attended the College of Southern Idaho on a rodeo scholarship, already has multiple Canadian championships to her credit, including national titles in 2006 and 2010. Her dad Garry and sister Christine are also part of the rodeo scene, and Garry has been instrumental in helping Suter reach her current level of expertise.
"I have an outstanding dad who supports me like crazy," Suter said with a grin. "He flies in cows and he pushes cows and he team-ropes too, so I rope at least every second day. He has an arena at his house, so I practice a lot."
Suter's season expenses can easily climb higher than $10,000. So, she's also thankful for her sponsors. They include Load Em Up Petroleum, Murdoch Veterinary Clinic, Spruce Capital Feeds, Central Interior Piping, Ritchie Manufacturing and Trim Line Graphics & Signs.
"Without their help, I could never go, especially to the Reno deal," Suter said.
