Includes bibliographical references (p. 151) and index.

As team ropers we've all been there - it's incredibly frustrating to come up empty handed, and even more so when we "don't know what we don't know." I wrote Team Roping Tips to help you get started on the right foot and shorten the learning curve if you're new to team roping, or make adjustments to reveal you and your horses greatest potential, even if you're a seasoned pro. It's not being an action-taker alone that ensures our success. It's taking targeted and intentional actions to build solid fundamentals that will truly move the needle forward (and the clock back). The specific steps for doing so include, but go well beyond roping and also require a never-ending commitment to improving our horsemanship, as well as up-leveling our mental game and the horse health care we offer. I've included short, easy-reading tips for all of the above in this book. There's more to team roping than team roping. I believe our passions come with a purpose, which is to follow them in a way that leaves the world a better place because we did. I've been blessed with a fulfilling and successful team roping career, and yet it's just getting started. Team Roping Tips is a contribution and collection highlighting some of the lessons I've learned so far. I hope it makes a positive difference in your life and your roping. - Craig Smith

How many times can you jump rope? This rhyme makes the game of rope jumping even more fun. It's a counting rhyme, and there are lots of others like it. There are also red-hot pepper rhymes for jumping very fast, and rhymes for jumping in and out of the rope. There are even fortune-telling rhymes that answer questions and help you predict the future! The rhymes in this book began as a way to keep the rhythm while jumping rope, but they also lent poetry and humor to the game. Here are over one hundred traditional rhymes that will make rope jumping challenging and, best of all, fun.

Ranch roping is at the heart of all ranch work, and unlike the rodeo variation of calf roping, the “vacquero” tradition calls for techniques that result in a skillful and graceful throw and catch. Buck Brannaman, a world-renowned master of the art, describes the essential tools, the partnership between horse and rider (incorporating the Natural Horsemanship approach for which the author is famous), and the mechanics needed to become a successful ranch roper, whether in competition or in actual cattle work. One-hundred full-color photographs of Buck in action enhance the step-by-step methodology that leads to mastering this essential Western skill. Whether you ride or rope or just wish you could, here’s a book for everyone who is captivated by Western traditions and contemporary life.

"My First Rodeo introduces readers to the rules, excitement, and tradition of the rodeo"--

A story of courage, perseverance, and patriotism behind the 75th Ranger Regiment's rescue mission following one of the deadliest Special Ops incidents in Afghanistan—a grueling search for twelve Navy SEAL casualties and eight downed Night Stalkers . . . but just one lone survivor On June 28th, 2005, a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team under Operation Red Wings was ambushed in northeastern Afghanistan—as depicted in the book and film Lone Survivor. A quick reaction force was dispatched. Turbine 33, carrying eight Navy SEALs and eight members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was struck by a rocket propelled grenade—careening the dual rotor Chinook toward the rugged peak of Sawtalo Sar. The result was the single deadliest incident in Special Operations history at the time. Commanders called on the largest element of US Special Forces, the 75th Ranger Regiment. The rescue mission: Operation Red Wings II. Author Tony Brooks gives a first-hand account of the daring recovery of Turbine 33 and the subsequent search for the remaining compromised Navy SEAL recon team—one of whom was Marcus Luttrell, the lone survivor. The Rangers were up against lack of intel, treacherous terrain, violent weather, and an enemy that was raised to fight. Tony Brooks lived—and many of his fellow Rangers died—by the axiom, “Leave No Man Behind.” He is the first to tell the story other books and films have omitted, one of overcoming overwhelming odds to accomplish a mission: to bring every American soldier home.

The Ultimate Handbook for the Greatest Exercise on the Planet Jump rope workouts are the gold standard for efficient, effective cardio. Just 10 minutes can provide the same cardiovascular benefits as running a mile in 12 minutes, or two full sets of tennis. But getting the best value from your jump rope workouts requires proper technique and a full fitness plan. 101 Best Jump Rope Workouts is exactly that—101 of the absolute best, most effective jump rope workouts imaginable. Designed by Buddy Lee, the world’s top expert in jump rope conditioning, these targeted programs let you experience real results and lasting fitness.

The most famous rodeo champion of all time tells his amazing true story -- and opens a fascinating window into the world of the professional cowboy. Ty Murray was born to be a rodeo star -- in fact, his first words were "I'm a bull rider." Before he was even out of diapers, he was climbing atop his mother's Singer sewing machine case, which just so happened to be the perfect mechanical bull for a 13-month-old. Before long, Ty was winning peewee events by the hatful, and his special talent was obvious...obvious even to a man called Larry Mahan. At the time the greatest living rodeo legend, six-time champion Mahan invited a teenaged Ty Murray to spend a summer on his ranch learning not just rodeoing but also some life lessons. Those lessons prepared Ty for a career that eventually surpassed even Mahan's own -- Ty's seven All-Around Championships. In King of the Cowboys, Ty Murray invites us into the daredevil world of rodeo and the life of the cowboy. Along the way, he details a life spent constantly on the road, heading to the next event; the tragic death of his friend and fellow rodeo star Lane Frost; and the years of debilitating injuries that led some to say Ty Murray was finished. He wasn't. In fact, Ty Murray has brought the world of rodeo into the twenty-first century, through his unparalleled achievements in the ring, through advancing the case for the sport as a television color-commentator, and through the Professional Bull Riders, an organization he helped to build. In the end, though, Ty Murray is first and foremost a cowboy, and now that he's retired from competition, he takes this chance to reflect on his remarkable life and career. In King of the Cowboys, Ty Murray opens up his world as never before.

A well-trained, responsive, and intelligent working cow horse is more than just a pleasure to ride or watch in action; such an animal is an integral part--a prized employee, if you will--of a ranch's workforce. How to find and then educate the horse to work cattle in pens and on the range, to negotiate a variety of terrains, and perform all the other tasks it will be asked to do (under a variety of often adverse conditions) is the subject of this handy guide. For example: Being able to open a gate from horseback is a mandatory job for any cowboy. A good place to introduce the young horse to this experience is by using a gate set up as part of an obstacle course. It is desirable and safer if the gate can swing freely and is without any attachments. Start by simply walking your horse through the gate when it's open. Reaching down and gently swinging the gate as you pass through it is the next step. If your horse is a little spooked by your reaching down, be aware that horses are naturally afraid of tight places. Once your horse can pass through an open gate, then attempt to open a closed gate. Be sure your horse fully understands your hand and leg cues before attempting this step, because he must be able to move off your leg to stand next to the fence, move toward the fence as it swings open to let you pass through, and then move around so you can close it. Written by an experienced rancher and horse trainer, 101 Ranch Horse Tips will show you how to start a young horse or improve an older one with techniques that can apply to performance and enjoyment on or beyond the cattle ranch.

Countless travel books display some aspect or region of America, but USA 101 stitches together a whole crazy quilt of iconic places, events, fairs, and festivals that celebrates our country in all its quirky diversity. Whoever you are, wherever you’re going, whatever you like to do, it’s here somewhere. And if you just stay home and travel armchair-style you’ll still find this guide a vivid, often humorous, always fascinating blend of world-famous and distinctly local places and events that add up to a national portrait. Here are fivescore and one indelibly American destinations, from the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge, from Graceland to Disneyland; perennial sporting rituals like the Army-Navy football game, the Indy 500, the Soap Box Derby, and the Little League World Series; plus dozens more favorite institutions old and new, from Native American powwows to the Miss America Pageant and monster truck rallies. USA 101 features entertaining descriptive narratives—concise, lively sketches that capture each selection’s history and special appeal—as well as detailed practical advice and essential information for visiting. Well seasoned by eclectic, irresistible sidebars, this guide is a panorama of treasured traditions, favorite pastimes, and beloved national possessions that will surprise, amuse, and inform even the most sophisticated traveler.