It took Cade Passig years of working every job on the crew before he found his was to the microphone announcing for Mathews Land and Cattle.

Growing up with a rope in his hand, Passig never wanted to do anything else—but rope. That led to life now: being the "conductor" at some of the biggest jackpots in the country, being a student of the game in both announcing and heeling steers, and being a dad to a little one who is already ate up with the sport.

On this episode of The Score, Passig talks us through how he grew up and the grind that it was, how he found his was onto the M.L.C. crew, and how even though he doesn't hit the rodeo road "full time", he wouldn't change a thing. He takes listeners back to he and Chris Francis' win of the 2018 Bob Feist Invitational and how that helped shape his career, and what growing up with guys like Francis around made him realize how important raising his son, Hardy, in the same way truly is.

This listen is long, but worth it, as is expected for a guy who ropes and talks for a living. Listen now for the Cade Passig story, brought to you by our friends at Fast Back Ropes.

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This episode is presented by Fast Back Ropes. A longtime supporter of The Team Roping Journal, Fast Back takes pride in building quality ropes that offer the durability, performance, and consistency ropers can rely on. With a commitment to craftsmanship, innovation, and customer satisfaction, Fast Back continues to create products designed to bring value both in and out of the arena. Visit fastbackropes.com to shop ropes and gear, find a retailer, or download the latest catalog.

The end of June and Cowboy Christmas saw momentum build for numerous teams, especially ones who were in need.

Lightning Aguilera and Kaden Profili kicked off a three-week span of huge ProRodeo team roping storylines, winning $30,740 over a two-week period at the end of June. Aguilera and Profili took home $20,868 a man the week of June 16-21, highlighted by wins at the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho, and the Silver State Stampede in Elko, Nevada. They rolled into another strong week June 24-28, pocketing $9,872 apiece with checks at the Reno Rodeo, West Of The Pecos Rodeo and Greeley Stampede.

James Arviso and Levi Lord also got on a heater, winning the prestigious Reno Rodeo for $15,705 apiece. Their momentum rolled right into the Greeley Stampede where they won the average for $10,192 a man. That kicked off their Cowboy Christmas, and they ended up third in The Team Roping Journal's high-money earners calculations with $22,395 a man.

Perhaps no bigger storyline came from Cody Snow and Lane Mitchell, however. Snow and Mitchell were the top earners over Cowboy Christmas, winning $30,192 a man. Their biggest hits came from the St. Paul Rodeo where they won $9,116 apiece and Greeley, winning $7,410 a man. The huge Fourth run moved them from outside the top 30 in the 2026 PRCA team roping world standings to right around the Top 15.

On this episode of The Short Score, some of the biggest winners talk about their big weeks.

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This episode is brought to you by SmartEquine and ColiCare—an innovative approach to hindgut health and colic prevention. Designed with research-backed ingredients and a unique support program, when your horse is counting on you, you can count on ColiCare.

ColiCare combines targeted digestive support with a program designed to help you stay ahead of potential issues—not just react to them. It’s built on research, formulated to support a healthy gut environment, and backed by a unique benefit: eligible horses enrolled in the program may receive up to $15,000 in colic surgery reimbursement.

Whether you’re hauling, training hard, or just managing day-to-day stressors, your horse’s digestive system is constantly under pressure. ColiCare is designed to help you manage those risks with confidence.

Visit SmartEquine.com to learn more about how ColiCare can support your horse’s long-term

Chris Francis has won some of the sports biggest ropings, but much of his life happens behind the scenes at some of the biggest jackpots in the country.

On this episode of The Score, Las Vegas, New Mexico's Francis talks about how he went from helping Oren Mathews gather cattle and work a truck roping to taking on a major role on the Mathews Land and Cattle crew. He explains what goes into managing cattle, putting on World Series of Team Roping jackpots across the Southwestern United States, and how he always knew his life would revolve around team roping.

Along the way, Francis looks back on the wins that helped define his own roping career, including winning the 2018 Bob Feist Invitational with Cade Passig and claiming the Turquoise Circuit Finals average and year-end titles together. He shares how their partnership grew from Francis knowing Passig as a toddler to watching him become a 10 heeler, partner and little brother.

Francis also gets honest about how his priorities have changed over time. His girls, wife Kenna and 8-year-old daughter Karstyn, are as involved in the industry as he is. Francis talks about how being a dad and husband to two cowgirls is his favorite job in the world, and what life looks like being their biggest fan and supporter.

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This episode is brought to you by SmartEquine and ColiCare—an innovative approach to hindgut health and colic prevention. Designed with research-backed ingredients and a unique support program, when your horse is counting on you, you can count on ColiCare.

ColiCare combines targeted digestive support with a program designed to help you stay ahead of potential issues—not just react to them. It’s built on research, formulated to support a healthy gut environment, and backed by a unique benefit: eligible horses enrolled in the program may receive up to $15,000 in colic surgery reimbursement.

Whether you’re hauling, training hard, or just managing day-to-day stressors, your horse’s digestive system is constantly under pressure. ColiCare is designed to help you manage those risks with confidence.

Visit SmartEquine.com to learn more about how ColiCare can support your horse’s long-term