In this episode, we sit down with two of the biggest names in team roping: Tyler Wade, a 2x World Champion from Terrell, TX, and Wesley Thorp, a 3x World Champion from Stephenville, TX. These two champions open up about their unforgettable season and the key factors that helped them secure their second world title together.
Tyler and Wesley also dive into their passion project, the World Youth Team Roping Championships. They share why this event is so important to them, what it offers for young ropers, and why it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss. From producing the event to fostering the next generation of champions, these two explain the benefits of attending, and how it’s shaping the future of team roping.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the sport or just curious about the world of team roping, this episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and practical advice from two of the best in the game. Tune in and learn what it takes to rope for a world title—and why giving back to the next generation matters just as much.
Don’t miss it!

Dive into the World Youth Team Roping Championship with Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp. Find out why this event is so special to them, how they came up with the idea, and what you can expect on this bonus episode! The World Youth Team Roping Championship is March 22-24th at 377 arena in Stephenville, TX. You can find more info on the roping on their facebook page!

Billy Myers is the founder of the Platinum Metal Rope Horse Futurity and Sale. August 31- September 2 will be the very first event with the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma being the host. In this podcast, Billy dives in the idea behind this even, details about the event, breeding/raising horses and building a successful horse program.

Listen and learn all kinds of tips and tricks from Classic Rope’s George McQuain. He discusses how to break in your rope and how to get the most out of it as well as what some of the top ropers in the industry prefer to use. Download Episode!

Listen to the winner of 2018 Reno Rodeo heeler, Trey Yates! He talks about how he grew up as well as where he would like to take his roping in the future!

Get to know more about JoJo LeMond’s journey to becoming one of the best ropers and horseman in the industry. Download Episode!

Snapchat Q&A with JoJo LeMond. Keep an eye out for part 2 and get to know more about JoJo LeMond’s journey to becoming one of the best ropers and horseman in the industry. Download Episode!

Hope Thomson gives an insightful look into the rodeo world and what it takes to become not only a great competitor but also a trainer as well. Download Episode!

The X Factor Roping Talk Show is here to provide you with an inside view into the lives of some of the top athletes and horse trainers in the western industry. Download Episode!

The X Factor Roping Podcast is here to provide you with an inside view into the lives of some of the top athletes and horse trainers in the western industry. Download Episode!

The X Factor Roping Podcast is here to provide you with an inside view into the lives of some of the top athletes and horse trainers in the western industry. Download Episode!

The X Factor Roping Podcast is here to provide you with an inside view into the lives of some of the top athletes and horse trainers in the western industry. Download Episode!

The X Factor Roping Podcast is here to provide you with an inside view into the lives of some of the top athletes and horse trainers in the western industry. Download Episode!

Professional rodeo athletes are headed into the final quarter of the 2023 regular season. Paden Bray was recently crowned the California Rodeo Salinas All-Around Champion, the Days of ’47 Champion Heeler, and is currently ranked 9th in the Heeling World Standings. In this podcast he shares about making adjustments on the road, the hardest part of being on the road, trusting the process, finding balance, and asking people for advice.

The X Factor Roping Podcast is here to provide you with an inside view into the lives of some of the top athletes and horse trainers in the western industry. Download Episode!

It’s no secret that your mental game plays a huge role in the roping arena. 23 year old, Jared Fillmore, from Payson, Utah shares his perspective on life and rodeo. This is a deep dive into the relationship between winning and self worth.

The 2023 Cowboy Christmas run has officially wrapped up and we got the opportunity to catch up with two PRCA rookies. Cutter Thomison and Chet Weitz shared their experience of the Fourth of July. They discuss the struggles on the road, staying mentally strong, and the importance of having friends that they can count on for advice.

J.C. Yeahquo started his professional rodeo career in 2020 with his brother, L.J. Yeahquo. Throughout the past couple of years, he has learned that he must do HIS job and stay true to the run they like to make as a team. J.C. and his brother have had a strong start to the 2023 season and he is looking forward to the summer run.

L.J. Yeahquo and his brother, J.C., have taken the team roping world by storm this winter with big wins at Rapid City, South Dakota; Jackson, Mississippi; Austin, Texas; and San Angelo, Texas. L.J., the heeler in this brother partnership, shares his thoughts on winning and losing, competing at a professional level, and staying true to your run.

Cory Kidd is from Statesville, North Carolina. In this podcast, Cory discusses what it was like growing up roping on the east coast, the move to Texas, and the adjustments he has made along the way. In 2022, he ended up 16th in the PRCA World Standings. He talks about this accomplishment and how he has stayed mentally strong as he enters a new rodeo season.

Logan Medlin is a three-time NFR Qualifier from Tatum, New Mexico. Listen as Logan discusses winning/losing, horsepower, and mental toughness.

Kolton Schmidt is a two-time NFR Qualifier from Barrhead, Alberta. Kolton is constantly trying to become more competitive mentally. In this podcast, he discusses some of the methods he has used to become more mentally strong and how he had to shift his mindset about winning. This podcast can be watched at: https://xftr.net/schmidtpodcast

Tristan Mahoney, the owner of TM Bits & Spurs, has one goal–to bring you quality handmade bits and spurs at a reasonable price. It doesn’t matter what your horse needs, he has a bit that will fit both horse and rider. Every bit and spur is handmade by Tristan, in his Florence, AZ shop.

To order your own TM Bits and Spurs, contact Tristan by email: tmahoney11@gmail.com or by phone 480-459-1411.

The ride to the 2023 NFR was a roller coaster for team roping World Champions, Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp. A win in the first round of Reno, Nevada in the beginning of June was shortly followed by a slump. Tyler and Wesley discuss how they stayed mentally strong even though an NFR qualification was slipping from their hands. During the third week in July, Tyler and Wesley were able to turn their season around—winning about forty thousand a man in three weeks.
During this podcast, Tyler and Wesley take us through their partnership, 2023 rodeo season, NFR preparation, and the NFR. They also dive into the production of the World Youth Team Roping Championships. They share their reasoning for wanting to produce this event as well as some of the things they hope young contestants can gain from participating. The event is scheduled for March 22-24 at 377 Arena in Stephenville, Texas. For more information visit World Youth Team Roping Championships on Facebook.

There is no doubt that the most elite athletes in the world make their mental game a priority—constantly training their minds to better handle pressure and adversity. Ty Hillman, is a mental skills coach that focuses on helping and training people to develop a competitive mindset. In this podcast, he discusses his thoughts on success, failure, working through slumps, and training methods to become more mentally strong. Ty and his wife, Stevi Hillman, wrote a book called, Mind Fuel: Mental Training, Overcoming Adversity, and Competitive Mindset. Mind Fuel consists of daily readings and a daily challenge to inspire you to take the next step in your journey toward personal greatness. It is available on Amazon or at the following link: https://xftr.net/mindfuelYou can listen to this podcast on any of your favorite platforms. To watch the podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/hillmanpodcast

Cole Matier moved from Alberta, Canada to Texas at the age of 17. He now specializes in riding young cow horses, rope horses, and barrel horses. During this podcast, he discusses how he got his start in the industry and created a horse training business of his own.

Oklahoma native, Tyler Merrill was born into the horse industry and was raised showing horses in a number of different disciplines. After graduating from military school, Tyler began training horses professionally. He currently shows horses in the Snaffle Bit Futurity, hackamore, reining, NCHA, NRCHA, American Rope Horse Futurity, Riata Buckle Futurity, Royal Crown Futurity, and more. Listen as Tyler talks about his career as a horse trainer and how manages his busy business. To watch this podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/tylermerrillpodcast

This special edition podcast features NFR heelers Jade Corkill and Hunter Koch. The two sit down together to discuss and compare each other’s careers and experiences as an elite team roper. To watch the video verison of this podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/corkillkochpodcast

Lightning Aguilera credits his first NFR qualification to his head horse, Jess A Moose, 2022 AQHA Head Horse of the Year. In this podcast, Lightning discusses his childhood, adjustments he has made to his heading to be more consistent, horsepower, and his preparation for the NFR.

Cole Davison introduces World Classic Events, a roping production he started. Cole discusses the format of the roping and how he hopes it will encourage more teams to enter. He also breaks down some of his runs from a previous event and shares the three goals he has for his horses. To watch this rundown, visit: https://xftr.net/davisonwcerundown

2022 PRCA Rookie of the Year, Tanner James, got the full rodeo experience this year. He battled the urge to go home when he wasn’t winning, endured partner swaps, and competed in arenas he had never been to before. Listen as he talks about how he stayed mentally strong and motivated to keep pushing forward. To watch this podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/tannerjamespodcast

In this episode of The Rundown, Chase Tryan talks roping with draw partners, doing your job, and staying hooked with the run no matter what happens. To view “The Rundown” videos discussed in this podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/tryanopenshowdown

Kellan and Carson Johnson, brothers from Casper, Wyoming, are no strangers to team roping and the cowboy way of life. Between the two of them, they hold three College National Team Roping Titles. In this podcast, Kellan and Carson discuss what it is like to rodeo hard all summer long and finish in the top 20 in the world. To watch this podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/johnsonpodcast

33-year-old Chase Tryan qualified for his first NFR in 2012. His second NFR qualification would come years later. Chase discusses that during those years, team roping changed. He had to adjust his style of roping to become one of the best heelers in the world. Listen as Chase takes us through the highs and the lows of his career and the things he had to learn in order to remain at the top of his game.

The 2024 Reliance Ranches Clay Logan Open will be one that Brandon Gonzales remembers forever. The enter one, draw one format allowed Gonzales to be partnered up with World Champion Header, Erich Rogers. Together they walked away the Champions and $42,000 richer. After his cancer diagnosis, Gonzales wasn’t sure what his future would look like. He went from not knowing if he was going to be able to rope again to winning one of the biggest Open Ropings of the year. Gonzales was gracious enough to share his inspiring story, along with the impact this win has had on his life. 

X Factor’s new PRACTICE Rundown gives cowboys the opportunity to break down runs from the practice pen. Here is your chance to hear NFR heeler, Jake Long break down some of his practice runs. Listen as he takes us through several runs explaining his ideal practice sessions, style of roping, and how it changes from horse to horse. If you would like to watch this PRACTICE Rundown, visit: https://xftr.net/longpracticerundown

In 2021, Ross achieved a life-long goal by qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Listen as Ross takes us through his first NFR experience and adjustments he has made to his heeling to become more consistent and competitive.

We had the special opportunity to sit down with NFR header, Coleman Proctor as he broke down his runs from the Lone Star Shootout. Listen closely as Coleman discusses his strategy during the roping and how “sticking to the basics” allowed him to finish strong despite riding a greener head horse.

To view “The Rundown” videos discussed in this podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/proctorlsshootout

California native, Cody Snow, has become one of the most elite headers in the world. He has prioritized hard work, horsemanship, and handling cattle above all else. Listen as Cody discusses his upbringing and the qualities that have contributed to his success.

NFR header, JR Dees, breaks down his runs from ‘The Capitalist’. Listen as he emphasizes the importance of horsepower and simply making YOUR run.

To view “The Rundown” videos discussed in this podcast, visit: https://xftr.net/deescapitalist

Professional rope horse trainer Andy Holcomb has quickly become a dominating competitor in the growing rope horse futurity industry. Check out this newly released podcast to hear Andy tell his story and share his experiences that have shaped his successful career.

The X Factor Roping Podcast presents the Jade Corkill rundown from the Clay Logan Open Team Roping. Listen close as Jade gives a deep dive into his heeling and how he stays mentally strong throughout jackpots.

To view “The Rundown” videos discussed in this podcast, check out the following links:
The Rundown, Episode 19 Part 1/2: Jade Corkill at “Clay Logan Open”

The Rundown, Episode 19 Part 2/2: Jade Corkill at “Clay Logan Open”

We had the pleasure of 6X NFR Qualifier Coleman Proctor stopping by and doing some instructional videos and a “Rundown” episode which led to an impromptu podcast that checks ALL the boxes! You may have seen Coleman’s “Toter Tales” on social media and have a great idea of how entertaining and at the same time enlightening Coleman can be! In this podcast, he goes over his roping career and how he juggles being a father, going to college and peppering in some VERY good stories from the rodeo trail!

P.S.- Coleman is coming out with his very own podcast! Be sure to follow him on social media for his “Toter Tuesday” Vlogs and more info on his upcoming podcast release! https://www.facebook.com/ColemanProctorTeamRoping

In this episode, John Dowdy, President of Equinety Equine Supplements goes into detail about the effectiveness of Equinety products and how all performance horses could greatly benefit from them! To learn more about Equinety, check out their website! www.TeamEquinety.com

Introducing XFactorRoping.com’s newest content, the “XFR Talk Show”! Episode #3 is hosted by Pace Freed and Dustin Searcy.

Weekly releases will feature special appearances by team roping influencers discussing topics such as roping recaps, current events, and more. This episode features NFR Average Champion and World Champion Wesley Thorp (2:10) as well as American and NFR Average Champion Paden Bray (34:30).

Nick Dowers is the definition of a real life cowboy. The Million Dollar Rider, 2x Road to the Horse Champion and 2013 NRCHA Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion trains out of Dyer, NV where he also operates a ranch. Dowers has trained under Bryan Neubert, Joe Wolter, Bill Van Norman, Andrea Fappani and Annie Reynolds. These people were so influential in his life that he decided to create “Cowboy Week”. Cowboy Week is where the best in horsemanship, reined cow horse, cutting, and ranching come together for 5 days and talk techniques and philosophies. This year he decided to offer all of this knowledge and some entertaining cowboy stories to the public. You can purchase Cowboy Week at https://nickdowers.com/register/cowboy-week/. 

With over 1,000 horses and 30 years of training experience, Phil Haugen discusses his perspective and outlook on training horses for a living.

Find Phil Haugen at: philhaugenhorsemanship.com

Listen To Phil Haugen Horsemanship Podcast: philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast-episodes

Introducing XFactorRoping.com’s newest show hosted by Pace Freed and Dustin Searcy, the “XFR TALK SHOW”.

Weekly releases will feature special appearances by team roping influencers discussing topics such as roping recaps, current events, and more. This episode features All Around and Team Roping World Champion Junior Nogueira (2:17), FWSSR Reserve Champion Heeler Brye Crites (35:17) , performance horse trainer and roping producer Clay Logan (56:26), 9x WPRA World Champion, and FWSSR Champion Kelsie Domer (1:12:21).

Introducing XFactorRoping.com’s newest show hosted by Pace Freed and Dustin Searcy, the “XFR TALK SHOW”.

Weekly releases will feature special appearances by team roping influencers discussing topics such as roping recaps, current events, and more. Our first episode features NFR Average Record Holder: Buddy Hawkins, BFI Champion & former PRCA Team Roping Director: Manny Eugsquiza, and ’21 NFR Qualifier & Denver Stock Show Champ: Coy Rahlmann.

In this podcast, 30-year-old 3x NFR Qualifier Shay Carroll talks about his personal life experiences pursuing a career as a professional team roper and horse trainer. Watch the exclusive library of instructional videos and voiceovers featuring Shay at XFactorTeamRoping.com