Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles Review – How Saddle Fit Affects Your Roping

 Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles.

Hmmm… What about them?  Well, if you’re reading this, it’s because you’re either a novice or a professional team roper.  You’re the header, and you love participating in the Western rodeo event called “team roping.”

It’s time to up your game by shaving seconds off your time.  To do that, you’ll need a new saddle that will help you maneuver and prevent slipping.

You’ve heard of Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles, but you want to learn all you can about Billy Cook Team Roping saddles before investing in one. I’m glad you’re doing your research.

And I want to help you with your research by giving you some valuable information on a couple of these hand-crafted Billy Cook Team Roping saddles and how they can help you, as the header half of your team, win more jackpots.

Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles Review – The Anxiety of Team Roping

Being the header is anxiety producing. You no doubt get an adrenaline rush every single time you sit in a box with your horse.

Knowing that you have to rope the steer around its horns, then turn the steer so its hind legs can be roped by your heeler (all in a matter of seconds if you want to win the jackpot), makes your anxiety go through the roof.

In a good way of course.

But sitting in your box you’re always worrying about the things that could possibly go wrong – like:

• Slipping out of your seat
• Feet getting stuck in stirrups
• Dally slipping
• Horse missing its cues

Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles – Built for Maximum Maneuverability

In general, the roping saddle was created to give the rider increased maneuverability while riding. As the name suggests, this is a big help when it comes to roping cattle.

The positioning of the horse bars, stirrups, and the horn, work to prevent slipping, giving the rider added peace of mind.

What’s The Big Problem?

These days, it’s not enough to rope the steer, you’ve got to look good doing it.  So a fancy saddle is required.  There’s no shortage of full-tooled, hand-dyed, exotic-seat saddles.

But that’s not all there is to a roping saddle.

The problem is ropers, whether headers or heelers, don’t know much about saddles.  In fact, many ropers invest an incredible amount of time and money in their horses, only to ride in cheap saddles.

Their saddles don’t fit their horses – our themselves!

Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles – The Solution – Roping Saddle Essentials

Too many ropers buy saddles with seats that are too big.  So, they end up sliding all around their horse. Or they buy saddles built on poor tree quality, so the saddle splints, and they have to waste more money buying a new one.  Or, when you take a dally, it slips from the saddle horn.

You need the right saddle

Whatever roping saddle you buy, it needs to have a high-quality tree covered in rawhide, double rigging, a strong horn reinforced with rawhide, big open stirrups so you can get your feet out quickly.

You’ll need a rubber wrap around the saddle horn to keep the dally from slipping, and the right sized gullet to protect your horse’s withers. You’ll also need a short skirt if you’ve got a short back horse.

Having said all of that, let me start off with my first, of two, Billy Cook Roping Saddles reviews.

Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles Review #1
15″ to 16″ Billy Cook Dally Team Roper Saddle 9111

If you’re looking for a rugged, dependable roping saddle, take a look at the Billy Cook Dally Team Roper Saddle 9111. It’s made in America.  Sulfur, Oklahoma specifically.

It’s made with a rawhide-covered wood tree, which makes it strong.  It’s reinforced so that it can withstand the test of time.

Built Strong and Built to Last

The tree has a long bar, which will help distribute the pressure across your horse’s back. It has a bigger horn on it (3-inch cap) with a rawhide edge.

That, combined with the rawhide covering on the swell, gives the front end of the saddle more resistance to wear and tear.

It also comes with very secure reinforced stainless steel double rigging (on tree) and roper cinch and complete flank strap. It’s designed with a quilted suede seat, which gives you just enough grip, but doesn’t lock you into place so that you can’t get out of the saddle.

Low Cantel For Easy Dismounting

The low cantel and open-dish seat make it easy to swing your leg over and make a quick dismount.  The rawhide covered roper stirrups are big and open for a quick escape for your foot.

Very Stylish

This saddle is very stylish with a silver-laced cantle, accent conchos, and detailed hand- tooled basket pattern. It’s built tough, built to last, and built for ropers.

Here are the specs:

Rawhide Covered Wood Tree
Quarter Horse Bar
Quilted 15” – 16” Seat
Horn: 2 1/2″ post
Rawhide Hand Tooled 13” Swell
4” Rawhide Laced Cantle
Stainless Steel Double Rigging
Skirts: Artificial wool lined
29” Skirt Length
Rear Cinch: 27 strand roper
Stirrups: Roper rawhide laced
Pattern: Basket stamped half breed
Finish: Russet
Weighs Approximately 41 pounds

Pros

• High-End
• Extremely well-made, high-quality saddle
• Durable (very long life)
• Stylish
• Long Bars – Equal Distribution of Weight on Horse
• Low Cantle Open Dish Seat – Easy to Dismount
• Rawhide-covered Roper Stirrups – Big and Open for Quick Foot Escape
• Rear Cinch: 27 Strand Roper
• Double Rigging for Secure Seat
• Horn Reinforced with Rawhide Leather Makes it Extra Sturdy

Cons

It’s a bit pricey.  But you won’t find a high-quality saddle made like this for less. If you’re a serious roper, this is saddle for you.

Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles Review #2
15 1/2″ to 16″ Billy Cook Roping Saddle 2121

 The Billy Cook Roping Saddle 2121 is very similar to the 9111 version.  It’s a high-end, super high-quality roping saddle.  Its tree is covered in Toots Mansfield rawhide, which you’d want in any roping saddle.

A rawhide-covered tree means your saddle will last forever.  Well, maybe 100 years. You can also request a rubber wrap around the saddle horn to keep the dally from slipping, and they’ll

gladly put it on for you.

Here are the specs:

Toots Mansfield Rawhide Covered Tree
Quarter Horse Bars
Quilted Seat Size: 15 1/2″ and 16″
Horn: 2 1/2″ short post with horn cap
Hand Tooled 13 inch Swell
4 Inch Leather Cantle
Full Double Rigging (Stainless Steel Dees)
Skirts Are Lined with Artificial Wool
Short Skirt Length: 27″
Rear Cinch: Latigo lined
Stirrups: 3″ Roper rawhide laced
Pattern: Barbwire Border
Weight: Approximately 36 lbs.

Pros

• Extremely well-made, high-quality saddle.
• That it’s made with rawhide means it will last a lifetime.
• It’s beautifully tooled
• Short Skirt for Short Back Horse
• Double Rigging for Secure Seat
• Horn Reinforced with Rawhide Leather Makes it Extra Sturdy

Cons

It’s a bit pricey, but you’ll have this baby for a very, very long time.

How do these to Billy Cook Team Roping saddles compare?

Saddle #1 or Saddle #2 – Which is Better?

So, what’s the difference between The Billy Cook Roper 9111 and the Billy Cook Roper 2121?  Honestly, these two saddles are very similar (including price point).

However, the main differences between them are that with the 2121 Roper (Saddle #2), the skirt is shorter.  That’s great if you have a short-back horse.  Also, the rear cinch is Latigo lined and weighs 36 pounds.

But in the 9111 Roper (Saddle #1), the rear cinch is 27 Strand Roper and weighs 41 pounds.

You can also request a rubber wrap around the saddle horn to keep the dally from slipping, and they’ll gladly put it on for you in either saddle.  The styling is also different. Both saddles are beautifully designed.

Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles Conclusion

Both saddles are extremely well made and will last a very long time.  They also have the same price point (give or take 50 bucks).  Either way, they’re both high-end saddles and cost a pretty penny.

But you also get what you pay for.  One of the main reasons these saddles are costly is because of their rawhide leather trees.  The uniquely quilted seats and unique tooling add value to them as well.

I hope my Billy Cook Team Roping saddles review was helpful.  Do you have any particular questions you have about roping saddles? Or, maybe you prefer reading my review on Used Billy Cook ranch saddles.

Please leave your questions and comments below!