Bishop Rick Hawkins has led San Antonio’s Family Praise Center since 1993 and Norman’s Quest Church since 2019. When he isn’t working, Rick Hawkins of San Antonio counts livestock roping among his favorite hobbies.
Even people without immediate access to livestock and trained horses can begin to practice roping with a rope, a bale of hay, and a dummy steer head. Although newcomers to roping may want to jump directly into practicing on horseback, most experts consider starting on the ground the best way to learn.
After placing the dummy steer head (typically made of plastic or plastic with horns from a real steer) on the hay bale, aspiring ropers should stand behind the bale with a quality practice rope in hand. They can then practice swinging the rope over the horns by extending a looped end with their dominant hand, leaving excess rope coiled in their nondominant hand. The goal for beginners is to move the rope over the dummy horns as smoothly as possible.
