I am in the roping box trying to square my horse properly so we can both get out of the box smoothly when the calf is released. I am trying to control my nerves, my rope is tucked underneath my arm and the cowboy is waiting for me to nod my pusher is in position behind my calf. It is a cold summer night in Jackson and I am wearing my icebreaker base layer underneath my western shirt for warmth. It is perfect because it is warm, but not bulky and I do not have to wear a jacket. (we have to be in western attire to compete, so cant wear a jacket to compete.) My competitors always ask me how I am not cold just wearing my western shirt and I tell them about my awesome base layer!!
Katie my horse can feel my nerves in the box and she starts to move back and forth underneath me. She is ready to go, but we are not quite in position so I try to calm my nerves hoping that will help her to relax. To calm my nerves I think about standing in the start at a big mountain comp, the only difference is I am on an animal about to rope another animal. In a big mountain comp the only thing I have to worry about riding is my skis and I have to think about in a sense roping those cliffs and just like I want to rope my calf I want to stomp my landings. The two are such different sports that if I think about each when doing the other then it tends to calm my nerves.
I have been using Icebreaker for all my activities and sports for the last couple winters and I am completely sold on the warmth and the amount of activity I can do in the layers and how much I can sweat and not get chilled and also I can wear my layers day after day with them staying pretty much odorless. If it is really cold I double up on sport 320 and the body fit 200 and am toasty warm all day. Icebreaker has really helped keep me warm whether it is rodeo, raft guiding, skiing, biking or climbing I wear it all the time and love how great it actually works!!!
