THE REACH
On July 31, 2022, Erich Rogers delivered a $14,800 head loop from two coils back at the finals of ol' Cheyenne. But alas, reaching that far only works if the steer maintains the same path it was on at delivery.
The phrase “live by the sword, die by the sword” may have come from the Gospel of Matthew, but it certainly applies to reaching. And to the outlook of the world’s first renowned reacher, a Californian who changed the game as seven-time World Champ Jake Barnes witnessed it as a kid.
“That was unheard of, what H.P. Evetts was doing,” Barnes said. “Nobody had ever seen anything like that before.”
Evetts had grown up in the ’60s watching guys like jack Gomez throw a long way. He started roping off a horse as a small child, with the risk-taking mentality he later used as a stuntman on films like Dances With Wolves and Wyatt Earp.
“I had a brother-in-law, Reg Jespersen, who used a big loop and reached pretty good, too,” said Evetts, who qualified for his first NFR at just 18. “He was quite an influence right here at home.”
Evetts’ parents were not impressed with what reaching did to his catch percentage, so he ran close and caught when it was required. But in that era’s five-steer and eight-steer ropings, they’d give you all
