Shelly and Sam Garside won the #10 Saddle Roping during Memorial Weekend at Mormon Make, Ariz.
Young guns Sam Garside and Clay Cherry win big over Memorial Weekend in Mormon Lake.
When you’re hot, you’re hot, and at this year’s Memorial Weekend at Mormon Lake, Ariz., 15-yearold Sam Garside was on fire. He won the #10 Saddle Roping with his mom Shelly Garside; finished fourth in the #8 Roping to take home a second trophy saddle; and topped both the National Nine Qualifier and the Red, White & Blue roping with his good friend, Clay Cherry.
“That was probably one of my best weekends ever,” said Garside of Prescott, Ariz., who took home $4,115 along with his saddles and buckles. But there’s one win that really stands out. “Winning the saddle with my mom was probably my favorite win team roping. It was pretty cool, you don’t get to do that very often.”
Garside comes from a team roping family. In addition to his mom, his dad, Gilbert, and his two older sisters, RaShel, 24, and Lacey, 20, all rope.
“I was really little when I started roping.
I roped in dummy ropings. I started roping on a horse when I was about eight, and I won the jackpot right by our house. I think it was about $500. That was my first win.”
Since that first paycheck, Garside has continued to excel in the arena. He’s won seven saddles, including one tie-down and one all-around saddle. In 2014, he won the Arizona National Junior High Finals Team Roping State Championship with Clay Cherry. Though Garside is a year older in school, the two have grown up and competed together for as long as they can remember.
“We’ve been friends a long time. My dad and his dad are good friends. They come to our house a lot and we get to practice together.”
As Garside heads into his sophomore year at Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center (AAEC) High School in Prescott Valley, he has one year of high school rodeo under his belt. He competes in both the team roping and the tie-down but admits team roping is still his favorite.
“I probably practice about an hour every day,” said Garside. “We try to practice like what we’ll do at the roping and have a game plan. But if we’re not headed to a roping we just rope and have fun.”
Over Memorial Weekend Garside was riding a horse he calls KJ.
“I have a couple at the house, but that’s my best horse. We got her as a barrel horse for my sister and she got another horse that was running better so I started heeling on her and she just started to get pretty good.”
While he won all his money in Mormon Lake heeling, Garside can rope both ends equally well and actually prefers the head side.
“I like heading a lot because I can rope in higher number ropings and I usually win a lot more,” he explained.
When it comes to team roping, he gives all the credit to his parents.
“I look up to my dad a lot. My dad and mom are the ones who help me do everything and haul me everywhere. I couldn’t do it without them.”
FAMILY TIES
In addition to winning the two ropings with his buddy Sam, Clay Cherry also finished second in the National Nine Qualifier with Owen Perkins and picked up a handful of checks, including one with his dad, Chance. But all aside, his favorite part of the weekend was that his mom Jesse was back in the game.
“My mom had quit and she just started roping again,” he explained.
“That was her first time at a roping in probably four years and she won a buckle. It was awesome!” Cherry got his first taste of victory early on.
“I’ve been roping since I was 4 or 5 years old. I won the Junior Looper goat roping in Oklahoma City when I was 5. I won a saddle and stuff. I was hooked after that.”
In his 13 years he’s won the same number of saddles. He just finished competing in his last year of NJHRA rodeos and is looking forward to ascending the ranks. He’ll enter Casa Grande Union High School as a freshman next year.
“I’m definitely ready to step up to the next level and rope against the high school kids,” he said. “The jackpots are still better though. I get to rope with all the people that I know. I get to rope with my family. It’s a little less intense, more laid back.”
Cherry was born and raised in Fairfield, Ariz., about 20 miles outside of Casa Grande and understands the opportunity it’s given him to team rope to his heart’s desire.
“It’s hot in the summer, but it’s the best place to rope in the winter in the whole country,” he explained.
Cherry rides a 17-year-old black gelding he calls Cisco.
“My grandpa gave him to me probably three years ago. He was crippled when we got him but we started shoeing him a little different and he’s been sound ever since. He just gives me the same shot every time. He’s good in every setup. He’s just an all around good horse.”
While it was cold and rainy for most of Memorial Weekend, Sam Garside and Clay Cherry didn’t let that stop them from a little fun and a whole lot of winning.
“We all showed up a day early and went fishing and had a BBQ and campfire and stuff,” said Cherry. “We try and do as much stuff as we can together. They are the closest family to us that we know. It’s all just a lot of fun.”
SAM GARSIDE
Prescott, Ariz.
OLIE’S IMAGES
NUMBER AND END: 5 Header and 5 Heeler
FAVORITE ROPING: All of them. I guess I don’t really have a favorite.
ROPE OF CHOICE: Heeling the NV4 and heading the Classic Heat.
BEST HORSE: Probably Tuff, my mom’s head horse. She lets me borrow him sometimes.
FAVORITE MOVIE: 8 Seconds
FAVORITE MUSIC: I listen to everything.
FAVORITE FOOD: Steak
FAVORITE CLASS AT SCHOOL: Probably my ag classes because we get to do stuff outside.
WHY YOU LIKE TEAM ROPING: Just roping and winning money and going with my whole family.
