One lucky roper taking home a new RAM truck wasn't the only memorable moment at the La Fiesta Truck Roping at Rancho Rio on February 28. A ter the first 300 teams had ran their first steer the King of Country came over the loud speaker singing his 1992 hit, “I Cross My Heart,” from the classic movie, “Pure Country”—but the George Strait lyrics were no coincidence.

Erik Venegas, who was roping with Ramon Morales, had asked if he could roll his team so he could propose to his partner's daughter, and his long-time girlfriend Daisy Morales, in the arena before the drag.

“I was completely shocked, I had absolutely no idea,” Daisy said. “My aunt had said let's go down to the end of the arena so we can video their run. I heard “I Cross My Heart,” and thought it was such a coincidence that was playing while Erik and my dad were roping. It's one of our favorite songs. Then, I heard Ty say my name and call me into the arena. I still didn't understand what was happening. A ter that, Erik got off his horse, reached into his pocket and got down on one knee.”

WITHOUT A HITCH

“I knew she would say yes,” Venegas said. “I was still very nervous.”

The 23-year-old, Lavine, Ariz., cowboy had every detail of his proposal planned and it went off without a hitch. It was back in November that he first asked her parents for their permission. Then, he planned to be roping with her father and coordinated with the office staff on their draw number and had them cue the perfect song—all the while, keeping it a huge secret.

“Daisy and I met at a roping, and she's always there for me when I'm competing,” Venegas explained. “So I thought that was the perfect place to propose. I wanted to do something different.”

SHORT ROUND BOUND

Venegas and his future father-in-law were clean on that first run and ended up making it back to the short round. They didn't have much luck there, but he says he still came out a winner.

“I was so nervous on my first steer because I had all the pressure of proposing and I really wanted to catch,” he laughed. “A ter she said yes, I figured I was good for the rest of the day, no matter what happened with the roping.”

Daisy confirmed the story of how they met—although, she admits he had caught her eye even before.

“I first saw him at a dance, but we didn't actually meet. The next weekend we were at a roping in Litchfield Park, and he was with a friend of mine. We started talking and have been together ever since.”

The newly-engaged couple had a lot of family with them at Rancho RIo to help celebrate.

“I thought we were supposed to be celebrating my mom's birthday a ter the roping,” Daisy laughed. “The party ended up being for us.”

While they still don't have a date set, it's possible there just might be another kind of La Fiesta at Rancho Rio sometime next year.

“We haven't picked a date or a location,” Daisy said. “But we both have big families so it will probably have to be somewhere outdoors.”