Thursday's Internet Edition, December 04, 2008.
receive Sweetest Loop proceeds
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| WELLNESS CENTER- A large crowd was on hand Sunday for the opening of the Hamilton Wellness Center. The center includes a fitness center, aerobics room and fitness-therapy pool as well as facilities for Physical Therapy and Cardiac-Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Staff Photo |
“We are so appreciative of Circle T for allowing us to be a sponsor of this event this year,” said HGH Healthcare Founda-tion President Slim Witzsche. “We are already making plans for how we can help make next year’s Sweetest Loop even bet-ter.”
Witzsche said that the foun-dation board is considering using the proceeds to help pur-chase certain equipment identi-fied by the medical staff that will enhance women’s health services and other services offered by the hospital.
Witzsche and several other foundation board members were on hand for the check presentation, as were represen-tatives from Scott & White.
Blessings Are Where You Find Them: The Sweetest Loop
By Melinda Clements
It sits, almost like an oasis in the desert, on a narrow little winding backroads highway north of Hamilton. When you have been there and leave you leave a part of yourself behind. It has that kind of impact on your being. However, more than that, the Circle T Ranch Arena is family and friends and fellowship that changes lives and sets trends in ways no one could ever have imagined.
For the third year in a row the Circle T Ranch Arena has played host to the “Sweetest Loop” benefit team roping that is now setting the standard for those yet to come.
“Every year the programs get bigger and bigger,” said World Champion Team Roper Patrick Smith. “The thing has started to take off and the bene-fit devotes all the money to research for cancer treatment. The Beshears family puts a lot of effort into the event. It is a well run roping and certainly for a wonderful cause.”
The Circle T Ranch Arena offered the event-filled fund-raiser with all proceeds benefit-ing breast cancer research. Wrangler Jeans, along with National Dairy Holdings, Tracy Noll and Dain Rauscher teamed up to help sponsor the event. Hamilton General Hospital Healthcare Foundation and Scott and White of Temple provided volunteers for the event. It was a communion of positive influence that helped the event to go off without a hitch. The facility is four acres under one roof with an indoor arena, the Crossfire Café and Cantina, the Crossfire Saddlery Western Store and within a short walking distance the newly opened Best Western Inn at Circle T consisting of 57 customized rooms and suites. The 40-foot timber lodge guest lobby overlooks an outdoor stone swimming pool and spa.
The three-day event started Friday, May 2, with a five-head Open Roping. The 2008 Open Roping Champions were Speed Williams and Patrick Smith with a time of 33.74 on five head of steers to earn the team $10,650.
“The Circle T facility is such an awesome place to rope,” Smith explained. “They make it such a good deal where we can rope for good money and a great cause. With the silent auctions, the Calcutta, just the extravagance of the whole event, it is growing in incredible ways. The more money we raise for breast cancer research the better.”
The event also included a ProAm Roping with separate ropings for the headers and heelers. The Pro-Am Cham-pion Heeler was Cody Lever of San Antonio. He paired with pro header Charly Crawford for a combined check worth $3,310 and a championship buckle.
“The Circle T Arena is one of the coolest places I have ever roped at,” Lever said. “The whole set up is phenomenal. The cancer research just adds that special touch to the whole roping. It was my first time to rope with Charly Crawford, and the cattle were good. It was just a great weekend.”
The ProAm Champion Header, Bobby Jackson, of Hindsville, Ark., was partnered with pro heeler Monty Joe Pet-ska. The team pocketed $6,205 and it was also Jackson’s first time to rope at the Circle T Arena.
“It is, no doubt, one of the nicest arenas I have ever roped in,” Jackson elaborated. “It is a 10-hour drive to the arena, and it would have been fun even if I had not placed in the roping. The whole weekend with the Calcutta, the silent auctions, the entire atmosphere just makes it a great roping to go to. To rope to benefit cancer research just makes it that much more special.”
The title event of the week-end is a #11 Roping. The 2008 Sweetest Loop Champions were Troy Arnold and Max Vincent, Oklahoma Team Ropers, who posted a time of 36.69 in a four head average to split $35,000.
“Ken Beshears and his father, Tex, certainly know how to put on a roping and all for the right reasons,” said Arnold. “It was, without a doubt, the best cattle and the most even set of cattle I have ever roped. I watched the Pro-Am the day before and the cattle were good there also. Cattle like that make it fair for everyone involved.”
Arnold and Vincent not only put some cash in their pocket but also took home champion-ship buckles and championship saddles.
“It was the first time I had ever roped at the Circle T Arena,” Vincent explained. “With the motel accommodations, the stalls, the indoor arena; it is a first class facility. They are good hearted people, down to earth, hardworking willing to give back to make it better for others. I cannot say one bad word about the Bes-hears family and what they have given to make it better for others. The whole weekend was to benefit and help others and to give to breast cancer research.”
With all proceeds going to breast cancer research, this year’s event garnered a whopping $52,000 donation, bring-ing the total to $118,000 in just three years. Smith felt the Circle T has started a trend that is being picked up all over the country.
“This thing has really started to take off and open up,” Smith commented. “Now you have ‘pink night’ at the pro rodeos and everyone wears pink. It is a trend that is growing to benefit those affected by cancer. The Circle T has done an awe-some job and just the extrava-gance of the whole event makes you proud to have participated. We get to do the fun part and rope and just wish we could do more.”
The Circle T Ranch Arena north of Hamilton provides blessings to those who have been touched and affected by cancer. They bring together the best ropers in the business, all for a great cause. The Sweetest Loop Breast Cancer Benefit Roping will continue to grow and will continue to touch and change lives. It is the Beshears family’s commitment to help provide the proceeds to con-tinue research into the treat-ment and cure of breast cancer.
On a little winding road in Texas great things are happen-ing. One cannot visit the Circle T Ranch Arena without being touched in some memorable and unique way. Just being there blesses you, and the Sweetest Loop Roping at Circle T Ranch Arena is certainly a blessing to all those involved. Lives will change because of the third annual event. That is what the Circle T is all about — changing lives for the better.