Father/daughter duo tie up competition
Nick Ianniello/Mineral Independent Emily Schall chases down a cow during the team roping event Thursday evening at the Mineral County Fair. Emily, of Frenchtown, and her father Bob Schall, of Arlee, took first place in the three-head part of the competition with a time of 27.10 seconds.
The team roping event at the Mineral County Fair Thursday saw a lot of tough competition but was dominated by a father-daughter team that placed in both heats and wowed the crowd with their precision.
“It’s very challenging to rope with your daughter, there’s a lot of what you’d call pressure,” said Bob Schall.
Schall and his daughter, Emily Schall placed first in the three-head progression for the evening with a time of 27.10 seconds and fourth in the two-head progression with a time of 37.58.
They also each rode with Bruce Knight in the two-head progression. Bob Schall and Knight took second with a time of 26.20 seconds and Emily Schall and Knight took third with a time of 36.08 seconds.
Corey Hansen and Scott Folkman won the two-head progression with a time of 25.53 and took second in the three-head progression with a time of 31.31 seconds.
Riders in the three-head progression had to rope three cattle consecutively in order to place.
Those in the two-head progression only had to rope two consecutive cattle.
Emily Schall, 15 years old, said that overall she felt she did not ride up to her full potential Thursday but she still had a good time.
“I messed up quite a bit,” she laughed.
The team roping event started at 7 p.m. Thursday evening and lasted for around an hour and a half. Emily Schall held her own the entire time against riders who were bigger, stronger and for the most part more experienced that her.
Schall, who has been riding horses since she the age of three, also barrel rides and is a contender for the Missoula Stampede Rodeo Princess.
Her father, 58, said that he a made his living riding in rodeos for 37 years, but has now settled down and enjoys riding with his daughter.
“We do this as much as we can,” Bob Schall said.
Bob Schall lives in Arlee and Emily Schall lives in Frenchtown, but they still enjoy getting together to ride horses and spend time together.
“It’s adventurous,” Emily Schall said about riding with her father.
Bob Schall said that he enjoys roping with his daughter but the pressure is a lot higher when he rides with her than with someone else.
“You go to rope with John Doe and it’s no problem but if you go to rope with your kid it’s a lot tougher to do it,” Schall said.
He said that he feels more pressured to ride well with Emily Schall because he wants to see her do well and it frustrates him when he brings her down.
The pair also competed in a roping event in Ronan Sunday.
Bob Schall said that he really enjoys the Mineral County Fair compared to some of the other ones they compete in.
“I’ve always liked the Mineral County fair, it’s more homey than the other ones we go to,” Schall said.