• Save

Team Roper Wins a New Dodge Truck at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center

Photo courtesy of SDPhotography.

Jacksonville, FL (May 5, 2016) — For the 11th year, the Jacksonville Equestrian Center proudly hosted the National Team Roping League (NTRL) Truck Roping Competition in Jacksonville, Florida. The fan-favorite event encouraged team ropers from all over the southeastern United States to compete for the chance to win a 2016 Dodge 3500 Dually (four-door edition). The event paid out $150,000 in prizes over the course of three days of competition. In total, five hundred teams entered. Denver Ivester of Clarksville, Georgia with his horse Nova earned the most points and was able to drive the new truck home.

John Johnson, President of JX2 Productions, the company that produces the NTRL Truck Roping competition and multiple other western events, values the centralized location of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. “It is a good location to draw the southeast and Sarasota and Miami area. It is a great draw for people on the Atlantic seaboard, and now is a great time of year here because it is not so hot.”

Team roping tests the teamwork of two horse and rider combinations as they work in tandem to lasso a steer. At the NTRL Truck Roping competition, the 55 fastest teams out of 500 entries roped to win the new Dodge truck. The final two teams then returned for a third time for a tie-breaking round. Riders could enter up to 20 times each. “We then go through and take each person and, depending on how many times they rode and where they placed, we total up their points. Then the person with the most points is the one who wins the truck,” explained Johnson.

This year, the winner of the truck was Denver Ivester of Clarksville, Georgia. Ivester, with the help of his new mare Nova, competed twenty times in the competition and accumulated enough points to earn the brand new truck. “I just got Nova about four or five weeks ago,” said Ivester. “I have been roping for twenty years, and she is already the best roping horse that I’ve ever had!”

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center was happy to congratulate Ivester on his win, and to host all horses and riders throughout the competition. The facility has developed an outstanding reputation for hosting family-friendly and exciting events all year long, which are open to the public. Events range from team roping to dressage to dog agility competitions and more.

The month of May will continue its excitement at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center this weekend when the Extreme Mustang Makeover comes to town. The Extreme Mustang Makeover tasked participating riders to transform a wild Mustang into a well-trained horse in just 100 days. The competition is designed to test both human and horse for their ability to learn quickly and make the most out of a small period of time.

The competition will take place on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7. The winner of the Extreme Mustang Makeover will win a $25,000 grand prize and a custom made Gist belt buckle, and all Mustangs will be available for adoption after the event.

To see the excitement yourself or to adopt one of the competing Mustangs, head to the Jacksonville Equestrian Center this weekend. Preliminary classes (all day Friday and on Saturday until late afternoon) are free to watch. Tickets for the Top 10 Freestyle Event on Saturday evening ($16.50) are available here.

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is a favorite destination for equestrian and recreational events. The 80-acre facility is easily accessible from major highways in Jacksonville, Florida, and features an enormous indoor arena, outdoor arenas, and over 400 stalls. There are also miles of riding, hiking, and biking trails accessible from the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. For more information and to find out about other upcoming events, visit www.jaxequestriancenter.com or call Penny Gorton at (904) 255-4227.

For more information, contact:
Jacksonville Equestrian Center
Penny Gorton 904-255-4227
PGorton@coj.net
13611 Normandy Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32221

Leave a Reply