Team roping couple wins men's and women's All Around titles

A rope flies through the air, snagging a steer by the head and another catches it by its feet — connecting the boyfriend and girlfriend in what could be called the rodeo equivalent of the spaghetti scene in “Lady and the Tramp.”

The team roping couple of Arianna Assini and Justin Stegall bested their competition for the June Cody Nite Rodeos, winning the men’s and women’s All Around titles.

“We were pretty excited, that was our goal to compete as good as we can so we can go to college finals,” Stegall said.

Rodeo is what originally brought the duo together. Stegall found himself in need of a header a few years ago, so he asked Assini to rope with him and pretty soon they were dating.

Stegall also competes in the tie down roping event and Assini does breakaway, so the points they scored individually and as a team came together in winning June’s top honors.

“Well, the team roping helped a lot — and I had a good partner,” Assini said, noting she also tried to keep consistent in the breakaway. “It was nice that we can win together. Justin has been working hard and I’m happy it paid off.”

Stegall said the couple decided to escape the heat of Arizona to compete in Cody for the summer. They also compete in amateur rodeos around Wyoming and South Dakota, raking in jackpots as they go.

“It has been pretty good, our plan was to stick around until it got (financially) tight, but it has been paying good, so we stuck around,” Stegall said.

Competing every night in Cody has helped the couple prepare for the upcoming college rodeo season on the Cochise College rodeo team, Assini said.

“Having a run every night helps you become numb to the pressure and you stop hesitating,” she said. “We both were competing before we met and we can relate and be there for each other because we know what it is like.”

This is the first time the All Around cowboy and All Around cowgirl titles were won by a couple, said stock contractor Nikki Tate.

“I think it’s great — if you are going to rodeo with someone, you might as well like them a lot,” Tate said.