story by Lily Weinacht
Bob Pimentel is a three-time GCPRA incentive team roping champion, taking home the year-end title in the heading in 2015, 2017, and 2018. “For a working guy like me, it gives me a chance to go compete and win some money right there because of the incentive. I can’t work at the roping full time because I have a full-time job.” The 48-year-old from Queen Creek, Arizona, has taken home all three titles while roping with his friend Kyle McCabe, who won the 2018 incentive team roping in the heeling. “I met Kyle through a friend, and he came over here and started practicing with me and we just kicked it off right there.
“I just love the sport of team roping and the sportsmanship—I’m pretty happy right where I’m at,” says Bob. Team roping brought him to Arizona 18 years ago from Massachusetts, where he grew up on his dad’s dairy farm. “Ted Britto wanted to borrow some steers from us for team penning, and he also roped. I went and checked it out and I fell in love with it—I was hooked and I knew my next step was to build a roping arena on one of the cow pastures, which my dad wasn’t too thrilled about in the beginning. It did not take him long to support my brother and I after learning the sport. We always had a horse around the house, but I didn’t get into rodeo or roping until ’94 or ’95. My first big win was at the USTRC Eastern Regional Finals in 1997 with my brother Joey Pimentel.” One of Bob’s roping friends, Larry Simmons, who hails from Arizona, sang the praises of the Grand Canyon State to Bob through every harsh winter on the East Coast. “I told him, ‘If you find me some work and a place to live, I’ll be out there,’ and that’s how I made it here.”
Bob joined the GCPRA around 2009, learning about the association from friends. “They’re a phenomenal association to be with, and the livestock is good and the way they run things. They’ve grown, and every year they strive to get better in their association.” He’s also competed in the USTRC and presently enters WSTR events with Kyle McCabe. “We rope together in between rodeos and I’m set up here at home to do it,” says Bob. His brother competed with him in the APRA on the East Coast, but Bob is the sole member of his family who rodeos these days. His wife, Wanda, and 14-year-old son, Blake, travel with Bob to many of his rodeos. “Blake plugs in to the radio and we just listen to music—a lot of old country and rock and roll.”
In tow is Bob’s main head horse, a 14-year-old gelding named Cummins. “The main one I was riding before got hurt in June last year, so I had to scramble. I found a nice bay horse, Cummins, and he worked out perfect. It’s not very often that you switch a horse and they start working for you right away.” Cummins carried Bob to the GCPRA Finals and his third title, while Sarge, Bob’s previous head horse, made a full recovery, though Bob plans to retire the 19-year-old gelding soon.
During the week, Bob builds swimming pools for Platinum Pools and Spas. The remainder of his time goes to roping, visiting friends, and keeping up his three-acre lot. “I would like to try and win the Grand Canyon again for sure this year. I’m a little bit behind on the standings there, but I’d like to go for three consecutive years,” he says. “I’d like to thank my family and friends for supporting me, and give a shout-out to my sponsor, Joe Weizel with Foresight Finishing.”