Mechanical Steer Never Tires Of Being Roped

Mechanical Steer Never Tires Of Being Roped LIVESTOCK Beef 23-5-24 Unlike the real thing, this mechanical steer will do as it is told, and that's what its inventors like about it. A Manitoba cowboy and his wife yearned for a better way to practice calf roping, and after investigating alternatives, decided to come up with something new. "There's room on the market for something less expensive and more versatile," says Brad Smith of Belmont, Manitoba. He and wife Kim Dalman operate a tack shop and run calf roping clinics. They've always used live steers for the clinics. However, they spent a lot of time rounding them up each time, not to mention the effort and cost required to have the steers available. "We thought a mechanical steer would be a much better solution, and they're much safer to practice on, too," says Brad. "There's less chance of losing fingers in roping accidents because the remote control operator can release pressure immediately, should a problem arise. With live steers, anything can happen." Smith's father-in-law, Lew Dalman, is a semi-retired agricultural engineer who enjoys designing and building new inventions. Dalman used his skills to craft a 600-lb. remote control fiberglass steer mounted on Cat-type crawler tracks. The body of the hollow fiberglass steer was readily available on the market, complete with horns and legs to lasso. The steer is fitted with two Honda 6 1/2 hp engines that each power a track independently. The steer will "run" across a roping arena at speeds as high as 20 mph and turn around in its tracks. While one person operates the remote control, another on horseback can hone his roping skills or even work on his steer wrestling technique. Smith says the steer has an over-center spring that will twist and allow the unit to be pulled over on its side. The unit is equally as useful for practicing cow cutting. Lew Dalman says he has even used the fake steer to mow his grass by remote control while sitting on his front porch. He just hooks a push mower up to it. To promote the product, Dalman and Smith will be appearing with it at rodeos and other events across Canada and the U.S. It sells for $10,000 Canadian. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brad Smith and Kim Dalman, Box 175, Belmont, Manitoba, Canada, ROK OCO (ph./fax 204 537-2657; E-mail: oaridge@mb. sympatico.ca)

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