EVENTS
Calf Roper
Son of the sheriff of Webb County, Texas, Juan Salinas was born on the family ranch near Encinal in 1901. An experienced horseman and roper, he started rodeoing in local contests during the 1920s.
Juan Salinas used his astounding calf-roping skills to capture numerous titles on the national circuit from 1936 through 1946. Always ranking at or near the top, he made the national finals at Madison Square Garden every year from 1936 through 1946.
On their South Texas ranch, Salinas and his brother, Tony, taught many young men to be expert ropers. Among them were Toots Mansfield, the first of the big-money calf ropers, and Royce Sewalt. Juan Salinas’ ability to train crackerjack roping horses, such as Honey Boy, also brought him fame. In 1946 he retired from the arena, but he continued to rope in old timers’ rodeos until the 1970s. Juan Salinas died in 1995.
