76 year old roper still competing

Oklahoma has a rich western heritage. Thatâ€™s the case in Haskell County, where News on 6 anchor Craig Day met up with an interesting Oklahoman. <br><br>He's a man who inspires others with a rope

Friday, April 16th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Oklahoma has a rich western heritage. Thatâ€™s the case in Haskell County, where News on 6 anchor Craig Day met up with an interesting Oklahoman.

He's a man who inspires others with a rope and a lot of determination. Byndum Duvall lives to ride and to rope. You'd expect that from someone named the 2003 Champion Roper of the World by Rope America, Inc. Byndumâ€™s friend Bryan Parker: "I wish I had a dollar for every cow he roped, I'd be a rich man.â€

What you might not expect is that Duvall is roping at all. â€œWell you sucker you." There was the hip replacement, cancer, the heart problems and just that he's 76 years old. "You look at someone like that and you just got to admire them you know. I hope I'm roping at that age."

Byndum Duvall: "If you listen to them doctors. They would have you sitting in a chair. They really would." Instead he's sitting a horse, and couldn't be happier.

What makes this Oklahoman's story even more interesting is that Duvall didn't start roping at an early age. In fact, he entered his first competitive roping at the age of 55. Duvall now ropes alongside his grandson and other partners at events in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Arizona and other states.

Byndumâ€™s grandson Darren Duvall: "He says you can't just sit down and give up. You got to keep going you know. And that's what he does."

"That's the way to stay healthy. Just stay active." Active he is. Duvall isn't just influencing and amazing other ropers half his age. He's also beating them. "Oh I like winning."

Darren Duvall: "If you got the will and determination you can keep going. You know. You just got to want to do it and got to love it." Love it, he does. And even at the age of 76, he has no plans to slow down. "I feel like the luckiest old man in the world."

Duvall really likes one horse in particular. That horse is named "worthless", but that horse has helped Duvall win a brand new truck and more than $40,000 competing in the last couple of years.