Larry Sherwood, 75, and Floyd Penrod, 56, compete in roping competitions against opponents that are young enough to be their children and grandchildren - and they win.

This October the pair participated in the United States Team Roping Championships in Guthrie, Okla. They qualified for the national finals by winning the Desert Hills Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. Brother Sherwood said they were at least 30 years older than almost all of their competitors.The men say after competing together for 40 years they know and trust each other's moves in the team roping competition.

Both men say they would like to compete more, but need to make time for the important things in life - their families and the Church.

Brother Sherwood is the Eagar Arizona Stake patriarch and his roping partner is second counselor in the Eagar Arizona Stake presidency.

"I owe everything I have accomplished to the Church," Brother Sherwood said, recounting the spiritual education he received as a missionary in Florida, and as a bishop, high councilor and a patriarch. "The Church is the thing that has made me what I am."

Pres. Penrod, who cuts logs and builds log cabins for a living, said he believes their activity in the Church has given them a "competitive edge" in their roping. Both men live the Word of Wisdom and are in good health. They say their families and friends from Church are a great support to them.

During an interview with the Church News, the sounds of some of Pres. Penrod's eight children and 24 grandchildren could be heard in the background. The group had gathered together for family home evening.

Brother Sherwood also holds a weekly family night, but because all of his seven children have families of their own, he meets with two of his sisters, their husbands and a sister-in-law on Monday evenings.

And if family and roping competitions ever come in conflict, family always comes first, Brother Sherwood explained.

Once a competition was scheduled at the same time as a baptism for one of Brother Sherwood's grandchildren. The men went to the competition, prepared their horses and left. They dressed up, went to the baptism, raced back to the roping and won, Brother Sherwood remembered.

They said there is nothing unusual about what they do. "We just try to get out and get the steer roped as quick as we can," Pres. Penrod said.

Brother Sherwood, a retired public works director for the city of Eagar who now works on a ranch, recently competed in a roping competition with his 17-year-old grandson, Josh Sherwood. They placed fourth out of 400 competitors in the Rockin' K Arena Roping.

The stake patriarch said it was "pretty neat" to be able to ride with his grandson.

He called the teen one of his biggest fans. When Brother Sherwood and Pres. Penrod won the Desert Hills Classic, "we could hear him in the audience hollerin' above everyone else."

Both men say they compete to win, but also show good sportsmanship when they lose. "It's real fun when you win and when you lose you go away shaking your head," Brother Sherwood explained.

Pres. Penrod said he doesn't get nervous too often when roping. "It's not like standing up in Church and talking," he said. "Now that makes me nervous."

The team also said not much will stop them from riding horses and competing in roping competitions.

Brother Sherwood plans to rope "as long as he can get on his horse," and Pres. Penrod said he'll rope "as long as he can throw a rope."