Kozak looks to get back in Guinness Book
|
Kozak and his wife Jan, who works at River Park Hospital, settled here in 1998, and Ray, like the true latter-day American cowboy he is, still makes his living handling cattle, horses and various related chores at Eric Walker’s local farm, as well as some roping jobs on the side.
But over the years, this fit, trim and athletic cowhand picked up some other skills that have taken him literally from one end of the country to the other. Ray has been trick-roping, cowboy style, since he was around 10-years-old. Eventually he turned his proficiency with a rope into a career, performing his tricks in venues from Florida to Chicago to Pigeon Forge, right here in Tennessee.
And somewhere along the trail, Ray decided to make his way into the record books, and so he did. Kozak was featured in the 1993 edition of the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the record holder for “Biggest Lasso Loop.” The “Big Loop” is a trick where the roper stands on a horse and twirls out the biggest loop he can manage.
Kozak’s previous record was a 78 foot loop, and though he isn’t sure if anyone ever actually broke this record, he noticed it disappeared from subsequent Guinness books, something Kozak decided to remedy this year.
“Guinness took it out a few years ago,” Kozak said. “They took the whole class out, but they’ve decided to put it back in,” he added, “in the trick-roping category, which before it was in the rodeo category.”
Kozak said Guinness officials agreed to do so after he contacted them and pointed out the record had fallen by the wayside.
The former record-holder decided to make his second attempt last Saturday, April 4 at his friend Phillip Pelham’s farm with no less than Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Dr. John “Doc” Malone and Steve Stubblefield on hand to witness the effort and provide written confirmation, and local photographer Gretchen Solomon there to provide photographic documentation.
Even though Kozak was, as far as he knew, technically going up against his own record, he decided to try for the biggest loop he could manage.
“It should be close to 90 feet,” he predicted, even though he noted the wind, on the otherwise perfect weekend afternoon, could turn out to be a factor.
Kozak said he got into trick-roping due, in part, to a love of cowboy movies.
“I watched too many westerns,” he said with a laugh. The young cowpoke started out in Missouri, but eventually began moving around the country, performing as a trick-roper. Though mostly self-taught, at one point Kozak got to work with noted trick-roper and western actor Monty Montana, Sr. in California. Kozak also cites the immortal Will Rogers as one of his major influences.
“Those guys were great. The really good ones were back in the ’30s when you didn’t have TV,” he said.
Though it took three tries, due to the windy conditions, Kozak eventually twirled out the huge 86 foot loop, true to his prediction of close to 90 feet.
Kozak said it felt good to come up with the new record but it took its toll.
“I’m tired because it took me three tries,” he said with a grin. “But the wind died down a little bit and third time was charm.”
Kozak said Guinness officials would have to review the submission, and if accepted, the record should show up in the 2005 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.