LOVINGTON, N.M. – Oftentimes, great things come in small packages. About 10,000 people live in this southeastern New Mexico community, but it hosts a whale of a ProRodeo every August.
This year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo was no different. Part of the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour, the rodeo hosted the top athletes in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Whether it was world champions like Trevor Brazile or Will Lowe, Lovington provided a great place to play. Big prize money might have been one of the drawing cards, but the chance to compete on great animal athletes was another.
That’s where Carr Pro Rodeo comes into the picture. In fact, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bucking horse Miss Congeniality helped cowboys earn more than $7,550 in just two rides at Jake McClure Arena. The Canadian-born 9-year-old bay mare helped Australian Cody Angland to the Lea County Fair and Rodeo saddle bronc riding championship with an 85-point ride worth $4,275; she also guided Utah’s Alex Wright to 84 points, worth $3,278.
“She’s getting settled in,” said Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock firm. “She comes from a part of Canada that’s a long ways from our part of Texas. She’s getting acclimated to the heat and humidity, and she just had a colt.
“She was one of the most sought-after horses in Canada. The guy that owned her promised me he’d sell her to me, but it took a little while. He finally got a colt out of her, a mare, and that’s when he sold her to me.”
Miss Congeniality wasn’t the only outstanding bucking horse in rodeo. There were several, and bareback riders Lowe and Brian Bain shared the Lovington title, earning $3,971 each. Lowe rode Carr’s Dirty Jacket, a 7-year-old bay gelding that has been one of the top horses in the PRCA for several years; it also marked the third straight time Lowe has earned a big paycheck when he’s ridden the horse, winning in Guymon, Okla., and finishing second in Silverton, Texas, last year.
Bain opened the rodeo action on opening night with his 88-point ride on Carr’s Black Coffee, another NFR bucking horse.
“I’d seen that horse a few times, but I’d never been on her,” Bain said. “I didn’t know if she’d fit me all that well, because she’s smaller and she’s really fast.
“It turned out all right.”
ProRodeo rookie J.R. Vezain earned nearly $800 in Lovington by matching moves with Carr’s Big Lights for 85 points; Vezain finished in a tie for fifth place.
“I don’t go to as many of Pete’s rodeos as I would like,” said Vezain, ranked 26th in the world standings before Lovington. “I make sure I come here, Eagle (Colo.), Pecos (Texas). If a guy could afford it, he’d follow Pete around to every rodeo because you know you’re going to get on a good horse.”
Seth Glause knows the importance of getting on good bucking animals. The all-around cowboy competes in saddle bronc riding and bull riding, and he likes what he sees in Carr’s string.
“Pete went out and bought a bunch of bulls,” said Glause, a two-time NFR qualifier in bull riding. “His rodeos are great. He has an outstanding pen of horses, and he’s working to get a great pen of bulls. He’s got as good a set of bulls as any stock contractor out there.”
Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
ALL AROUND
Landon McClaugherty, $1,526, steer roping, tie-down roping and team roping.
BAREBACK RIDING
1. Brian Bain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Coffee and Will Lowe on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, 88, $3,972; 3. Matt Bright, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Real Deal, $2,548; 4. Ryan Gray, 86 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights, $1,659; 5. Lee Lantz on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Night, J.R. Vezain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights and Caine Riddle on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Riverboat Annie, 85, $799; 8. Caleb Bennett on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Grass Dancer and Kelly Timberman Carr Pro Rodeo’s Riverboat Annie, 84, $225.
STEER WRESTLING
First round: 1. Mickey Gee, 3.8 seconds, $1,967; 2. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9, $1,710; 3. Shane Henderson, 4.1, $1,454; 4. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2, $1,069 each; 6. Lee Graves, 4.3, $684; 7. Rusty Hamilton, 4.6, $428; 8. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9, $86 each.
Second round: 1. Sterling Lambert, 3.6 seconds, $1,867; 2. Jason Miller, 4.0, $1,710; 3. Dean Gorsuch and Jacob Shofner, 4.3, $1,325; 5. Stan Branco, Pepe Arballo, Wade Sumpter, Alex Robertson and Tommy Cook, 4.4, $445 each.
Average: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 8.2 seconds on two runs, $1,967; 2 Stan Branco, 9.3, $1,710; 3. Jason Miller, 9.8, $1,454; 4. Sean Mulligan, 9.9, $1,197; 5. Dane Hanna, 10.1, $941; 6. Wade Sumpter, 10.2, $684; 7. Cole Edge, 10.5, $428; 8. Justin Davis, 10.6, $171.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First round: 1. Sterling Smith, 8.8 seconds, $2,221; 2. Shane Hanchey, 9.1, $1,932; 3. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3, $1,497; 5. Justin Macha, $1,062; 6. Ryan Jarrett, Stran Smith and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6, $483..
Second round: 1. Cory Solomon, 8.4 seconds, $2,221; 2. Michael Otero, 8.5, $1,932; 3. Clint Cooper, 8.7, $1,642; 4. Josh Peek and Guy Miller, 8.9, $1,207; 6. Blair Burk and Cody Ohl, 9.0, $628; 8. Clif Cooper, 9.1, $193.
Average: 1. Sterling Smith, 18.0 seconds on two runs, $2,221; 2. Clint Cooper, 18.5, $1,932; 3. Clif Cooper and Cody Oh., 18.8, $1,497; 5. Justin Macha, 19.6, $1,062; 6. Cory Solomon, 19.8, $773; 7. Jake Hannum, 20.3, $482; 8. Trevor Thiel, 20.7, $193.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
1. Cody Angland, 85 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Congeniality, $4,275; 2. Alex Wright, 84 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s, $3,278; 3. J.J. Elshere, 82 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Coffee Bean, $2,423; 4. Cole Elshere, 81 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Air Miles, $1,568; 5. Sterling Crawley on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Emotion and Luke Butterfield on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Champagne Jam, 80, $855; 7. Cody Wright, 79 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Choir Girl, $570; 8. Taos Muncy on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Time, Troy Crowser on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Corner Guard, Wade Sundell on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Wild, Louie Brunson on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Empty Pockets and Casey Sisk on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Centerfold, 77, $86.
STEER ROPING
Third round: 1. Rocky Patterson, 8.7 seconds, $1,690; 2. J.B. Whatley, 9.5, $1,469; 3. Jake DeGeer, 10.0, $1,248; 4. Chris Glover, 10.2, $1,029; 5. Cody Garnett, 10.3, $808; 6. Shay Good, 10.4, $588; 7. Trevor Brazile and Chance Kelton, 10.5, $257.
Average: 1. Trevor Brazile, 32.4 on three runs, $2,535; 2. Shay Good, 32.8, $2,204; 3. Ralph Williams, 35.4, $1,873; 4. Ty Herd, 36.5, $1,543; 5. Rocky Patterson, 37.0, $1,212; 6. Chance Kelton, 37.1, $882; 7. Leo Campbell, 39.9, $551; 8. Brent Lewis, Pinon, N.M., 40.2, $220.
TEAM ROPING
First round leaders: 1. Spencer Mitchell/Broc Cresta, 4.4 seconds, $1,739 each; 2. Kaden Richard/Rhen Richard, 4.6, $1,512; 3. Joel Bach/Allen Bach, 4.7, $1,285; 4. Brady Tryan/Jake Long, 4.9, $1,058; 5. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan and Landon McClaugherty/Kent Nixon, 5.2, $718; 7. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, Chase Massengill/JoDan Mirabal and Luke Brown/Martin Lucero, 5.3, $176.
Second round: 1. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 4.0, $1,739; 2.Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3, $1,512; 3. Arky Rogers/York Gill, 4.5, $1,285; 4. Blaine Linaweaver/Kipp Harrell, 4.7, $1,058; 5. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 4.8, $832; 6. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 5.1, $605; 7. Erich Rochers/Kory Koontz and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 5.2, $265.
Average: 1. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 10.4 on two runs, $2,608; 2. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 10.6, $2,268; 3. Luke Brown/Martin Lucero, 10.8, $1,928; 4. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 10.9, $1,588; Joel Bach/Allen Bach, 11.1, $1,247; 6. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 11.2, $907; 7. Kaleb Diggers/Brad Culpepper, 11.5, $567; 8. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 12.0, $227.
BARREL RACING
1. Sydni Blanchard, 16.99 seconds, $3,619; 2. Jessi Eagleberger, 17.42, $2,895; 3. Benette Barrington, 17.45, $2,352; 4. Angie Meadors, 17.46, $1,809; 5. Jana Bean, 17.55, $1,448; 6. Lindsey Ewing, 17.58, $1,086; 7. Jessie Moody, 17.61, $905; 8. Jill Moody, 17.65, $814; 9. Shannon Tidwell, 17.66, $724; 10. Tana Poppino, 17.69, $633; 11. Mary Burger, 17.70, $543; 12. Kirstin Carlson, 17.72, $453; 13. Cindy Smith and Susan Siggins, 17.77, $317; 15 Teresa Marr, 17.81, $181.
BULL RIDING
1. Chandler Bownds, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Time Out, $4,304; 2. Clayton Savage, 82 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Charlie’s Bandito, $2,300; 3. John Jacobs, 81 points on Due or Die Rodeo’s Wandering Comet, $2,439; 4. Bryan Richardson on Due or Die Rodeo’s Anvil Tough and Seth Glause on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Night Staker, 80, $1,291; 6. Logan Knibbe, 79 points on Due or Die Rodeo’s West Coast Thug, $717; 7. Jacob O’Mara on Due or Die Rodeo’s Peg Leg Pete, Colin McTaggart on Due or Die Rodeo’s Saylor Baby and Tate Stratton on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Room Service, 76, $335.