BIG SPRING, Texas – The Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo has a habit of drawing some of the greatest cowboys in the sport.
Some of it’s the history of this grand event, now celebrating 79 years with three performances set for 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, June 21-23. Some of it is the opportunity to make money at a west Texas rodeo as the summer run kicks into high gear.
For bareback riders, it’s about the chance to get on great bucking horses, supplied by Carr Pro Rodeo. Each cowboy who puts his name in the hat to compete inside the Big Spring Rodeo Bowl knows they have a chance to win first because of the type of horses that will be featured.
“We want our rodeos to be a riding contest, where the guy with the best spur ride wins,” said Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock company.
The best in the business know that. A year ago, the top four finishers in Big Spring had all been featured at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the year-end championship event that takes place in Las Vegas: Wes Stevenson, Tom McFarland, Will Lowe and Matt Bright. Stevenson, a seven-time NFR qualifier, won the rodeo by matching moves with Carr’s Close Call, a horse that features high leaps and long strides.
What happened when the chute gate opened is best described as electric.
“I knew that horse would be wild and close to the chutes, and that’s what I told Wes,” Carr said. “You always like it when the best guys in the world get on your horses, because they really can make it that much better.”
That worked fine for Stevenson, who posted an 86-point ride.
“I probably ride better if I don’t try to set a trap or try to have a game plan of what I think I want to do,” he said. “I do my best and let God take care of the best.”
McFarland, a four-time NFR qualifier, finished second with an 85 on Back Road, while Lowe, a three-time world champion who has qualified for the finals 10 straight times, placed third on Scruffy with an 83. Bright, who has made the last two NFRs, rode Power Ade for 82 points for fourth.
Those scores are indicative of what cowboys and fans want to see when it comes to putting on a great show. Each ride is marked on a 100-point scale, with half the score coming from horse, the other half coming from rider. An 86 means both piece of the puzzle fit together quite nicely.
“Pete really strives to have the best horses he can get,” said Heath Ford, a three-time NFR qualifier who also serves as the bareback riding representative. “He spends money on them. He’ has one of the most solid pens going down the road.”
Many of the best cowboys in the game feel that way, too.
“Anytime I draw a Pete Carr horse, I know I will probably win money,” said Cody DeMers, a four-time NFR qualifier from Kimberly, Idaho. “That’s why I go to his rodeos.”