JACKSONVILLE, Texas – The beauty of a bucking horse comes from its power.
The same can be said for Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo and Carr Pro Rodeo, the premier livestock producers in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The Carr crew will be bringing the power to the Tops in Texas Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15-Saturday, May 18, at Lon Morris College Arena in Jacksonville.
“Pete Carr is one of the premier stock contractors in the world,” said saddle bronc rider Heith DeMoss, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Heflin, La. “Pete taking it another step further is amazing to me. It’s just going to make it better for everybody.”
This week’s festivities mark the 16th year Classic has produced the Tops in Texas Rodeo. Carr’s acquisition of the firm earlier this spring helps bring even more power to the athleticism and production of Jacksonville’s annual event.
“I’m combining two of the best crews in rodeo to form one of the greatest rodeo companies,” Carr said. “I’m excited about the new opportunities that are ahead for the company. I want committees to know we have a lot to offer them. We’re going to have unprecedented resources for all the rodeos, which will benefit everyone involved: committees, sponsors, contestants and spectators.”
The contestants who make their living in the sport recognize the impact of the Carr firms.
“Pete has such an array of horse now that no matter where he goes, he will have it to where everybody has a chance to win money,” DeMoss said. “It’s a riding contest instead of a drawing contest, and that’s what Pete’s got in his mind to do. I’m behind him all the way.”
DeMoss won the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo on Pete Carr’s Classic’s Spur Strap, so he knows the kind of horse power it takes to be successful. He’s not the only bronc rider who touts the athletic animals now owned by Pete Carr. Wade Sundell rode Pete Carr’s Classic’s Big Tex for 90 points in February to win the $50,000 round at RodeoHouston.
“Pete’s got a heck of a string put together,” said Sundell, a four-time NFR qualifier from Boxholm, Iowa. “There are not a lot of people that can match him anymore.”
Sundell also fared well in Guymon two weeks ago, matching moves with Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Congeniality for 85 points to finish in a tie for second. He recognizes the importance of riding great horses throughout the year if he hopes to win the elusive world championship.
“It’s awesome when you have a good horse underneath you, because you know something good is going to happen,” he said.
That’s a major factor in why cowboys loving going to Carr-produced rodeos like Jacksonville.
“There are a lot of rodeos that are going to be hard to beat because of what Pete Carr brings to the table,” said bareback rider Steven Peebles, a four-time NFR qualifier from Redmond, Ore. “Pete has raised the bar in rodeo. He’ll have better horses and better production.”
The drawing card is about giving spectators with the best entertainment value while serving the committees with elite performances and providing contestants with the best opportunities.