BIG SPRING, Texas – Bradley Harter rides bucking horses for a living. But there’s much more to his business than lifting on his rein and spurring; he studies horses and rodeos, all the while looking for the best match-ups possible. He knows he must finish at or near the top of the leaderboard if he’s[...]

CROSBY, Texas – The last time a Carr bucking horse performed in this part of Texas, Big Tex matched moves with Wade Sundell for 90 points to win RodeoHouston, just 30 miles southwest at Reliant Stadium. That kind of greatness returns to the metro area for the Crosby Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m.[...]

PECOS, Texas – There are numerous things that define an athlete. From muscularity to the ability to perform maneuvers deemed magical, athletes come in a variety of forms. Take Dirty Jacket. He’s 9 years old, and his muscles twitch with anticipation. In an instant, he can pivot 45 degrees and leap two feet into the[...]

WEATHERFORD, Texas – It is one thing to do what your momma tells you. It’s quite another when she dares you. Enter Andy Stewart, a professional rodeo announcer for nearly two decades. He began calling rodeos, imitating announcers of the day long before he purchased his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association card in 1995. “When we[...]

WEATHERFORD, Texas – There’s a lot of cowboy among the 910 square miles that make up Parker County. It’s about to get a little more Western with the Parker County Frontier Days and PRCA Rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 12-Saturday, June 15, at the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Arena. This is Cowboy Country,[...]

LAS VEGAS – Reigning reserve world champion barrel racer Carlee Pierce is hanging up her riding boots … for the time being. Pierce, a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Stephenville, Texas, has decided to take a hiatus from ProRodeo. How long she will be sidelines has yet to be determined, but Pierce will[...]

ALVA, Okla. – A season of goal-setting, tough competition and dreaming is rounding the corner toward a dynamic climax for the Northwestern Oklahoma State University women’s rodeo team. The four Rangers – all-around cowgirl Micah Samples of Abilene, Kan.; breakaway roper Jessica Koppitz of Alva; and goat-tiers Trisha Price of Faith, S.D., and Karly Kile[...]

SILVER CITY, N.M. – Rodeo is much more than bucking animals and fast horses. Rodeo is a lifestyle, and every event offers something quite spectacular. For contestants, it’s a way to compete and make a living; for volunteers, it’s about creating an annual happening for the community. For fans, a rodeo is great family entertainment[...]

Weekend of roping served as a benefit for families affected by West, Texas, explosion GROESBECK, Texas – Bobby Joe Hill paid a little more attention to the news in the days following the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. He saw that 15 people had died and more than 200 were injured, including[...]