Monthly Archives: June 2013

PECOS, Texas – Stacey Grimes fumbled through the box carrying her West of the Pecos Rodeo championship buckle, unfastened her belt and promptly snapped the shiny trophy in place. “It took me 130 years to win this buckle,” Grimes said jokingly, referring to the anniversary of the World’s First Rodeo and her barrel racing title.  Continue Reading »

The final night of the 130th West of the Pecos Rodeo promises a grand conclusion to an already fabulous event. The brightest star scheduled to compete Saturday night inside Buck Jackson Arena is three-time bull riding world champion J.W. Harris. Not only has Harris been to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo each of the last  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – Cody Wright likes to see his name atop the standings any time he competes. Wright, a two-time world champion from Milford, Utah, is the No. 1 saddle bronc rider in the world standings. On Friday night during the third performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo, he matched moves with Carr  Continue Reading »

Popular cowboy kicks off second season with a look into his life, family Cord McCoy is a professional bull rider and a reality TV star. In fact, he’s one of the most recognizable cowboys in the world because of the two. But there’s much more to McCoy, and fans will get to see that in  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – A year ago, Ben Shofner left town with the steer wrestling title at the West of the Pecos Rodeo and one of the most sought-after championship buckles in the sport. He’s trying to win another. On Thursday night during the second performance of the World’s First Rodeo, Shofner did just enough to  Continue Reading »

Thursday’s second performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo will again be chalk full of some of the brightest stars that make their living on the rodeo trail. Team roping seems to be the largest star-studded lineup, with Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers ready to rope. There are 14 teams set to compete in  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – The last thing Beau Schroeder remembers from March 24 was stepping over the bucking chutes to get on his bull at the Fort Mohave (Ariz.) Xtreme Bulls Tour. “Next thing I remember was that I woke up in a hospital with a swollen head and tied down to a bed,” said Schroeder,  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – This is more like it. Between them, Trevor Brazile and Patrick Smith own 19 world championships, including a shared team roping title in 2011. But most of this year, they haven’t looked like it. “With our spring and our winter rodeos this year, it’s been a struggle,” said Smith, a two-time world  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – Opening night of the 2013 West of the Pecos Rodeo will feature some interesting match-ups and some of the greatest stars in ProRodeo. Dirty Jacket, the 9-year-old bay gelding from Carr Pro Rodeo, is one of the greatest bucking horses in the sport. Last season, he was the PRCA’s runner-up reserve world  Continue Reading »

West of the Pecos Rodeo June 26-29 Pecos, Texas Steer roping: First round: 1. Walter Priestly, 12.2 seconds, $1,821; 2. Garrett Hale, 13.7, $1,507; 3. Chance Gasperson, 13.8, $1,193; 4. Reo Lohse, 14.4, $879; 5. Jason Evans, 14.9, $565; 6. Troy Tillard, 15.1, $314. Second round: 1. Dan Fisher, 12.0 seconds, $1,821; 2. Lawson Plemons,  Continue Reading »

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – One way to describe Big Tex is a 13-year-old bay gelding that was sired by the great stallion Night Jacket. The best saddle bronc riders in ProRodeo have a few more things to say, and even more would like the opportunity to get on the great Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – The work on the 130th West of the Pecos Rodeo began shortly after the 129th edition ended. All that labor will be shown off this week when hundreds of ProRodeo’s brightest stars converge on this west Texas community for four performances of the World’s First Rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday at  Continue Reading »

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – To make a marriage strong, it takes equal parts commitment and strength. In the world of rodeo, a healthy marriage includes so much more. It can all be found in the stock contracting firms of Carr Pro Rodeo and Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo, the primary livestock producers for the Navajo  Continue Reading »

Bull rider Tyler Smith is having a phenomenal year, and his hot streak continued Thursday night during the Xtreme Bulls Tour event at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. Smith, of Fruita, Colo., rode the Growney Bros. bull Crystal Deal for 93 points in the final go-round to clinch the title and $10,481. He claimed the average  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – For couples like Hugh and Gail Box, being involved in community activities is just part of their lives. From serving on boards to being part of the committee that produces the 130th annual West of the Pecos Rodeo, the Boxes are active participants in the west Texas community. Much of their work  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – Trav Windham and Morg Livingston were handy cowboys working cattle ranches in west Texas. On July 4, 1883, the two joined other hands from area ranches to see who was the best, and the first rodeo competition took place on land that now houses the courthouse and law enforcement buildings. The celebration  Continue Reading »

Justin McDaniel left eastern Oklahoma early Thursday afternoon for a leisurely drive to Weatherford, Texas, that should take less than five hours. It wasn’t long before the 2008 world champion bareback rider realized that he was heading in the right direction, but to the wrong rodeo; he wasn’t going to the Parker County … but,  Continue Reading »

I’m quite proud of the PRCA today. A couple of staff members, Julie Jutten and Kent Sturman, were preparing for an annual trek from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Casper, Wyo., to take in the College National Finals Rodeo. They’re doing more than visiting. According to Cindy Schonholtz, she and Jutten visited Wednesday about the pending  Continue Reading »

BIG SPRING, Texas – It takes a lot to put on a high-quality production. Any exposition – whether it’s on Broadway or a community theater; whether it’s the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo or the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo – needs flair and enticement that is a true showcase for audiences. In Big Spring,  Continue Reading »

CROSBY, Texas – Southeast Texas is home to some of the greatest stars in professional rodeo. That status will grow even stronger during the Crosby Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20-Saturday, June 22, at Rock’n C Arena. In addition to the hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls who will take part in  Continue Reading »

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  Continue Reading »

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.  Continue Reading »

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  Continue Reading »

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  Continue Reading »