The Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl has been around for 76 years, so organizers of the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo have been making upgrades to the arena with bigger plans also being part of the picture. The new dates for the rodeo will be June 4-6, and it’s all part of the intended growth of the rodeo.
(PHOTO BY TED HARBIN)

 

BIG SPRING, Texas – It’s been 36 years since Wacey Cathey last competed at the National Finals Rodeo, but he’s still very much a cowboy.

He’s an icon in these parts, a fixture at the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo. He was a featured athlete during his competitive days, and he’s seen countless performances inside the Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl.

“I just got interested in rodeo when I was little,” said Cathey, who, as he put it, has a small role in the rodeo’s volunteer committee. “I’m not one of the main guys on the committee; I just show up and help a little bit. When I was a kid, I was around it all the time, and I still watch a lot of rodeo on TV and try to keep up with it a little bit.”

His experience as one of the elite bull riders in rodeo has been part of the draw to the game, and he’s seen a lot of changes in his more than 70 years. With that, he’s also witnessed the growth of his hometown rodeo, which has adjusted its dates starting this year. The festivities will take place Thursday, June 4-Saturday, June 6.

“I think it’s growing and going to continue to grow,” Cathey said. “I’d like to get more contestants, the top-end of the contestants. A lot of them are going to the bigger-money rodeos, so you’re going to have to get more money to draw them big-name contestants to town.”

That’s part of the intended growth volunteers on the committee have in mind for the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo. The first phases have begun, with the date-change being placed at the forefront. There was a time not long ago that the “summer run” began in late June, with cowboys and cowgirls from Texas heading north and west to begin their three-month trek away from home in order to make a living in the sport they love.

Whether it was North Platte, Nebraska, or Reno, Nevada, contestants knew their schedules were going to ramp up around the first day of summer. The calendar for big-time events has shifted closer to Memorial Day weekend.

“The change of date for our rodeo is a win-win for everybody,” said Scot Herrin, a longtime member of the committee. “The calendar should be a lot more friendly for the contestants as far as being able to make our rodeo, and then they can go on from there. The rodeo in Weatherford (Texas) is the next week, and that puts us to where we’re not on top of Reno.

“I’m glad it finally got done, and, of course, we have a big thank you to our stock contractor, Pete Carr. He made it work, too, so it’s big for us and big for rodeo.”

That was just the first step with many others to follow. Organizers have already begun upgrading the Rodeo Bowl, which was built in 1950. There was some deterioration over the 76 years it’s existed, plus there are enhancements that will make the overall viewing experience better for ticket-buyers.

“The seating has been redone,” Herrin said. “It’s a 70-plus-year-old facility, so it was time to give it a facelift. Some of the structure was starting to crumble, and we had to get that fixed for safety and aesthetics. It needed to be redone, and in order to expand on other improvements we want to do, that’s where we need to start and get that done first.

“Our plans are to make everything better. It’s going to be really, really nice, and then we can expand with better VIP boxes and other things that go with it. It’s a complete package.”

The Rodeo Bowl was 3 years old when Cathey was born to a ranching family. He watched world champion Toots Mansfield volunteer for the Big Spring rodeo long after the tie-down roper hung up his competitive rope.

“For our community, the rodeo is one of the bigger events,” Cathey said. “This is a farming and ranching community, and you get a lot of people that know rodeo.

“I’d like to see the Big Spring rodeo get more added money and get the top-end contestants coming in. The stock is a lot better, so I’d love to see more bull riders, bronc riders and bareback riders. I think that would really help.”

Rodeo has certainly changed since Cathey last made the NFR in 1991. He finished the season 10th in the world standings with $64,954, equivalent to $150,000 today. Australian Qynn Anderson finished 10th in 2025 with $269,000 in earnings, and world champion Stetson Wright finished the year with nearly $550,000 – Wright also won the all-around gold buckle with combined earnings of $941,000.

“I’m glad to see these guys are finally getting some money,” Cathey said. “We were pretty much broke all the time when we was rodeoing full time.”

That’s why the Big Spring volunteers are working diligently to improve all aspects of the community’s biggest event.

“We want to make the experience at our rodeo better for everybody: the contestants, the fans, the vendors, the sponsors,” Herrin said. “We want our sponsors to know that we’re increasing the value for their sponsorship. We’ve been cram-packed with big crowds the last two years, and that’s just amazing. We’re making property expansions, and we’re going to have more parking, which is going to be huge for the fans and for the contestants.

“Everything we’re doing is for everybody. We’ve been fortunate in the grants we have received and the local philanthropy we get to help with those improvements. That’s all been an important part of our growth.”