Big things are happening with the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo with changing its dates to the first weekend in June. That will open opportunities for contestants and the community, featured in local barrel racer Liz Herrin’s run during last year’s rodeo.
(PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN)

 

BIG SPRING, Texas – The tagline is intentional and points to the intended growth of the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo.

“New Dates. New Energy. Same Tradition.”

Howard County’s annual rodeo is upgrading its schedule with a move to early June starting this year. It will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 4-Saturday, June 6, at the Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl.

“I think everybody is excited about this change,” said Scot Herrin, a longtime member of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “We think this is going to allow for us to have a little bit cooler weather. Probably the biggest thing is that we’re going to be able to accommodate the contestants’ schedule better.”

That’s become more important over time. Some of the biggest rodeos have moved their dates. The Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho, has historically happened in mid-July. It’s now mid-June. That means cowboys and cowgirls from the Midwest and South will make their way to the Northwest sooner.

“This is going to be our 92nd year of rodeo in Big Spring,” said Cash Berry, the committee’s chairman. “We’ve been around a long time, but the last few years have seen us grow quite a bit. We increased our ‘added money’ and that helped attract more contestants, so we’re just doing the things we need to do to keep growing and keep this rodeo going for years to come.”

In 2022, the committee increased its commitment to the payout from $16,000 to $45,000. Those dollars are mixed with the contestants’ entry fees to make up the overall purse. The date change is also a significant maneuver that will reach across all levels of rodeo.

West Texas is known for its affiliation with intercollegiate rodeo. Howard College is part of the newly formed Caprock Region, and within a short drive, rodeo programs are found at Texas hubs in Lubbock, Odessa, Snyder, Canyon, Alpine, Abilene, Weatherford, San Angelo and Ranger.

For years, Big Spring’s rodeo coincided with the College National Finals Rodeo, and that also affected the entries. Unlike traditional sports under the umbrella of the NCAA, intercollegiate cowboys and cowgirls can also compete professionally. Bareback rider Bradlee Miller finished third at the college finals last June, then competed at his second straight National Finals Rodeo in December.

“With us having our rodeo two weeks earlier, it allows those college-finals qualifiers to also be in Big Spring,” Berry said. “We want our rodeo to be a good proving ground for the up-and-coming contestants as much as we want to have the big names here.”

The big names are part of the rodeo annually. World champions like Shad Mayfield, Jacobs Crawley and Lari Dee Guy were in the mix in 2025, just to name a few. Cody Teel and J.B. Mauney won bull riding titles inside the Rodeo Bowl.

“A lot of our roughstock riders come through college rodeo, but we’ve been lucky enough to draw a lot of the top guys that regularly go to the NFR,” Herrin said of the NFR, the sport’s grand championship that features only the top 15 contestants from each event. “By making these dates where they are, we have a great chance to attract all of them.

“We know that’s just part of what it takes to keep this thing going for another 90 years.”