John Harrison’s trick horse, Snoopy, is quite the character. His personality is unique, and Harrison has made it part of a comedy act, which will be part of this year’s West of the Pecos Rodeo.
(PHOTO BY CODY CARDENAS)

 

PECOS, Texas – When Snoopy arrived at southeastern Oklahoma, his new owner had big plans for the young, bay-and-white paint.

“I bought this horse as a yearling years ago with the idea of using him for a trick-riding horse,” said John Harrison, one of the most decorated entertainers in professional rodeo. “He never got real tall, and he’s really round in the back, and he was really hard to break. He liked to rare up, so I had (fellow trick-rider) Madison McDonald put a pattern on him once we finally got him broke, and she talked about how annoying he was, always pestering.”

What was a point of frustration for Harrison has become a gift, one he will share during this year’s West of the Pecos Rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 24-Saturday, June 27, at Buck Jackson Arena.

“My wife actually was the one who said, ‘He should be a trick horse, not a trick-riding horse,’ ” Harrison said of his bride, Carla. “I thought, ‘You’re exactly right.’ So then I came up with this idea. I originally wanted to do the act where a horse was loose in the arena and then runs to the middle, but then we’d have to do what we call ‘spot training,’ where we have to put down a piece of plywood or something like that.

“I thought that was too staged, so I came up with the idea of him being a bucking horse, and he just starts chasing me. It’s a fun act to do.”

The horse came by his name naturally – “He was always snooping, always in your pocket,” Harrison said. – and he’s been part of an award-winning formula for Harrison, who began his career in rodeo as a trick rider before morphing into the entire entertainment package. He’s funny, and his comedy shines. Alongside that, he shows an incredible ability as a showman.

It has garnered him some of the top honors in the sport: 10-time PRCA Comedy Act of the Year, eight-time Coors Man in the Can for top barrelman and four-time PRCA Clown of the Year. He’s been on a run, having won all three titles each of the past four seasons. The run happens to coincide with his last appearance inside Buck Jackson Arena.

“It seems like everybody remembers John and has been eager to get him back to Pecos,” said Clay Ryon McKinney, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “We’re excited to bring him back and see the new stuff he’s developed since then.”

One of those is his relationship with Snoopy, the true character in the act. Harrison has worked with his fair share of quality horses. He has proven his trick-riding skills are valuable when it comes to comedy, and he’s extended that further.

“When I was 18, Cotton Rosser had a Roman team he had bought at the National Finals Bucking Horse Sale, and I ended up buying them,” Harrison said. “Those were the horses that took me to the (National Finals Rodeo).”

He has now worked more than a dozen NFRs as both an opening act and as barrelman. He is one of the most sought-after entertainers in the game, mainly because of his approach to business. Whether he’s horseback or being pestered by a trained horse or just interacting with the crowd, Harrison knows he has one purpose when it’s his time to shine.

“I realized pretty quickly that that not all rodeos hired acts, so I knew I had to do something different if I wanted to do this for a living,” he said. “The main thing is you want people to enjoy the show and want to come back, so we’ll do what we can to make that happen.”