PECOS, Texas – Rodeo has a proud history, and the West of the Pecos Rodeo has one of the richest.
This year marks the 128th year of the longest running rodeo, and with it comes the fever-pitch action the sport provides. From the world champion cowboys and cowgirls to the elite bucking beasts, there will be plenty of thrilling moments starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 23-Saturday, June 26, at Buck Jackson Arena.
“We’re tickled to have rodeos that have that much history in the sport,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo, the stock provider for the West of the Pecos Rodeo.
The stock firm has quickly established itself as one of the best in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Developed just five years ago, Carr Pro Rodeo has already had the top-ranked bareback horse, Real Deal in 2005, and the runner-up, River Boat Annie in 2007 – it’s also home to the 2008 Texas Circuit Bull of the Year, Air Up There. All the while, Carr and his hard-working crew continue to add to the string of great bucking animals. They’ll all be on display in Pecos.
“It’s not just the stock Pete brings to Pecos, but also the production he has when he puts on a rodeo,” said Joe Keese, president of the rodeo committee. “We have an extremely large arena, which is not uncommon in this part of the world. Pete brings in extra personnel, especially those who work in the arena during the rodeo.”
What Carr Pro Rodeo provides is a boatload of talent while keeping the rodeo progressing with little to no downtime. Whether it’s three of the top pickup men in the business or experienced hands making sure each aspect of the production is ready, there are lots of elements in making a rodeo seem flawless.
“We’ll have three pickup men at Pecos,” Carr said, referring to Guy Allen, 18-time steer roping world champion; Dan Etbauer, an 11-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier in saddle bronc riding who also picked up at the 2008 NFR; and Paul Peterson, recognized as one of the elite pickup men in the game with his three trips to the NFR.
The key, Carr said, is surrounding himself with some of the greatest people in the business.
“Pete runs a very tight production and a very tight show,” Keese said. “We’ve been really pleased with the professionalism of everyone in his group. Every comment we get from our fans is that it’s a well-produced show.”
Part of that, though, is the competition. When world champions battle world champions, there’s a highlight reel from every performance.
“Pete brings the animals that bring the cowboys,” Keese said “He brings the top end, from tie-down roping to steer wrestling to team roping to all the rough-stock events. He finds excellent stock for these guys. He’ll have nice, evenly matched calves or steers and great bucking animals. They know it’s not up to the luck of the draw; it’s up to their talent.“The cowboys also like coming because of the tradition, but Pete works hard behind the scenes to make sure these riders come out here. He works hard to make sure we are all successful. It’s a great partnership, and it’s worked out really well for us.”
