STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Anybody who knows rodeo knows of the Cowboy Capital of the World.
They also know of the 41st annual Cowboy Capital of the World Rodeo, which will have performances at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, June 10-Saturday, June 12, at the Lone Star Arena. It will be home to the top athletes in the sport of ProRodeo, from the great cowboys and cowgirls to the incredible livestock brought to Erath County by Carr Pro Rodeo.
“It’s a great rodeo, with an outstanding committee and a very supportive community,” said Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock firm whose ranch is in Athens, Texas. “Stephenville is a cowboy town; they know rodeo here. It was a great test for our company last year to get the opportunity to come here and produce a rodeo in front of their very experienced rodeo fans. They also have steer roping in Stephenville like at a lot of our other rodeos. It’s definitely our style of traditional rodeo, which makes it a great fit for Carr Pro Rodeo”
While performances are set for the evenings, the Thursday and Saturday morning showcase is non-performance competition, known as slack in rodeo terms.
“You’ll see the best of the best and plenty of world champions in the slack,” Carr said. “We get our share of timed-event contestants because of Stephenville’s central location and proximity to the cowboys along with having steer roping so guys can work several events and the best cattle available.”
It’s not just the ropers and steer wrestlers who will make their way to Stephenville this weekend; it will also be a drawing card for some of the top rough-stock cowboys in the region. The bucking stock Carr brings to town is one of the drawing cards.
“Last year was the first time we used Pete, and he came here with good stock,” said Dean Taylor, president of the Cowboy Capital of the World Rodeo committee. “Pete’s been real pleasant to deal with. We picked him last year when we decided to make a change. He had a real good working relationship, so we signed him to a three-year contract.”
The rodeo – which will have a Tough Enough to Wear Pink night to benefit cancer Thursday and a military recognition night Friday – helps raise money for local 4-H and FFA organizations. That is one of the reasons Carr was anxious to work in Stephenville, but it’s also the people from Erath County that help make everything click.
“That Lone Star building is nice, and the committee, the people try really hard,” Carr said.
So do the people involved with Carr Pro Rodeo. Since it was established five years ago, the firm has become one of the most talked about livestock providers in ProRodeo. From Real Deal, the 2005 bareback horse of the year, to Riverboat Annie, the 2007 reserve world champion bareback horse, to some of the greatest up-and-coming animal athletes in the business, Carr Pro Rodeo has been making a name for itself.
“Pete and I go about things differently, but inside, we have the same desire, and that’s to watch great bucking horses,” said Jeffrey Collins, the 2000 world champion bareback rider who serves as the Carr Pro Rodeo ranch foreman. “When we share that passion, we’re able to work through things to make it all better. We balance each other out.”
Taylor said the Stephenville committee saw that balance and a hard-working effort last year, and that’s why he’s excited to see the Carr crew return.
“That is a well organized machine,” Taylor said. “One of the things that impressed me after last year’s rodeo is that Pete puts on a super production, from the flag horses to the bucking stock. He just did it very professionally, and we all appreciated that.”
www.CarrProRodeo.com
For information
Contact Ted Harbin
(660) 254-1900
imteditor@gmail.com
