PECOS, Texas – Last year, Taos Muncy won $140,745 riding bucking horses in ProRodeo.
Nearly $3,400 came from the West of the Pecos Rodeo. He’d love to repeat that feat, and he’ll get his opportunity this week when the 128th version of the West of the Pecos Rodeo begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 23-Saturday, June 26, at Buck Jackson Arena.
“That’s always been a great rodeo,” said Muncy, a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier in saddle bronc riding who earned more than $66,000 at ProRodeo’s grand finale last December. “I was tickled to win this rodeo last year.”
Muncy has a shot, having been matched with the Carr Pro Rodeo bronc True Lies – a horse NFR qualifier Heith DeMoss rode for 80 points last weekend in Big Spring to finish second. But the Dallas-based Carr firm will have plenty of quality animals on which cowboys can compete for the coveted title.
“Anytime you have a chance to go to one of Pete’s rodeos, you know you’ll have a horse that you can win on,” Muncy said of Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo.
Last year, he won the rodeo on the bronc Trail Dust, spurring his way to an 87-point score to win the title.
“I was glad to see Taos draw her,” Carr said. “She has been to the finals several times, and I knew she would fit him well.”
Muncy, the 2007 world champion, knew it, too.
“She was really good that day, but pretty much every time you nod your head, you have a chance to win on that horse,” he said.
Kobyn Williams of Haughton, La., a McNeese State University cowboy who qualified for the championship round at the College National Finals Rodeo last weekend, will try his hand on Trail Dust on Thursday night, while Justin Browning of Lake Charles, La., has drawn the opportunity to compete on Trail Dust on Saturday. They can just look at Muncy for motivation.
“She’s definitely the one you’d want,” Muncy said.
And if they look at a replay of last year’s championship ride, Williams and Browning will know what it takes to win the title this year.“Taos has a way of shining up every horse he gets on,” Carr said. “When you have an animal of that caliber and a world champion bronc rider, that’s a difficult combination to beat”
