HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Clint Cannon of Waller, Texas, isn’t your typical bareback rider.
He’s talented enough, proving that to the world with three trips to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and owning two RodeoHouston titles.
This week, he’ll be matched with another NFR veteran, Carr Pro Rodeo’s Show Girl, during the
Waller County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4-Saturday, Oct. 6, in Hempstead. Show Girl, a 14-year-old black mare, has been selected to ProRodeo’s grand finale in both saddle bronc riding and bareback riding.
Their tangle will be one of many featured match-ups taking place during the second annual Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event in Hempstead.
Another NFR bareback riding match-up will be Winn Ratliff of Leesville, La., who just earned his first trip to Las Vegas for the 2012 finale, vs. Carr’s Big Lights, a 10-year-old bay gelding that’s been selected four times.
Some other key match-ups are Tanner Aus, the 2012 college champion from Granite Falls, Minn., against Yo Yo, an athletic young paint horse; six-time NFR qualifier Chris Harris of Itasca, Texas, vs. Miss Hollywood; three-time NFR qualifier Matt Bright of Azle, Texas, and Hometown Girl, a young horse that’s proven quite talented; and Richie Champion, the reserve rookie of the year from The Woodlands, Texas, matched with Real Deal, a 12-year-old brown gelding. Real Deal was named the 2005 Bareback Horse of the Year and has been one of the best bucking horses in the sport every year since.
Two-time NFR qualifier Jacobs Crawley of College Station, Texas, leads the way in saddle bronc riding. Crawley, who won in Stephenville, Texas, on Carr’s Air Miles, will test his skills against another NFR bronc, True Lies, a 9-year-old bay gelding. Crawley’s brother, Sterling, who is heading to his first NFR this December, is matched against Carr’s Mike & Ike.
In bull riding, two-time NFR qualifier Jarrod Ford of Greeley, Colo., gets to test his talents on Carr’s Missing Parts on Friday night. The three performances will feature some of the top bulls in ProRodeo.
On Saturday, Clayton Savage, a two-time qualifier from Cheyenne, Wyo., will try Dirty White Bull, while a couple of Championship Bull Riding stalwarts, Neil Holmes and Craig Jackson, will try a couple of bulls that have been strong all season; Jackson will try his hand on Panther, while Holmes is matched with Time Out, a 5-year-old black bull that bucked at the NFR a season ago.
The Waller County Fair and Rodeo will be home hundreds of great athletes, from human to equine to bovine. That’s what makes it great.