ALLEN, Texas – The Tom Thumb Texas Stampede is returning to its roots, and fans will get the full range of excitement beginning with this year’s championship event.
After a few years of a invitational event, the stampede returns to the ranks of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the premier sanctioning body in the sport. Dollars earned at this year’s event – set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, and noon and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Allen Events Center – will count toward qualifications for the 2013 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the year-end championship that takes place in Las Vegas each December.
“Being part of the PRCA lineup means we can continue to draw top rodeo athletes in a no-holds-barred rodeo competition of contestants vying for a qualifying spot at the Wrangler NFR,” said Zandy Carnes, the stampede’s executive director.
That’s good news for the contestants who make their livings on the rodeo trail. Not only will the Tom Thumb Texas Stampede return to the ranks of a major PRCA rodeo, it will provide a purse that will continue to attract the very best cowboys in cowgirls in the sport.
“The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is extremely pleased to see the Texas Stampede return to the PRCA family,” PRCA commissioner Karl Stressman said. “The sport of professional rodeo has a long-standing tradition in the Lone Star State, and it’s exciting to continue to grow that tradition.”
Yes, they do. In addition to regular NFR qualifiers, fans will get to witness the very best animal athletes provided by Dallas-based Carr Pro Rodeo. Pete Carr and his staff will handle the world-class production and the elite bucking horses and bulls in the business.
“That rodeo has a very rich history, and I’m glad our crew can be part of it,” Carr said. “I know there are some great rodeo fans there, and I hope we can put on the kind of show that they want to see over and over again.”
Carr Pro Rodeo’s MGM Deuces Night was named the 2012 Bareback Horse of the Year. The 7-year-old bay mare has guided some of the biggest names in bareback riding to some of the most prestigious titles in the game, even setting arena records along the way. Carr’s Dirty Jacket, an 8-year-old bay gelding, was the second runner-up to MGM Deuces Night.
“This event provides another competitive opportunity for our members, and, in turn, a great opportunity to see a first-class show,” Stressman said. “Everybody wins.”
The rodeo is just one aspect of what the Tom Thumb Texas Stampede is all about, but the overall purpose of the organization is to reach out to the children in need that live in this area.
“It certainly will be a show that people won’t want to miss, which helps us achieve our mission of improving the quality of life for children and their families served through our support of children’s charities in North Texas,” Carnes said.