CROSBY, Texas – There’s a reason why many of the top cowboys in the game have circled the dates on the calendar for the Crosby Fair and Rodeo.
They know they’ll get the best bucking horses and bulls from Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo, the firm that produces the annual event set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at Rock’n C Arena.
“Pete Carr has the bucking horses and bulls that are unreal,” said bareback rider Clint Cannon, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Waller, Texas. “When I think about Pete Carr, I think about 90-point rides, rock ’n’ roll music and fans loving it.”
Cannon will be one of several NFR qualifiers scheduled to compete in Crosby. It’s one of the attractive features the county has when the fair and rodeo takes place each June.
This year’s event also will feature Cody Teel, the 2012 world champion bull rider from Kountze, Texas, and a three-time NFR qualifier. It’s more than a close drive from home for Teel; he understands the drawing power the Carr firm has for cowboys.
“He’s got the best bull pen going,” Teel said of Carr. “He’s got my vote for stock contractor of the year. He really tries to put together a good set of bulls, and it shows. There wasn’t one bull you didn’t want to get on. He gives a guy every opportunity to win.
“I was more anxious for his rodeos this year because of his bulls. You know you’re going to draw pretty good. It showed this year. All his rodeos had a lot of big scores, which shows how good the bulls really are. He definitely has the deepest set of bulls in rodeo.”
Pete Carr is a two-time nominee for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Stock Contractor of the Year. Each of the past two seasons, 27 Carr animals were selected to buck at the NFR, an event record for the number of animals from one contractor.
That kind of firepower makes for an amazing show for rodeo-goers. Of course, having the top stars in town makes a big difference.
“Pete’s got an eye for horses, and he’s surrounded himself with people who know what they’re talking about,” said saddle bronc rider Heith DeMoss, a six-time NFR from Heflin, La. “You want to go to Pete’s rodeos, because you’re going to get on something.”
The key for any competitor is having a chance to win any time they are in the arena. Cowboys know that will be possible in Crosby.