BIG SPRING, Texas – That’s not makeup on the faces of Clay Heger and Noah Krepps.
It’s greasepaint, a longstanding tradition for rodeo clowns and bullfighters who work at such places as the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19-Saturday, June 21, at the Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl.
Krepps and Heger are bullfighters, the men who stand in the face of danger to keep everyone as safe as possible during bull riding. They’re matadors without capes, using their athleticism to divert the bulls’ attention from fallen cowboys and others in the arena. They’re pretty good at it, too.
“I absolutely love fighting bulls,” said Heger, 37, originally from Hells Canyon, Washington, but now living in Stephenville, Texas.
Heger has been with Big Spring’s rodeo for more than a decade as part of the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo team. His is an important job, one that entails a variety of tasks. In addition to saving lives in the arena, he and Krepps work closely with other Carr staff members to ensure the care of the animals while also preparing for each performance.
“We take care of animal welfare right at the beginning of the day,” Heger said. “The animals eat before we do, because without them, we can’t do what we like to do in rodeo. Animals always come first, then we’re doing what we need to do to get them ready. Whatever else we need to do on either end of the arena, we’re going to do to make the rodeo work.”
That’s life on the rodeo trail, something both men enjoy. Their passion involves bullfighting, but they also love the game.
“It’s definitely passion,” said Krepps, 36, originally from Jasper, Arkansas, now living in Montgomery, Alabama. “Once I got a little taste of it, it became part of me, and I can’t get it out.”
He’s perfectly fine with that, and that’s why he’s excited to return to Big Spring for the community’s marquee event. He arrived in Howard County for the first time a year ago and found something special in it. For one, there’s grand history with the rodeo, which is celebrating its 91st year. The event also takes place in the rodeo bowl, which was built 75 years ago.
He has the opportunity to share the dirt with some of the greatest to have ever been part of the sport.
“I’ve never seen an arena like that,” he said. “Everybody’d talked about it, but until then, I’ve never seen one built into the ground like that. I loved every bit of it.”
Heger and Krepps work in unison to do their jobs as bullfighters. They position themselves in ways that not only helps the fallen bull rider but can also expedite how they can draw the animal out of a bad situation. If need be, they will take the hits that might be meant for others, but their biggest maneuvers come from their years of reading animals and understanding how to keep everyone out of harm’s way.
For Heger, he’s spent a lifetime doing this. Whether he’s feeding the animals or watching broncs buck or staring a snorting bull in the eyes, his experiences have served him well.
“My dad was a rodeo clown, and I was going to rodeos fresh out of the hospital after being born,” he said. “My brother was a bullfighter, and he let me tag along when he was trying to start fighting bulls, then I got the bug for it, and it took off.”
Colt Heger is 17 months older than his little brother, but he was the guiding force. Over his years of battling bovines, Clay Heger has proven himself among the elite. He’s been nominated for PRCA Bullfighter of the Year and has been an integral part of many big-time rodeos. He moved to Texas as a teenager to attend Odessa College and started fighting bulls at intercollegiate rodeos in this part of the country. Returning is a lot like a family reunion.
“The committee in Big Spring is just able to adapt to any situation out there,” Heger said. “They’re building a community around that rodeo. It’s a community effort that comes out, and they work year round for it.”
Even with just one year under his belt, Krepps has witnessed the same thing.
“There’s a lot of appreciation for that rodeo,” he said. “Between the rodeo committee and the community that comes to the rodeo, you can just tell that everybody is really invested and involved with what’s going on. They want it to be good for everybody.”