PECOS, Texas – Noah Krepps and Clay Heger are the first responders for rodeo.

Just like firefighters, police and paramedics, they ignore the instinct to run from danger. Instead, they head right for it. They put themselves in harm’s way in order to keep everyone else safe. No, they don’t carry a badge or cruise to the scene with lights and sirens.

Krepps and Heger are bullfighters, men who stare danger in the eye to protect everyone in the arena during bull riding. They will be an integral part of the West of the Pecos Rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 25-Saturday, June 28, at Buck Jackson Arena in Pecos.

“It is super cool to be part of the history behind that rodeo, and then to understand guys that have come through there and fought bulls before me,” said Krepps, 26, originally from Jasper, Arkansas, but now living in Montgomery, Alabama. “Thinking back at the guys that have been in that dirt and have been hired to do the same job as me, it’s something special to me.”

Krepps fought inside that storied arena for the first time a year ago, but his counterpart has been part of the Pecos rodeo for more than a decade. Sure, there’s a bit of nostalgia that comes with working the World’s First Rodeo, but there’s also pride in everything they do.

“The prestige of that rodeo is like few other rodeos out there,” said Heger, 37, originally from Hells Canyon, Washington, but now living in Stephenville, Texas. “They had Bad Company Rodeo there, so it puts pressure on us to have a good production and keep that legacy up.”

While their main job is fighting bulls and saving cowboys, there’s a lot more to Heger and Krepps. Both are part of the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo crew and handle many of the behind-the-scenes work. They are up early, making sure the livestock is fed before they are. They arrive hours before each performance to help sort the animals for that night’s experience.

“Whatever we need to do on either end of the arena to make the rodeo work is what we’re going to do,” Heger said. “I’d rather watch bucking horses or sort bucking horses, because they’re a little more individual.

“I love bulls; it’s what I do. I can do that work all day and fight bulls, but I love watching horses, too.”

That type of passion is what drove both men into the business. Heger was raised around rodeo, following in the footsteps of his rodeo clown father, Paul, and his bullfighting brother, who is just 17 months older. He moved to Texas as a teen to pursue his rodeo dreams, and he’s remained in the Lone Star State as he handles his business.

Krepps also had some familial assistance in becoming a bullfighter. His step-brother, who is almost a decade older, rode bulls. Krepps wanted to follow suit. During a practice session, Big Brother stepped into the arena to help protect the bull riders but found himself in a bind. That’s when Little Brother jumped into the fray.

“He was about to get run down,” Krepps said. “I don’t know if it was brother instinct or I just wanted to have something to do with it, so I ran down in there with him and helped him out.”

That’s when a light went off in his head.

“I thought, ‘Man, I like this,’ ” he said.

Krepps was 16 years old and hasn’t looked back since.

“Once I got a little taste of it, it was almost like a part of me, and I can’t get it out,” Krepps said.

Heger saw that passion in the younger bullfighter the first time the two met. He had seen Krepps doing freestyle bullfighting, which is more of a competition and less protection, and knew there was talent in those cleats.

“I knew his mentor, ‘Big Country,’ ” Heger said of Evan Allard, a veteran bullfighter from eastern Oklahoma. “I knew the kid was going to be tough, and he’s really come a long way.”

While Allard showed Krepps the ropes of professional bullfighting, the younger man understands that lessons continue as the years roll on.

“Clay is really good about keeping a guy grounded,” Krepps said. “Just being around somebody that’s been in the game that long on a consistent basis – watching him on how he handles the business side of it, too – has been really helpful to me. Our spark is our teamwork. We know where each other’s going to be before we do ourselves.”

They work well together, which is vital when staring down danger, but it’s also part of being a member of the team that helps Pete Carr Pro Rodeo be one of the elite livestock and rodeo producers in the sport.

“That crew is pretty awesome to be around, and we’re all really close and tight-knit,” Krepps said. “We’re more like a family. When you spend so much time together all year, it just works out that way. It’s easy to get behind something and be willing to do whatever it takes when you’re surrounded by people that want it to go as good as you do.”