Athletic horses an integral part of Carr Pro Rodeo
Ted Harbin

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – There’s a common phrase going around rodeo circles when they talk about some of the best bucking horses in the business.

It usually starts with Carr Pro Rodeo.

“Every horse out there can’t be great, but the probability of getting on a good horse at Pete Carr’s rodeos is pretty good,” said Ty Atchison, who won the saddle bronc riding at the Cowboy Capital of the World Rodeo last June. “You pretty much know if you go to one of Pete’s rodeos, you have as good a chance as any to win.”

Atchison, ranked in the top 10 in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association saddle bronc standings, has learned the ins and outs of the rodeo business at a relatively young age. The Jackson, Mo., cowboy has earned about $30,000 already this season. At 24, he hopes this is just the beginning for a bright career in the sport.

But Carr Pro Rodeo has a string of bucking horses that hope to be part of ProRodeo for many years to come, and they’ll be part of the Cowboy Capital of the World Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Thursday, June 10-Sunday, June 12, at Lone Star Arena.

“I’ve got a couple of horses that I’m really high on in Sky High and True Lies,” said Jeffrey Collins, the 2000 world champion bareback rider who now serves as ranch foreman for Carr’s place in Athens, Texas. “Both are younger horses that Pete picked up around the country, and we expect them to be deep in our string by the end of this year or early next year. They have been phenomenal this year. They won the San Augustine (Texas) PRCA rodeo on Sky High a few weeks ago, so we have high expectations for both of them”.

Carr is a former rough-stock cowboy who has an eye for bucking animals, which comes in handy when searching all over North America for the best up-and-coming superstars available in the world.  When the company bucks colts and young bulls that are raised on the ranch, it’s a group effort with Carr, Collins and Scotty Spencer, a bullfighter who works full time on the Carr ranch.

“The first thing we want to see when we buck our colts is action all the time,” Collins said. “It might be forward action or up in the air. I also want to see fast, athletic moves.

“I’m also looking at confirmation in that horse – does that horse have enough bone to be athletic ever weekend so he can go and perform at the best of his ability. “I’m not saying really large horses, but those with strong confirmation. That way they can hold up to the pressure of rodeo.” 

It’s also part of the maturing process of the animal, like teaching cowboys the fundamentals before giving them the opportunity to compete.

“We take everything into account when we dummy colts and gradually elevate them to riders to ultimately evaluate the talent level or prospective level to make an educated assessment on whether that animal is going to fit in our outfit or not,” Carr said.

And the cowboys who ride the broncs see it. Carr Pro Rodeo has taken at least 10 bucking horses to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo the last three years. To make it to the grandest stage in ProRodeo, animals must have the confidence of the men who ride them – the top bareback riders and saddle bronc riders vote on which horses are part of the competition in Las Vegas.

“I think the cowboys know just how hard Pete’s trying in developing our herd,” Collins said. “He’s spent money on every inch of this ranch. He hired the right guys and put them in great positions. He puts a lot of time and money into this operation to bring the best rough-stock and timed-event cattle in the business to every event, striving to achieve the ultimate goal of being the best rodeo company in the business.”