It’s make-or-break time, if you’re a professional rodeo cowboy.
Thirty-three rodeos are scheduled next week offering purses close to $3 million. A cowboy or cowgirl can punch their ticket to the lucrative National Finals Rodeo if they are able to develop a win streak and pocket enough money to qualify. Last year, bull rider Kanin Asay won a near-record $36,000 in about a week. The Wyoming cowboy finished 2007 with more than $72,000 and placed in five of 10 rounds at the NFR in Las Vegas. Retired rough stock champion Ty Murray of Stephenville holds the one-week record of $37,000 won in 1999.
I suspect gas and diesel prices are forcing competitors to pick and choose their itineraries carefully in order to maximize their efforts. For rough stock riders, it may mean adding another cowboy to share expenses in an already crowded pickup truck or van.
Part of the “Cowboy Christmas” slate of rodeos is the West of the Pecos Rodeo. It wraps up tonight with the final round.
Casey Baize of Big Lake is getting a jump on the bull riding competition, having won the Parker County rodeo and placing second in Roswell. Both events were held earlier this month. He pocketed more than $2,600 for his efforts. Another cowboy with local ties won some cash by placing third in tie-down roping. Levelland’s Shank Edwards, who used to live in San Angelo, had his success at the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion rodeo last week.
Speaking of Christmas, the music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys will fill the 1st Community Credit Union Spur Arena on Dec. 6. The group headlines the first annual Concho Christmas Ball. The late Bob Wills’ band is fronted by Tommy Allsup and Leon Rausch. The group is expected to play all-time favorites such as “San Antonio Rose” and “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” The Sidekicks will open for the group. Details on tickets and reservations will appear in my column and on our Web site in the near future. You would be hard-pressed to find a better dance band than the Texas Playboys. So keep your dance card handy for western swing and join us on Dec. 6 for a grand time.
Cutting horses are both athletic and graceful. I’m reminded of that combination whenever we host a national cutting horse event in the Spur Arena. You can see for yourself this weekend as competitors are putting their horses through the paces. The event runs through Sunday.
Our next big event is the American Junior Rodeo finals. Junior competitors will start arriving in San Angelo on July 26. The event brings about 250 families to town for a full week of rodeo action.
-Perry Curnutt, Marketing Director for the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo