Cowboy Peeks at Right Time in Guymon

GUYMON, Okla. Will Lowe was excited Friday night when he arrived in the Oklahoma Panhandle for the 78th edition of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. The three-time world champion bareback rider had been paired by the blind draw with Carr Pro Rode s Dirty Jacket, the pick of the pen at Hitch Arena. The two tremendous athletes matched moves for 87 points on Friday night, and the score held up through the weekend to win the title at Oklahom s Richest Rodeo. That horse likes that arena a lot said Lowe, an eight-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo who earned $5,045 for the win. Low s comments might be an understatement. Dirty Jacket has carried cowboys to the Pioneer Days Rodeo title each of the last three years. The 6-year-old gelding by Night Jacket and out of Dirty also carried Joe Gunderson of Agar, S.D., to second place in Guymon not only did the horse perform with Lowe on Friday, but it bucked again Sunday afternoo s final performance. H s just a real good horse, the kind you want in a bucking horse said Gunderson, who earned $3,868. When you have a horse like that, you just let him do the work and try not to mess him up. H s too good a horse. Yo d be the only reason you do t win money on him Dirty Jacket carried Jerad Schlegel of Glenwood, Colo., to the title in 2008 and Jared Smith of Williston, Fla., last year. In an incredible mark of consistency, he and his riders have all scored 87s to win the crowns. Pete Carr owns the rodeo firm from Dallas, providing stock at some of the biggest events in the country, including rodeos in Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth, Texas. He purchased Dirty Jacket as a 3-year-old and began taking him to rodeos in 2008. The horse was voted as one of the best in the business in 2009, bucking in the final go-round of the Wrangler NFR. He just likes to buck Lowe said. H s such a good horse. H s in the TV pen at the NFR, so you know h s the one guys want to get on Low s excitement level went up Sunday when he learned of the final results. Over a career that began a decade ago, h d never notched a victory in Guymon, one of the biggest rodeos in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. You usually draw good when you go to a Pete Carr rodeo, but that horse is one yo d want to get on every time Lowe said. Gunderson had t seen the animal much, but he knew that drawing any Carr horse is an advantage. H s got a really good pen of horses he said. There are a lot of good horses. m just thankful to get on those good ones So is Josh Reynolds of Ekalaka, Mont., who rode the Carr horse Simple Man for 86 points and the victory in Texas County, Okla., known as the Saddle Bronc Riding Capital of the World. Reynolds, who qualified for the Wrangler NFR in 2005, earned $4,446 and edged five-time world champion Billy Etbauer and two-time Prairie Circuit champion Cort Scheer by a point.