OPSU rodeo alumni returning as pickup men for Guymon Pioneer Days

Dusty Moore and Paul Peterson will return to Guymon as pickup men for the 2026 Pioneer Days Rodeo, a behind-the-scenes role that can shape what happens in the arena as much as any buzzer-beating ride. Their presence at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena from May 1-3 ties Oklahoma Panhandle State University directly to one of Texas County’s most visible traditions, and it puts two familiar names from the OPSU rodeo program back in the middle of Guymon’s signature weekend.

The rodeo is set for four performances, with the opening night scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1, followed by 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. shows Saturday, May 2, and a 2 p.m. finale Sunday, May 3. Since 1933, Pioneer Days has been staged in Guymon, and the rodeo organization bills it as the place where “Champions Come to Play the First Weekend in May.”

Pickup men are among the most versatile hands in rodeo. They ride in fast when a contestant gets in trouble, help protect the rider, control livestock and handle the unpredictable moments that can turn an eight-second ride into a dangerous one. That makes Moore and Peterson more than ceremonial hometown additions. It puts trained horsemen from OPSU into one of the most demanding jobs in the arena, where timing and horsemanship matter as much as speed.

OPSU’s rodeo program has long carried weight in the Panhandle. The university says the team has won seven College Rodeo National Championships and produced 26 CNFR individual champions, evidence of a program that continues to feed talent into the sport well beyond Stillwater or the bigger rodeo circuits. Robert Etbauer, the men’s rodeo coach, has said rodeo builds work ethic and determination that help student-athletes succeed after competition ends.

For Guymon, that matters because Pioneer Days is bigger than entertainment. The City of Guymon describes the town as the biggest small town in the Oklahoma Panhandle and lists Pioneer Days among its nationally recognized events. Rodeo officials also say the event carefully hand-selects contract personnel, including announcers, bullfighters and pickup men, because those roles help define the quality of the show.

The scale is part of the point. Recent rodeo coverage noted that more than 1,100 cowboys and cowgirls competed the previous year, a reminder of how much labor, lodging, hospitality and local spending the event draws into town. With OPSU alumni back on the crew, Guymon’s rodeo once again shows how the college, the arena and the local business community are stitched into the same civic tradition.