FORT WORTH, Texas – Ahead of the team’s second annual homestand at Dickies Arena, the Ariat Texas Rattlers, the Metroplex’ first-ever professional bull riding team, today announced that during Rattler Days from Oct. 6-8 they will honor three Lone Star State Locals with the PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) prestigious Be Cowboy Award. Those individuals and entities being honored include Stephen “Cowboy” Murrin Jr., the Texas Rangers law enforcement agency and Councilman Carlos Flores.
In addition to receiving PBR’s Be Cowboy Award, which recognizes those who embody the cowboy code of toughness, courage, respect, determination, patriotism and care for others, each recipient will also be recognized as an honorary member of the Ariat Texas Rattlers.
More on the honorees:
Stephen “Cowboy” Murrin Jr. (Friday, Oct. 6): On the opening night of competition for PBR Rattler Days presented by Ariat, Friday, Oct. 6, Stephen “Cowboy” Murrin will be the first honoree. Murrin, Jr. is a Fort Worth businessman, land developer, civic leader, patron of the arts, and former city councilman. But to many, he is known as the “Mayor of Cowtown,” an honorific of both symbolism and substance. Murrin, beginning in 1973, led the fight, investing his own money and time, to revive and refurbish the area of north Fort Worth known as the Stockyards. The restoration of the historic Cowtown Coliseum is but one example of his leadership and hard work. Also amongst Murrin’s long list of accomplishments is his work in 1976 to reverse a city council action that would have prevented Cowtown Coliseum from hosting rodeos for 30 years. Today, Murrin lives with his wife Dashelle at Westfork, his family ranch set quaintly among the rolling hills just west of Fort Worth.
Texas Rangers (Saturday, Oct. 7): The Texas Rangers, among the most revered law enforcement divisions in the country, will receive the second honor during Rattler Days on Saturday, Oct. 8. The Texas Rangers have always played an integral role in guaranteeing the safety of the Lone Star State through investigating crimes, rooting out corruption and ensuring the security of the state. In 2023, we pay tribute to the Texas Rangers’ 200-year bicentennial, as well as look forward to the next century of their leadership. The elite and storied Rangers are men and women of integrity and moral fortitude, willing to risk their lives in selfless service to the state of Texas. The Rangers are a leader in border security, tactical operations and crisis negotiation, providing direct support and intelligence to ensure Texas is protected at every level. Their tactics and methods are cutting edge, leading to specialized training for law enforcement partners. They risk their lives and spend countless hours away from friends and family. Throughout the years, the Rangers have always had the safety and security of Texans utmost in their minds and hearts. Receiving the honor on behalf of the Texas Rangers will be:
Job Espinosa (Decatur) who served as a police officer for more than 16 years, before beginning his now three-year career with the Texas Rangers.
Lieutenant Nic Castle (Tyler) who served as a police officer for more than 18 years, before beginning his now seven-year career with the Texas Rangers.
Michael Adcock (Athens), who served as a police officer for more than 35 years, before beginning his now 15-year career with the Texas Rangers.
Councilman Carlos Flores (Sunday, Oct. 8): On Championship Sunday for PBR Rattlers Days on Oct. 9, Councilman Carlos Flores will be recognized as the final honoree. Flores, a third generation Fort Worth native with deep roots in the community, serves as Fort Worth Councilmember for District 2. He is a graduate of Nolan Catholic High School and attended The University of Texas at Austin to major in Aerospace Engineering and minored in Fine Arts and completed his degree studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE). Professionally, Carlos worked for two international product identification and handling companies as project engineer, as a design engineer for Raytheon on the C-130 and P-3 programs, and at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth as a senior engineer performing stress analysis, flight & ground test support for the F-16 and F-35 fighter programs. Flores recently worked at Parker-Hannifin Aerospace in prototype design and testing. He is also a former corporate recruiter at Texas colleges and universities. As a civic-minded citizen, Flores is engaged on diverse fronts devoting time and energy to public service and the betterment of his community. Recently, he represented District 2 on the City’s Zoning Commission as Chairperson; former Chairman of the Building Standards Commission; Stockyards Redevelopment Task Force; City Charter Review Committee; Master Thoroughfare Plan Task Force; the Kimbell Art Museum Host Committee; a Crime Control & Prevention District board member; Artes de la Rosa board member; and other boards, committees and task forces. As the former president of the Northside Neighborhood Association, he remains involved providing a vital voice, leadership and fellowship to the residents of his community. Flores and his wife and two children call the Northside home, along with extended family. In his spare time, he enjoys working on the family ranch raising cattle and riding horses.
The second annual PBR Rattler Days presented by Ariat will begin on Thursday, Oct. 5 with the first night of festivities for the team’s fan activities, Rattler Days Alley Rally, presented by Community Coffee, in the Stockyards.
Fan programming will run daily from Oct. 5-8, headlined by the first-ever Rattle Battle, Rattlesnake Cook-off, hosted by Chef Tim Love, in Mule Alley on Friday, Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. CT. Tickets for the inaugural Rattle Battle, hosted by Chef Tim Love, are on-sale now. Priced at $125 they can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or in Mule Alley on event day.
The complete schedule of programming is:
Thursday, October 5:
4 p.m.: Rattler Days Alley Rally, presented by Community Coffee, Opens (Fort Worth Stockyards)
4:30 p.m.: TBA Musical Performance (Cowtown Coliseum Plaza)
5 p.m.: Texas Rattlers Team Meet-and-Greet and Autograph Signing (Ariat Brand Store)
7 p.m. PBR Stockyards Showcase, presented by the Texas Rattlers (Cowtown Coliseum)
Friday, October 6:
3 p.m.: Rattler Days Alley Rally, presented by Community Coffee, Opens (Fort Worth Stockyards)
3 p.m.: Rattle Battle Rattlesnake Cook-off, hosted by Chef Tim Love (Mule Alley)
5 p.m.: Simmons Bank Plaza Rattler Days Fan Fest Opens (Dickies Arena)
7:45 p.m.: Rattler Days, presented by Ariat (Dickies Arena)
Saturday, October 7:
9 a.m.: Pancake Breakfast Supporting Arlington FFA, presented by Community Coffee (Cowtown Coliseum)
11 a.m.: Rattler Days Alley Rally, presented by Community Coffee, Opens (Fort Worth Stockyards)
11:30 a.m.: Rattler Days Parade (Cowtown Coliseum)
12 p.m.: Rattler Days College Football Watch Party (West Lawns of East Exchange Building)
12 p.m.: Texas Rattlers Team Meet-and-Greet and Autograph Signing (Cavender’s Stockyards)
4 p.m.: Simmons Bank Plaza Rattler Days Fan Fest Opens (Dickies Arena)
6:45 p.m.: Rattler Days, presented by Ariat (Dickies Arena)
Sunday, October 8:
11 a.m.: Simmons Bank Plaza Rattler Days Fan Fest Opens (Dickies Arena)
11 a.m.: Cowboy Church with LeAnn Hart Ministries (Simmons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena)
6:45 p.m.: Rattler Days, presented by Ariat (Dickies Arena)
The Ariat Texas Rattlers will host Rattler Days on Oct. 6-8 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The action begins at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, October 6, 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 7 and 1:45 p.m. CT on Sunday, October 8. During their home event, the Rattlers will play the Oklahoma Freedom on Oct. 6, followed by the Austin Gamblers on Oct. 7 and the Nashville Stampede on Oct. 8.
Tickets for the crucial, final 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series regular season event start at $22; taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com and PBR.com, at the Dickies Arena Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.
Three-day ticket packages are available, offering fans a 15% discount on select price levels.
For more information about Ariat Texas Rattlers, visit https://pbr.com/teams/rattlers/, Texas Rattlers on Facebook, or @TexasRattlers_ on Instagram and Twitter.
Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media
