MOSES LAKE — Corey & Lange Flying Diamond Rodeo Stock took 10 head to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas last year to challenge the best cowboys in the world.

You have to ride the best to be the best and local stock contractor Mike Corey’s bringing that very same NFR stock to the Columbia Basin to treat Moses Lake Roundup rodeo fans and cowboys alike to the broncs that competed in the Super Bowl of rodeo.

“These horses and bulls mostly go to the bigger shows. I buck ‘em here because it is my hometown rodeo,” said Corey, who’s a former bull rider. “This is where I live. This is where we’re based out of. When I go out on the road, they know I’m from Moses Lake. I’m advertising my town and where all this great livestock comes from.”

Roundup fans are going to see rank in all its glory with a bull called Bottle Rocket. Bottle Rocket has been one of the top three bulls at the NFR and the back-to-back Calgary Stampede bull of the year. He’s also a two-time Columbia River Circuit bull of the year.

“As a contractor, that Calgary Stampede award is a real coveted award,” Corey said. “He’s that big time bull that doesn’t get rode but once every three years.”

Other NFR bulls coming to town include Moose Jaw, a bull that’s scored 90 several times, Chucky and Crown’s Legend.

“I always want the rankest bull that I can raise,” Corey said. “I want that nearly unrideable bull that’s a big time bull you can score 90 on, because you can’t score 90 on an 80-point bull.”

Corey’s bulls are going to put the challenge to the rank and file at the 73rd Moses Lake Roundup, which runs Aug. 18-20.

The bareback stock coming to town is equally as impressive. They’re bringing an elite bareback horse called Trip Wire, which was in the top rankings at the NFR.

“There’s an interesting story about Trip Wire. Steven Peebles came back from a serious injury around Moses Lake week last year after almost dying in Montana,” Corey explained, “and ended up winning Moses Lake.”

Peebles was intent on reaching the NFR for a seventh straight year — he was back on a horse at the Omak Stampede Rodeo, having slipped from ninth place at the time of his injury to 22nd. Only the top 15 riders qualify for the NFR. He won at Moses Lake and won again at Lynden to catch up in the money and move up in the PRCA world standings.

“He needed to win Ellensburg to have enough money to get back to the NFR and he rides to an 89.5 on Trip Wire, which is a horse that bucks a lot of guys off,” Corey said. “In December at the NFR, the race comes down to Peebles and Kaycee Feild for the world title. Kaycee draws Trip Wire. Well, Trip Wire helped Peebles win the world title by taking Feild out of it. Kaycee made the whistle, but he had to hang for a low score. That’s an exceptional animal-athlete that can take a four-time world champion out of the picture. Steven rode (Trip Wire) to get to the NFR and Feild couldn’t get it done, so it kind of came down to that horse.”

Some more NFR bareback horses coming to the Roundup include El Dorado, who has won a couple of rodeos this year with 88-point rides and Big Easy, the horse Peebles won Moses Lake on last year. On the saddle bronc front, NFR horse Pine Ridge will be here.

“It is my hometown rodeo. They’re be some of the cowboys here that will make it to the NFR,” Corey said. “Two years ago, Jacobs Crawley won Moses Lake with an 86 on his way to a world championship. I always try to bring the best stock and put on the best show I can for the hometown people.”

With bulls like Bottle Rocket and Moose Jaw and horses like Trip Wire and El Dorado in the lineup, the rough stock boys best have their A-game in place. Anyway you slice it, rodeo fans are in for a buckin’ good time at the 73rd Moses Lake Roundup.