THE ROAD TO THE NFR WAS PAVED WITH STRIKES, TURTLES, AND THE MOB By Sharee LaRue
If you Google National Finals Rodeo (NFR) history, what do you find? You find a lot, but do any of the articles on the superhighway tell you the actual story from top to bottom? No, they do THE BOSTON RODEO STRIKE not. It takes an internet search for the documented H U G H B E N N E T I S H O L D I N G T H E B A L D H A S E D H O R S E facts, but it also takes decades of conversations with cowboys and cowgirls who lived it, and then you have the real story, or as close as you can get to the real story. This history line has been compiled from facts, “setting around at Rodeos stories” from the greats with a few prominent competition facts. The stories are not just gathered from the contestants, but also from Rodeo personnel, those who promoted Rodeo, and the families who lived it.
1600’s | Bull riding became a sport in Mexico known as Charreadas. It originated from bullfighting, where riders would ride the bull to death or until it refused to buck.
1860 | What we know as Rodeo was started worldwide as cowboys occupied their downtime from work. These events were not
BILL PICKET
timed but judged. The competitions were mainly in Northern Mexico, the United States, Western Canada, and South America. They typically consisted of calf roping, team roping, steer tripping, and bronc riding. 1866 | Walla Walla, WA put on the first semi-organized Rodeo event for ranch hands. 1872 | Cheyenne, WY, put on the second semi-organized Rodeo event for ranch hands. 1883 | Wild West Shows were established as demonstrations of open-range cowboy skills. These events were more like circus acts where cowboys were hired to perform certain feats for fans to enjoy. 1888 | What cowboys call “Cowboy Christmas” got its start on July 4th in the Prescott, AZ Territory as the first town-organized event with advertising, added money, championship prizes, and ticket sales. This first event inspired other towns to organize as well. 1897 | Cheyenne Frontier Days was established. 1904 | Bill Pickett invented steer wrestling and showcased the event at Wild West Shows. It was not like it is today. He jumped off a running horse onto a steer and then bit the animal’s nose to gain control before throwing it to the ground. 1910 | Pendleton Round-Up was established. Promotion managers, contractors, and local town folk made Rodeo a legitimate sport. The first recognized “Rodeo Showman” included Vicente Oropeza, a Mexican trick rider and roper, Bill Picket, a black bronc rider and steer wrestler, and Indian bronc riders Tom Three Persons and Jackson Sundown. Women were also allowed in competition, and the trailblazers included Lucille Mulhall and Bertha Blancett, who, at times, were allowed to compete with men. This was also the year that Cheyenne developed Bareback Riding.
52 Working Horse Magazine Winter 2023
