Rodeos were popular at the annual Leamington Fair

By C. Scott Holland

Throughout the course of its long history, the annual Leamington Fair would bring in a rodeo as one of its main attractions. They were extremely popular until the late 1960s.

One of the most popular rodeos took place in 1941. At that time, the annual fair was held in late September or early October.

The 1941 edition ran from Sept. 29th to Oct. 4th and starting in February of that year, the fair’s directors drew massive attention to the fact that the George V. Adams Rodeo Company would be that year’s top event.

The advertising blitz that followed in the months leading up to the fair was as great as any ad today.

The rodeo was touted as the world’s largest of its kind and held competitions wherever they went, as opposed to a set act.

A look at one of Leamington’s popular rodeos which were held at the Leamington Fair. The year is unknown, but judging by the grandstand, this could be a rodeo from between 1940 to 1951. It is interesting to note the crowd size and a few people perched upon the grandstand’s roof.

Photo from Scott Holland collection

By today’s standards, it is hard to believe that Josephine Clark, who hailed from Texas, was considered an equal to the cowboys and was noted as one of the rodeo’s top headliners.

She was one of the very few cowgirls who would compete on equal footing with the men in the calf roping segment.

Another star was 11- year-old Shirley Adams, who competed against the men and women in the trick riding and roping events.

George V. Adams, the owner-operator and producer of the event, was born in North Dakota, and announced that the show would bring over 150 head of ‘outlaw’ horses and wild steer.

The crowd that attended was considered one of its best since the 1920s, although no exact figures were given, but the same rodeo appeared again the following year and again in 1951 at the fairgrounds.