ND Cowboy Hall of Fame - Archived Articles

Eight Seconds To Go - History of ND rodeo - 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago

Eight Seconds Ago ....

Rodeo History Notes from the Archives of the

N.D. Cowboy Hall of Fame

Researched & Compiled by

NDCHF President Phil Baird, Mandan, N.D.

Fifty Years Ago (1953)

The North Dakota Rodeo Association (NDRA) was established on February 28, 1953 when Norman "Peg" O'Neil of the Beulah Rodeo Committee convened an organizational meeting of local rodeo committees. The founding NDRA board of directors were Peg O'Neil (president); Ralph Murray, Zap (vice president); Pearl Cullen, Hensler (secretary-treasurer); William Cummins, Mandan; Phil Fettig, Killdeer; Marty Hagen, Wilton; Raymond Schnell, Dickinson; John Clifford Stevenson, Carson.

In the Spring of 1953, Jim and Tom Tescher traveled in the eastern United States with some wild horses sold to the Jim Eskew, Sr. rodeo outfit. At the 1953 Philadelphia rodeo produced by Eskew, Jim won the bareback and saddle bronc riding events to claim all-around cowboy honors. Tom was the runner-up winner in the bronc riding and placed in the steer wrestling.

Hardin Simmons University rodeo club president Joe Chase of Halliday, N.D. won his second national college saddle bronc championship after competing at the 3^rd annual College National Finals Rodeo held May 14-16, 1953 in Abilene, Texas.

The first NDRA-sanctioned rodeo was held May 31, 1953 at Garrison, N.D.

Forty Years Ago (1963)

Kay Stevenson of Carson won the barrel racing and Dean Armstrong, Sentinel Butte took the saddle bronc riding average at the first North Dakota Winter Show RCA rodeo held March 1-3, 1963 in Valley City, N.D. Delvin Reich of Zap finished third in the bronc riding average. Fettig stock.

Richard Bahm of Almont was the top contestant, winning the bareback and saddle bronc riding events at the first Ashley, N.D. rodeo held Sunday, May 12, 1963. Schriock stock.

On Sunday, May 19^th, Tom Tescher of Sentinel Butte took first in the saddle bronc and steer wrestling at the 1963 State Line Club RCA rodeo held at the North Dakota/Montana border. Event winners: BB - Doug Wall, Miles City, MT; SB & SW - Tescher; CR - Bill McGowan, Wolf Point, MT; TR - C.M. Coffee and Bob Ridley. Fettig stock.

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