ND Cowboy Hall of Fame - Archived Articles

Eights Seconds To Go - History of ND Rodeo

“Eight Seconds Ago….”

Rodeo History Notes

from the Archives of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame

Researched & Compiled by Phil Baird, NDCHF President,

Mandan, N.D.

Fifty Years Ago (July-Aug 1955)

Jim Tescher won the bareback riding and Alvin Nelson took first in the saddle bronc riding at the 1955 Killdeer Mountains Roundup RCA rodeo held on July 30-31^st. Howard Schnell of Dickinson was the top calf roper and John “Buzz” Fredericks, Jr. of Halliday finished first in the bulldogging. Sponsored by the Ezra Barrows Post of the American Legion, the rodeo boasted a new set of bleachers. North Dakota cowboys placing at the rodeo included: BB – 1. Jim Tescher, Medora 3. Dale Northrup, Bismarck. SB – 1. Nelson, Sentinel Butte 2/3. Tescher and Don Aber, Beach 4. Delvin Reich, Zap. CR Aver – 1. Schnell 3. Alvin Gabbert, Lefor. SW Aver - 1. Fredericks 3. Gene McCormick, Menoken 4. Tom Tescher, Sentinel Butte. BAR – 4. Margaret Lister, Bismarck. Greenough-Orr stock.

Tom Tescher of Sentinel Butte won the saddle bronc riding at the 1955 Days of ’76 RCA rodeo, August 3-7^th at Deadwood, S.D. Pete Fredericks of Halliday finished third in the bareback riding average. Ox Yoke (Roth-Madden) stock.

On Sunday, August 14^th, RCA world champion Casey Tibbs edged North Dakota cowboy Joe Chase, 524-522 points, to win the 1955 Dickinson Match of Champions for the third consecutive time. The final six riders in the short round included Tibbs, Chase, Duane Howard, Jim Tescher, Deb Copenhaver, and Gene Pruett. Ralph Klein of Dickinson took first in the calf roping event.

At the 1955 Wilton, N.D. rodeo on Sunday, August 21^st, Mervel Hall of New Town became the third cowboy (after Jim Tescher and Casey Tibbs) to make a qualified ride on John Steen’s #22 “Ol’ Fitzgerald,” winning the bronc riding. Hall also took first in the bareback riding.

Forty Years Ago (July-August 1965)

Jim Tescher of Medora won the saddle bronc riding average at the 69^th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo, the “Daddy of “Em All,” held July 27-August 1, 1965. A few weeks later near home, he would finish as the top rider for the second time at the 1965 Home on the Range Champions Ride at Sentinel Butte.

Former world runner-up all-around champion Duane Howard of Minnewaukan, N.D. took first in the bull riding at the 1965 Central Wyoming Fair RCA rodeo, August 4-7^th.

Past NDRA champion Angus Fox of New Town captured first in the bareback and saddle bronc riding events at the 1965 Grant Co. Fair rodeo held Sunday afternoon, August 22^nd at Carson, N.D. Other events winners: BR – Dick Kraft, Carson; CR - Bob Irwin, Minot;

BAR – Kay Stevenson, Carson.

Top all-around cowboy Almit Breuer of Emmet won the steer wrestling at the 1965 Pettibone, N.D. rodeo held Sunday, August 29^th. Other top hands: BB – Jack Kramer, Towner; SB (tie) – Angus Fox, New Town and Lyle Jorgenson, Towner; CR – 1. Alvin Gabbert, Lefor; BAR – Kay Stevenson, Carson; TEAM TYING – Gainus Little Soldier/ Scotty Mitchell.

Thirty Years Ago (August 1975)

In 1975, North Dakota’s high school rodeo team excelled at the 27^th annual National High School Rodeo Finals held August 4-11^th at Gallup, New Mexico. Wade Sundby, a Williston, N.D. high school junior, won the national boys all-around and steer wrestling championships. Deb Gunderson of Bowman was named the national high school breakaway roping champion.

Fred Small of Lodge Grass, Montana took first in the team roping and second in the calf roping, claiming all-around honors at the 1975 Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Fair All-Indian Rodeo held August 1-3^rd. First place winners: BB – Jody Luger, Fort Yates; SB – Ron Brugh, Mandaree; BR – Dave Schlidt, Browning, MT; CR – Bernard Cuny, Buffalo Gap, S.D.; SW – Jim Stone, Mandaree; BAR – Leslie Sherwood, Mobridge, S.D.; TR – Small/Floyd Waters, Pine Ridge, S.D.

A North Dakota cowboys reunion rodeo was held August 23-24, 1975 at Medora. The special event was open to North Dakota senior and contemporary contestants in the bareback, saddle bronc, team roping, breakaway roping and barrel racing events. A “North Dakota rodeo cowboys photo gallery” was set up at Medora’s Roughrider Hotel.

All-around cowgirl Gayle (Hanna) Meyer of Berthold won the barrel racing and goat-tying events at the 10^th annual Beaver Valley Saddle Club rodeo held August 30-31, 1975 outside of Strasburg, N.D. Results: BB – Dennis Hintz, Mobridge, S.D.; SB – Angus Fox, New Town; BR – Greg Pennington, New Town; CR – Jarvis Hegland, Oberon; SW – Lee Selland, Bismarck; TR – Harvey Billadeau/Frank White Calf.

Twenty Years Ago (August 1985)

California pro rodeo cowboy Harry Rose, Jr. was the winner of the 29^th annual Home on the Range for Boys Champions Ride held Sunday, August 4, 1985. This was the year the event went back to the match bronc riding competition after several years of hosting a regular RCA rodeo. Mark Kuhn of Mandan won the bull riding match.

John Richter of Hazen was the top calf roper at the 1985 Carson, N.D. Businessmen’s rodeo held August 17-18^th. Winners: BB – Dave Berg, Mandan; SB – Gumbo Lamb, White Horse, S.D.; BR – Juan Garrett, Spearfish, S.D.; CR – Richter; SW – John Irwin, Dickinson; BAR – Diane Roberts, Oshoto, WY; BRKA – Cindy Simmons, Belle Fourche, S.D.; GT – Bunny Bail, Camp Crook, S.D.; TR – Ross Wentjes/Drew Kalenze. Mosbrucker/Berger stock.

At the 1985 Wyoming State Fair PRCA rodeo held August 23-25^th in Douglas, three-time world rodeo champion Brad Gjermundson of Marshall, N.D. was the runner-up winner in the saddle bronc riding.

Shari Johnson of Morristown, S.D. continued to dominate the goat-tying event by winning first at the Bismarck Horse Club rodeo held August 24-25^th. Top hands: BB – Dave Berg, Mandan; SB – John Konzak, Devils Lake; BR – Luke Kuhn, Lefor; CR – Tigh Cowan, Highmore, S.D.; SW - Duane Meester, Killdeer; BAR – Maggie Ayre, Beulah, WY; BRKA – Becky Meester, Killdeer; TR – Jeff Gorrell/Terry Selland.

Ten Years Ago ( August 1995)

PRCA world champion Wayne Herman of Dickinson won the short round and the bareback riding average at the 1995 Pikes Peak or Bust PRCA rodeo held August 9-13^th at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Harry Vold stock.

On Saturday, August 12, 1995, four-time PRCA world champion Brad Gjermundson of Marshall, N.D. was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs. The N.D. Cowboy Hall of Fame hosted a breakfast reception, sponsored by the Plummer Ranches (Doug, Kevin and Sherry) of Mandan and Carlyle, Montana.

At the 1995 Moses Lake Round-up PRCA rodeo, August 17-18^th in Washington, North Dakota cowboy Terry Selland partnered up with Mike Fuller to win the team roping event.

Hugh Connolly, originally from Golden Valley, N.D., took first in the saddle bronc riding at the 1995 Eastern Montana Fair PRCA rodeo, August 25-26^th at Miles City. Former state high school rodeo champion Wayne Herman of Dickinson won the bareback riding. Brookman stock.

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