Heroes continued from page 44
reflected in the winning payout. Then there was the problem of each producer or town having their own ideas of how the show should be run and which events to include. There was little standard in judging the riding events and rules varied from place to place. Then there were always those few who worked the system to their advantage and sometimes winners were determined before the show even started! (Unofficially of course.) Accusations of bribes and crooked judges ran high. The rodeo cowboy became disgusted with this situation over time. It took a while, but he finally realized he was the star of the show; folks paid to see him perform, and he was not getting a fair share. There were thousands of dollars being made on some of the bigger shows from ticket sales and contestant entry fees, but only a few hundred would be paid back to the winners. This was fine for a few, but it was starvation for the overall lot. Just enough was being paid out to keep them coming back, with hopes it would be their turn to win the next show; kind of like dangling the proverbial carrot. All of this changed however in 1936. That was the year professional rodeo was born. Rodeo organization was actually started in the northern states in 1929 with the formation of the Rodeo Association of America (RAA). This association was made up of managers and producers and did not include the cowboy in decision making and therefore was often contentious, seldom recognized and eventually it was merged with the Cowboys Turtle Association (CTA). They called themselves “turtles” because they were slow to organize but eventually stuck their heads out. They were the first cowboys to have a say in how the show ran. In 1945, the Cowboys Turtle Association changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) and in 1975 it was changed to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It was Boston Garden, 1936, and the cowboys were fed up with one Colonel William T. Johnson of Texas; promoter and organizer of major rodeos such as Madison Square Garden and the Boston show. While Johnson had a knack for producing spectacular shows and attendance was usually high, he refused to listen to the complaints of the cowboy. So they went on strike, demanded their entrance fees be added to the payout and that standard rules and judging be implemented. Johnson was livid and told the cowboys
to leave the grounds; he would put on a show without them. As they rode out of Boston Garden, a-horseback, the press was there taking pictures. The press sympathized with the cowboys and the public was soon on their side. That night Johnson attempted to put on the performance using stable hands, grooms and wild west performers. The cowboys sat in the audience and booed. It became such a spectacle, with a poor performance, that the audience joined the cowboys in their disapproval. The Boston committee told Johnson to stop the show and work with the cowboys. Johnson said, “I’ll drive my stock into the bay before I give in to their demands!” Cowboy Hugh Bennett, one of the strike organizers hollered, “We’ll sad-
dle up and help you!” Johnson eventually agreed to negotiate when the managers of the Garden told him to come to an agreement with the cowboys or he would be thrown out as well. Negotiations lasted throughout the night and into the next day, however, an agreement was finally reached. The seed of professional rodeo had been planted. There were sixty-one men who signed the original document which eventually led to the formation of the Cowboys Turtle Association that fateful day in Boston. Only one of those men remain alive at the time of this writing; he was a contestant at the Boston Garden show that October/November 1936. ■ More next month . . .
NOVEMBER NOVEMBER STOCKMAN STOCKMAN C Celebrating elebrating the the
22012 012
CATTLEMAN C AT TT TLEMAN O THE Y EAR OFF THE YEAR Reserve R eserve sspace pace ttoo Congratulate-Honor-Applaud Congratulate-Honor-Applaud
A
D V E RT I S E
in the New Mexico Stockman. Call: 505/243-9515.
BOB BOB RICKLEFS RICKLEFS FFor or Jobs Jobs Well Well Done Done
CContact ontact CChris hris ttoday oday aatt 2243-9515 43-9515 eext. xt. 2288 oorr cchris@aaalivestock.com hris@aaalivestock.com OCTOBER 2012
45