Old West Rodeo Held At Florence – 1924
Old West Rodeo Held At Florence
Bitter Root Town Re-Enacts Scenes of Early Montana Days.
Florence, July 6. – Scenes of frontier days were lived again at the first annual Old West Rodeo held here Friday in connection with an Independence day celebration.
During the day a score of riders conquered over 100 outlaw horses and bulls fresh from the gulches and sage covered hills of the Rockies – America’s last frontier. Many riders also “but the dust” (sic) of defeat as they reached for the horn.
The day’s program included both saddle and bare-back bucking contests on steers as well as horses; one-quarter mile and one-half mile running races; a greased pig roundup; calf roping, and a wild cow milking contest.
As the younger school of riders topped their mounts in the dusty arena a few cowboys of an earlier day sat with the hundreds of spectators on the bleachers expressing regret that they must at last be content to enjoy the game “from the fence.” Among these was Jim Haddix, star-rider of many former contests from Montana to Rio Grande. Haddix, still young though broken in health from riding hundreds of outlaw horses for the United States government during the late war, could not resist an invitation to enter the contests and rode a couple of bad ones with the grace of a knight on parade.
Other successful riders of the day together with their horses were; Fred Waddington of Florence on “Sky Pilot;” Harold Johnson of Plains on “Snowdrift;” Fred Peet of Stevensville on “Madame S,” and Walt Perry of Burnt Fork on “U. S. Mail.”
Honorable mention was also given to Sandy Ingersoll, Joe Schrage, Prescott Taylor, Vernon Powell and Don Schrage, who rode the following alleged bad steers; “Milk Shake,” “De Laval,” “Tia Juana,” “Toreador” and “Princess Pat.”
Other winners of the day were;
Quarter-mile running race, Orie Dishman on “Sunnybrook.”
One-half mile running race, Leslie Christensen on “Buck.”
One-Fourth mile girls’ running race, Luverne Jones on “Sack-of-Oats.”
Calf-roping contest, Jim Haddix.
Wild cow milking contest, first, Walt Perry; second John Slocum and third, Vick Morris.
The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on July 7, 1924.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/352374542