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am very proud of my families western heritage. I was born in Roswell New
Mexico, in 1951. We lived on a 40,000 acre horse ranch, one of the only
horse ranches in New Mexico. My Father was not only a working Cowboy, he was
also a professional Rodeo Cowboy. Ranching was a tough life in the early
1900's. Times were lean, and when my dad was 15 years old he was already a
seasoned horseman, bronc rider, and calf roper. The natural process was to
strike out on his own, and pursue his dream, to be a professional Athlete.
He and his brother Bill, had trained hard as kids, running long distances in
the miles of open prairie and mesquite covered sand hills along the Pecos
River Valley, which ran through the ranch. And when they were ready, they
joined the ranks of the professional rodeo hands. Traveling all across the
country, going to all the shows they could make from the small ones to the
big ones. They eventually became top pros, and were tough competition for
the great ones. Traveling with Such famous promoters as Gene Autry, and his
wild west shows, they made the grand tour to Madison Square Gardens, The
Boston Gardens, The Pendleton Roundup, Cheyenne Frontier Days, and The
Calgary Stampede. When they realized the promoters were making all the
money, A tight group of them all got together at The Boston Gardens, and went
on Strike, and created the Cowboy Turtles Association, the name coming from
the fact that they were so slow in doing so. This Association later morphed
into the RCA (The Rodeo Cowboys Association), and later the PRCA. The rodeo
professionals of today have the Turtles to thank for getting the money to
the right people. For this, and their their accomplishments as
professionals, Both my Dad, and his Brother Bill, were both inducted into
the National Rodeo Hall of Fame, in Oklahoma City, in the late 1990's. We
are very proud of them. As very young kids, my sister Elayne and I were fortunate enough to travel along
with my parents , unknowingly hanging with Stars,
future Stars of Rodeo and Screen. Cowboys turned Actors, and fellow Hall of
Fame inductees like
Roy Rogers,
Gene Autry,
Slim Pickens,
Ben Johnson,
Gerald Roberts,
Casey Tibbs, all friends and
associates of the family. Lot's of great Stories, and memories from a group
known by their peers as the "The Wild Bunch". Unfortunately for me
I was just a tiny feller, and have very few memories of those years on the
circuit, but I grew up hearing all the stories and tales. But it's in my
blood, and I am proud to keep the history going. If only I were a writer. |
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Sonny Hancock & Old Crow at 15 years old |
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My first ride |
Sonny roping at 83
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My second ride |
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Bill's Plaque at the Hall of Fame |
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Sonny's Plaque at the Hall of Fame |
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Sonny in his Prime |
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