1960

PLANS FOR RODEO AS A PART OF THE CHEROKEE STRIP CELEBRATION ANNOUNCED

Allan W. Muchmore, president of the chamber of commerce appointed Scott Hancock as president of the Ponca City Rodeo Foundation, a subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce formed for the purpose of promoting and sponsoring rodeo here. Members of the new organization are the directors of the chamber.

Control and management of the foundation is vested in a board of trustees composed of six members appointed by the president of the Chamber of Commerce and the city manager.

Appointed to the first board were Scott Hancock, Harry Hayman, vice president, Glen Hickman, Paul Northcutt, Melvin Ford and Bethel Freeman Jr. Leon Nelson, city manager, is the seventh member. In accordance with the by-laws, the manager of the Chamber of Commerce is the secretary-treasurer.

GROUP SLATES BIG-TIME RODEO AS STRIP FEATURE - An RCA-approved rodeo, which may become an annual late summer event in Ponca City, will definitely be a feature of the Cherokee Strip Celebration this September; members of the agriculture committee of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce announced this week.

The committee has signed a contract with a three-year option with Walter Alsbaugh of Alamosa, Colo., professional rodeo producer who would furnish stock for the five standard events, bareback riding, calf roping, steer bulldogging, Brahma bull riding, and saddle bronc riding.

Rodeo prizes will compare favorably with other professional rodeos to attract the nation's top cowboys, the committee has indicated.

The Rodeo Foundation received the support of over 40 local businesses who are underwriting the success for $10,000, and other residents and area ranchers have requested to be included in the group of supporters.

Exact location of the rodeo has not yet been determined. However, members are contemplating building an arena to seat 5,000 and provide permanent facilities for rodeos and other events, such as circuses, horse shows and large outdoor meetings. Decision on whether to finance the construction or to rent will be made soon by the committee at one of its weekly meetings.

Assisting the committee in finding, a suitable location for the arena is Leon Nelson, city manager. Pat Schlessinger, superintendent of the water and light department, will help coordinate such facilities as lighting.

Arrangements and plans are being directed by Harry Haymen, chairman of the agriculture committee, and Scott Hancock, who has been designated as rodeo chairman.

RODEO TO BE HELD ON WEST HARTFORD
Site of the Cherokee Strip Celebration rodeo, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will be just north of the Agriculture Building on West Hartford.

Leon Nelson, city manager, said city commissioners approved the location during a meeting with the chamber committees making plans for the RCA approved show. Nelson estimated that the fenced area will be about 200 by 300 feet.

Work at the grounds is not expected to begin for about a month. Nelson said a junior baseball diamond will have to be relocated and work done on the new diamond before it will be ready for use. The new diamond will be located near the Tracy W. Young Army Reserve Center. Lights are to be installed at the baseball grounds.

Present plans call for seating at the rodeo grounds for 5,000 people. The show will be staged September 17. Local businessmen are underwriting the rodeo for $10,000.

NATION’S TOP COWBOYS TO VIE HERE IN CHEROKEE STRIP RODEO

A rodeo doesn’t just happen. It is the result of many hours of work by a group of men interested in providing the public with fascinating spectacular entertainment.

Scott Hancock is general Chairman of such a group of hard-working men, most of them members of the agriculture committee of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce of which Harry Hayman is chairman.

A rodeo was conceived by the members of the agriculture committee as especially suitable entertainment for the Cherokee Strip Celebration and as a possible means of financing improvements at the Agriculture Building and surrounding area.

The rodeo, the last frontier of the once-wild west, is one of America's fastest growing spectator sports. In years past, Ponca Citians have seen some of the world's most famous cowboys and the finest of rodeos.

It is the aim of the rodeo committee to again provide the finest in rodeos for Ponca City and the thousands expected here for the Cherokee Strip Celebration, Hancock said.

The show planned for the nights of September 16 and 17, and the afternoon of the 18th, has been recognized by the Rodeo Cowboy Association as a world championship rodeo.

This means that the points earned in Ponca City will be counted toward the total witch will determine the world champion rodeo cowboy for 1960. Leading money winners in this professional sport will be drawn to Ponca City to further build up their winnings, Hancock predicted.

It has been difficult to work out a budget, in fact practically impossible, the chairman stated, as there is no past experience upon which to base it.

Next year – and it is hoped to make this an annual event – a realistic budget can be created.

Tickets are expected to go sale soon. The Junior Chamber of Commerce has volunteered to handle this part of the rodeo and will announce its plans later, according to Hancock.

If the success of the rodeo can be measured by the enthusiasm of each of the committee members, it will be one of the most outstanding events to ever be given in Ponca City, Hancock declared.

Prize money is determined by the number of cowboys entered in the rodeo.

Prize money of $1,500 has been put up by the rodeo committee for the show to be held here September 16, 17 and 18 as a part of the Cherokee Strip celebration.

To this will be added the $25 entry fee paid by each contestant. Since the dates for the rodeo are just one after at McAlester and just before one at Wichita, more than 100 cowboys are expected to participate.

Tickets, good for any of the three performances to be held on September 16 and 17, and the afternoon of the 18th, are now on sale.

Each of the six queen contestants have tickets to sell and tickets sold by each will count 50 percent in the judging for rodeo queen.

Queens entered to date are Priscilla Wilson, Bessie Cales, Carol Muchmore, Laura Dukes, Elizabeth Glover and Mary Young.

SITE FOR RODEO PROVES TO BE GOOD SELECTION - The rain was pouring down but the spirits of the three men in the station wagon were far from dampened.

You could "rodeo" right then on the site. Already more than 3.50 inches of rain had fallen within less than a week and that did not include the Saturday afternoon downpour.

But the slight slope of the ground and the heavy sod had kept the arena site in good condition.

This is the reason the area just north of the Agricultural Building had been selected for the rodeo, one of the featured events scheduled for the Cherokee Strip celebration September 16, 17 and 18.

A professional rodeo contestant and clown, Sonny Shultz was concerned with the arena, the chutes and the pens. Also, where was the hay for the stock to be kept?

Ex-cowboy Pat Schlesinger, now city water and light superintendent was studying the best spot for the lights from the standpoint not just of the spectators but also of the contestants and the animals.

Hancock Chairman – Never a professional cowboy, but a lover of horses who can work cattle and rodeos, Scott Hancock (Palmer to those who grew up in Ponca City) was considering location of the bleachers. Hancock, a member of the Agriculture Committee of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce, is general rodeo chairman.

Bleachers to accommodate 5,000 persons will be placed on three sides of the arena. With the interest already being manifested in the rodeo, Bethel Freeman and Paul Lawrence, the seating committee, are beginning to wonder if this will accommodate the spectators.

Twenty-five thousand tickets have been printed and are now on sale. The rodeo queen contestants will be judged 50 percent on the tickets they sell.

Shultz as he sat in the station wagon and viewed the staked out arena area declared that it was good.

There is no standard size, he said but for the September rodeo it would be "just right." It is 125 feet wide and 300 feet long, an arena “not too large, but large enough" for the five events scheduled¬ bareback bronc riding, calf roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and bull riding.

There was a spot in the Agricultural Building where the hay could be stored.

Now there was Schlesinger's problem – where should the eight 40-foot light poles be placed? As a young man the light superintendent had worked as a cowboy on his dad's ranch near Lordsburg, N. M. He knew the problems to be solved by the proper placement of the lights.

The large 15-inch diameter poles on which banks of lights will be placed must light the arena so that there is not a single shadow, yet must not shine directly into the eyes of any spectator. Also, the fence must be well lighted so the stock can see it.

"It can be done," ex-cowboy Schlesinger declared, "and all with salvaged material, which makes it just that much better."

The site for the rodeo is excellent. The lighting could be arranged. And they hoped the interest being expressed in the rodeo indicated the seating arrangements would not be adequate.

No, the spirits of the three men in the station wagon were not dampened by the downpour of rain outside.

They were looking forward to more hours of planning and work to assure the success of the first world championship rodeo ever to be held in Ponca City, the home of some of country's most outstanding rodeo cowboys and clowns.

RODEO - Six of the world's top 15 bulldoggers are from Oklahoma, where the late Bill Pickett made famous the rodeo sport, often called steer wrestling. That was with the big 101 Ranch show.

And five of the top 15 money winners in the compilations of the Rodeo Cowboys Association claim Oklahoma as their home, including Ponca City's Bob Wegner, who at the moment ranks third in 1960 winnings aboard hard-bucking Brahma bulls.

Rodeo got its start here, although the Miller Brothers in their great 101 Ranch Wild West Show didn't call it rodeo. They said "round-up" since the skills now exhibited as rodeo were a part of the cowboy's job at round-up time.

Few of the top-hands who rode for the 101 still ride the rough string; it takes a lot out of a man to spend even 8 seconds aboard a spine-cracking bronc or bull.

But the younger generation of rodeo riders will be here September 16, 17 and 18 when Ponca City hosts what may be the first of many Cherokee Strip Rodeos.

Big-time contests – bull-dogging, bareback and saddle bronc riding, calf roping and bull riding – will be interspersed with other events.

SERIOUS CLOWN – Buck LeGrand, who’ll be at the Cherokee Strip rodeo, keeps a sharp eye on goings-on in the arena. That’s his job, as much as keeping folks entertained

BASEBALL SHOES help, but even then you’ve got to dodge fast to keep out of the way of a Brahma. It’s the clown’s chore to toll an angry steer away from a fallen rider. That takes agility even for experienced Buck LeGrand, professional rodeo clown from Morrison, who’ll be here September 16-17-18.

JENNINGS ISSUES CALF-ROPING CHALLENGE TO MAYORS OF AREA

There'll be a “good ole calf tying ruckus" on the opening night of the RCA approved world championship rodeo and the Cherokee. Strip celebration, Mayor F. A. Jennings has promised.

Challenges have been issued by Jennings to the mayors of Blackwell, Newkirk, Tonkawa, Kaw City, Stillwater and Perry, who have been requested to reply by return mail.

The mayors are to see which one can tie a calf the fastest. Calf roping, which includes roping, throwing, and tying the calf, is one of the five standard events which will be on the program for each of the three rodeo performances.

There will be rodeos on the evenings of September 16 and 17 and on the afternoon of Sunday, September 18.

The rodeo committee will furnish, horses for the mayors, but the visiting contestants are to furnish their own cheering section, Mayor Jennings said in his challenge.

A trophy suitable to the occasion will be presented to the winner of the contest.
"The less experience in calf tying, the better the end results," declared Mayor Jennings.

Mayors to whom challenges were sent are R. C. Weisbrod of Blackwell, Ivan Foster of Tonkawa, Arthur (Red) Alcott of Stillwater, Dr. W. A. MacDonald of Newkirk, Dale Shackleford of Kaw City, Harold Scovill of Perry and Roy Hutchison of Fairfax.

“GOTTA' STRETCH 'ER TIGHT,” – Sonny Shultz explained as he pulled hard on the woven wire fence being placed around the arena for the RCA-approved world championship rodeo to be here September 16, 17 and 18. The arena is located just north of the Agriculture Building. With a practiced hand Al Neville nailed the wire firmly into place, while Mike Neville, who usually wields a hammer also, checked to see that dad was doing the job properly. The fence posts were sawed off by a crew in a truck and high on one of the 40-foot light poles a workman is busy adjusting a battery of lights. The arena, when completed, will be 320 feet long and 120 feet wide. At the south end will be catch bins for steers and calves used in bulldogging and calf roping events. Five bucking chutes for bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding will be at the north end of the arena.

CHECKING LIGHTING of the Cherokee Strip rodeo arena by floodlights officially turned on for the first time Monday night are, from left, Pat O'Haugherty, assistant to city manager Leon Nelson; Sonny Schultz; Robert E. Clark, commissioner of finance; Glen Peel and Pat Schlesinger. Some adjustments of the reflectors will be made before the rodeo is held next month.

RODEO FENCE UP; SEATS BEING BUILT

Each day it looks a little more like a rodeo arena out on West Hartford.

The fence is up and now Paul Lawrence and Bethel Freeman Jr. are hard at work erecting the seats.

There also will be 48 box seats with eight seats to a box; it was announced by Freeman, chairman of the seating committee.

The advance ticket sale has been excellent and it is expected that the stands will be filled for each of the three performances of the World Championship Rodeo.

The rodeo is a part of the Cherokee Strip Celebration to be held here September 16, 17 and 18. Evening performances will be' given on Friday and Saturday nights and a matinee on Sunday.

This is the first world championship rodeo to be held in Ponca City, the home of some of the country's leading professional rodeo performers.

Success of this first RCA-approved rodeo probably will mean that it will become an annual event here, according to those on the rodeo committee which is headed by Scott Hancock.

ANOTHER SECTION OF THE GRANDSTAND for the Cherokee Strip rodeo falls into place at the rodeo grounds north of the Agriculture Building. Bleachers for 5,000 persons are being moved onto the grounds. Jack Davenport, left, house mover, has volunteered his services and the use of his equipment for this project. Brought in on a long semi trailer the steel frame and wooden seats of the bleachers are toppled into place. Giving the final push is Sonny Shultz, rodeo producer coordinator. Back of the trailer watching the process is Bethel Freeman Jr., chairman of the seating committee, and Mrs. Shultz.

Bleachers will be on three sides of the arena with five chutes at the far end. Down each side will be 24 box seats, each seating eight persons. Box seats are now on sale at the First National Bank and the Security Bank. General admission tickets are being sold by the 10 rodeo queen contestants and in many business houses. A savings of 50 cents is being offered on each adult ticket purchased prior to the rodeo which will be September 16, 17 and 18.

PONCA CITY WILL HAVE TWO COWBOYS IN RODEO - Bob Wegner, Ponca City cowboy who holds the runner-up spot in the bull riding national standings, will be one of the outstanding contenders at the RCA-approved rodeo here this week.

Wegner pocketed $1,082 in two northwest bull ridings a week ago to move into second place in total prize money for the event. His winnings for the year stand at $9,647.

Another local RCA member expected to participate in the first world championship rodeo to be held in Ponca City is Bob Williams, 352 Erie. Williams will compete in bareback riding and bull riding.

There will be five events on the program for each of the three days of the rodeo, Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon. They will be saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding, calf roping and steer wrestling.

For each event the rodeo committee has set up a purse of $300. To this will be added the entry fees of the contestants.

Fees established for the Ponca City Cherokee Strip rodeo are $15 for saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding; $25 for calf roping and $20 for steer wrestling.

The rodeo will begin at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Advance sale tickets for adults were $1.35, but were $1.85 at the rodeo grounds. Children's tickets were $1, whether purchased in advance or at the rodeo.

TALKING WITH FRIEND is James Garner, movie and television star, right, Garner arrived in Ponca City Wednesday night to attend the Cherokee Strip Celebration and appear at the rodeo Friday and Saturday nights. W. F. (Bill) Johnson, Newkirk, long-time friend of Gamer keeps a watch over the wagon train which left Hunnewell, Kan. Wednesday on its way to Ponca City. The two cowhands joined the wagon train late Wednesday night.

RODEO READY FOR COWBOYS, ACTION

"Everything is ready!" Walter Alsbaugh, rodeo producer, was talking about the world championship rodeo to be held in Ponca City Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The stock, 275 head of it, was in the corrals; the chutes were ready for animals and performers; calves and steers had been exercised; the arena ground had been harrowed so horses, calves, steers and bulls would not slip…….Everything was ready at ten o'clock Wednesday night, stock was beginning to settle down and cowboys, rodeo arena workers and the many local men and women who have worked long hours sat down to visit awhile before going home.

This morning Bob May of Ponca City was the first to enter. He is a local contestant but not a member of the Rodeo Cowboys Association. Other local entries before noon today were Gerald Carrigan and Merle Davis, calf roper and RCA member. Among the 27 who had appeared at the rodeo office or called their entries were contestants from Wichita, Kan., Lamont, Calif. Kaughman, Tex., Winfield, Kan., and many Oklahoma towns. Rush hours for entries were from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The entrant from Wichita is Kathy Moore, the first to have her name in for barrel racing.

The grand entry and parade will be at 8 p.m. Friday

James Garner of Maverick fame will be there as will all of the 10 rodeo queen contestants. Judging of horsemanship of some will be Friday night and others will be judged at the Saturday evening performance, according to present plans.

Before each rodeo performance, Charlie Shultz will entertain the crowd which is expected to reach 5,000.

Shultz is a rodeo clown with some 40 years experience. He has played before many of the crowned heads of Europe and has clowned rodeos from coast to coast.

PROFESSIONAL RODEOING COMES TO PONCA

COMPETITION GOT ITS START ON CATTLE TRAIL - The sport of professional rodeo welcomes Ponca City to its 1960 roster this week as the three-day cowboy contest swings into action Friday night. Other performances follow on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

The Rodeo Cowboys Association, self-governing body of the game, through Lex Connelly, managing director, has expressed its pleasure at the Ponca City addition to its list of contests that last year totaled $3,192,745 in prize money at 493 rodeos.

"Oklahoma has produced many top-tanking cowboy athletes, perhaps more than any other state in the union," Connelly said, "and' their ability should be reflected in their home state. We sincerely hope Ponca City's rodeo will be an annual event."

From its dusty origin on the cattle trails of the old west, rodeo has come a long way. Today the sport that developed from the early cowhand's everyday work has spread to blanket, the continent with professional rodeo held in 37 states and three Canadian provinces last year.

The cattle industry of the old west was a far cry from the version seen on television and movie screens today. The men who herded the wild cattle of the last century were rough and violent and their existence was harsh, lonely and 'monotonous.

When cattle outfits came together on the trail to northern grass or at shipping points, these entertainment hungry cowhands grasped the most ready and often the only diversion.

They matched skills at their everyday work of roping and tying big steers and riding bucking horses. At some shipping points these contests became an annual event

The first mythical title, Champion Bronco Buster of the Plains, was given to an Englishman named Emilnie Gardenshire, who won the match between the Hashknife, Campstool and Mill Iron Riders in 1869.

Merchants of Pecos, Tex., in 1883 went out on the plains and invited the cowhands to bring their contests to town for a Fourth of July celebration.

They did, penning the steers in the courthouse square and roping the longhorns down Pecos main street.

Five years later, the merchants of Prescott, Ariz., had an even better idea. They fenced off a piece of prairie and charged admission for the townsfolk to come see the action.

Today, rodeo is basically a community-sponsored event, held as a local celebration to benefit the community. This is the way the Cherokee Strip celebration rodeo has been planned for Ponca City and the surrounding communities.

It is sponsored by a special rodeo committee headed by Scott Hancock a sub-committee of the Agriculture committee of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce.

Many men and women who know and love the professional sport of rodeo and have wanted to bring it to Ponca City, the home of many outstanding performers, have given hours and hours of their time to make this first world championship rodeo a success.

"I know every person who attends the rodeo here will be grateful to those who have worked so hard to make it a success. Without the enthusiastic and untiring support of these men and women the sport of professional rodeo wouldn’t be seen in Ponca City, Hancock declared.

CALF ROPING will be one of the main events at the RCA-approved world championship rodeo here tonight, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. When entries closed at 6 p.m. Thursday, 91 cowboys and cowgirls had entered, with 31 of them in calf roping. One of the late entrants was Buck Rutherford of Lenapah, home of the cowboys, who in 1954 was all around cowboy world champion. His winnings that year were $40,404, the third largest winnings of any professional cowboy.

PLANS UNDERWAY TO HOLD RODEO OVER TO MONDAY
Plans were being worked out Saturday night for another full performance of the Cherokee Strip Rodeo to be held Monday at 8 p.m., according to Scott Hancock, chairman of the rodeo committee.

The public responded so enthusiastically to the rodeo that hundreds of ticket holders were unable to see the performance either Friday or Saturday nights. All general admission tickets sold were good for any performance, and those tickets still unused are good for Sunday’s performance at 2: 30 p.m. and will be good for the performance Monday night if one can be held as is expected.

Walter Alsbaugh, rodeo producer, said that there was no question but that cowboys, clowns and other performers would remain over for another performance. He said that technically permission to hold another performance would have to be obtained from the Rodeo Cowboys of America Association, but that in view of the tremendous response by Ponca City rodeo fans, he felt sure that could be obtained.

Hancock said the rodeo committee was delighted at the public response, but wanted to apologize to all who couldn't be seated.

"In spite of careful planning," he said, "the crowd simply overwhelmed us. We can't see any answer except to give them another performance, and that we intend to do Monday night. Arrangements will be worked out at a breakfast meeting Sunday morning at 7 o'clock, and we'll make all information available to Radio Station WBBZ to keep the public informed."

RODEO PERFORMANCE TO END CELEBRATION - A happy, tired Ponca City returned to its normal activities today after three days spent celebrating the 67th anniversary of the opening of the Cherokee Strip.

One-event remains – fourth performance of the rodeo, which will begin at 8 o’clock tonight.

The enthusiasm with which Ponca City and surrounding towns received world championship rodeo was far beyond predictions of even the most optimistic backers.

Additional purse money has been put up for tonight’s rodeo and more cowboys are entered. It is expected that the best of the performances will be given tonight.

The fourth show is being given so that everyone who holds a ticket may see world championship rodeo. Bleachers were provided for more than 5,000 persons, but the last-minute rush for advance sale tickets and the sale of tickets at the gate had not been foreseen.
Gates will open at six o’clock tonight for the fourth performance of the 1960 world championship rodeo. Advance sale tickets are good for this show. Tickets, including some box seats, will be sold at the gate.

During the program Miss Bessie Cales and Miss Carole Muchmore, rodeo co-queens, will be presented.

There are 77 individual events on the program, with the top winners in the first three days still in competition. By contests, numbers of entries are: Bareback bronc riding, 10; calf roping, 26; barrel racing, six; saddle bronc riding, six; steer wrestling, 12, and bull riding 17.

Carole Muchmore and Bessie Cales were named rodeo co-queens, as the two girls were so close in points the judges could not make a decision. Carole was presented the registered American saddle horse while a fine western saddle was given to Bessie.

Fifty percent of the judging was on the advance ticket sales made by each of the queen contestants. Sales of the two queens alone exceeded $8,000. The girls were judged also on horsemanship, 25 percent, and western appearance, 25 percent.

The entire Cherokee Strip celebration was acclaimed by all as the finest in the city’s history and was given statewide coverage by newspapers and television stations.

“This parade, like everything else done in Ponca City, is top-notch. The whole state should be proud of such a fine observance, Tuck Stadler declared as he showed views of the parade over television Channel 6, Tulsa.

There will not be another Cherokee Strip celebration in Ponca City for three years, but world championship rodeo is here to stay.

Already plans are underway for the 1961 rodeo. Prime consideration is being given to provide better seating accommodations.

Ten months went into the planning of the rodeo for this year. But it was something new and there was no way to judge what the response to it would be.

In future years, the 1960 rodeo will serve as a guide.

ESTIMATED 25,000 PERSONS SEE 4 RODEO PERFORMANCES - World championship rodeo is over for 1960.

Stock was loaded into huge trailers; chutes were taken apart and placed into trucks and Walter Alsbaugh, producer, and his crew pulled out today for Kremmling, Colo., where they will give their 45th and last show of the season.

“As we see it now the public definitely wants a permanent rodeo and we are going to see if it can be worked out,” Scott Hancock, chairman of the local rodeo committee, stated this morning. “The rodeo committee will be guided by public opinion.”

It was necessary to give four performances in order to accommodate the crowds demanding to see the rodeo. An estimated 25,000 witnessed the four shows.

“This wonderful success would not have been possible without the wholehearted cooperation and assistance of many people and from many sources,” Hancock said. “From the city administration to the FFA boys, everyone pitched in an helped.”

The overall Cherokee Strip celebration as well as the rodeo was a tremendous success, Robert L. Brookshire, general chairman, said. He also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of everyone, without which the success would have been impossible.

During the Monday evening performance, declared b many to be the best of the four-day, the rodeo queens, Miss Bessie Cales and Miss Carole Muchmore, were introduced together with Mrs. Ann Corzine, queen hostess, and Connie Corzine, queen mascot.

Spectators had an opportunity to see Bob Wegner in action. Wegner, second in national ratings in bull riding, won top money for the grand finals, $103.20.

All round cowboys for the four days was Zeke Henry placed first in the Sunday afternoon finals in bull riding and tied for second in saddle bronc riding. In the grand finals he took top saddle bronc money.

Runner-up for all round cowboy was Merle Davis of Ponca City, who received $257.72. He won first in the grand finals in dogging with the excellent time of 6.7 seconds. Davis also won third in roping Monday night and third in dogging in the finals on Sunday.

Other Ponca City cowboys taking home money were Bob Williams with $180.31; Jim Wegner, $51.60 and Gene Cafferty and Dick Morgan, who received $5.26 each for a three-way tie for saddle bronc riding Monday night. Although not living in Ponca City at the present time, Morgan is a graduate of the high school.

The lure of the sport of professional rodeo is felt by others than cowboys. Entered in the rodeo here was a bus driver from Wichita, a high school senior from Copan, a carpenter from Albuquerque, N.M., and from Ponca City, Cafferty, a Baptist minister.

Winners in Sunday night finals were:

Bareback riding—Buck Rutherford, $71.45; Bob Williams, $53.59; John Mullins, $35.73; Ronnie Thomas, $17.86.

Calf roping—Buddy May, $142.52; Dwight Graham, $106.89; Harry Swalley, $71.26; Monty Epps, $35.63.

Saddle bronc riding—Zeke Henry, $49.20; Sonny Roberts, $36.90; Gilbert Acost, $18.45; George Chapman, $18.45.

Dogging—Bob Williams, $97.84; Bud McKinley, $73.37; Merle Davis, $48.92; Gene Clark, $24.46.

Bull Riding—Zeke Henry, $267.60 Harley Gilbert, $200.70; Jack Bass, $100.35; Gilbert Acosta, $100.35.

Grand final winners Monday nigh were:

Bareback riding—Darrel Thedford, $69.30; Buck Rutherford, $69.30; Leon Spencer, $29.70; Bob Williams, $29.70.

Calf roping—Sonny Worrell, 11.2, $195.20; Henry Hainzinger, 11.4, $146.40; Merle Davis , 12.1, $97.60; Harry Straw, 12.5, $48.80.

Saddle bronc riding—Dan Gose, $63.20; Buck Rutherford, $39.50; Zeke Henry, $39.50; Gene Cafferty, $5.26; Dick Morgan, $5.26; George Chapman, $5.26.

Dogging—Merle Davis, 6.7, $111.20; Bud McKinley, 7.0, $83.40; George Chapman, 8.2, $55.60; Gene Clark, 9.3, $27.80.

Bull riding—Bob Wegner, $103.20; Gilbert Acosta, $77.40; Jim Wegner, $51.60; Bob Williams, $25.80.

Barrell racing—Kathy Moor, $15; Sandy Clawson, $10; Monda Dee Cattrell, $2.50; Deloris Devon, $2.50.

UP AND OVER – goes Ponca Citian Jimmy Adams, who does a Roman riding act and trick roping on the rodeo circuit. Jimmy and his matched pair of horses will appear at the Cherokee Strip rodeo.

ANNOUNCER – Dialect humor and a running line of chatter with the rodeo clowns form a standard part of the performance of rodeo announcers such as Bill O' Conner, who will be at the microphone for the Cherokee Strip rodeo.

JIM GARNER – of Maverick fame is scheduled to visit Ponca City’s Cherokee Strip Rodeo. Garner is to be parade marshal for the Cherokee Strip parade.