ProRodeo Hall of Fame

The contestants at the 1936 Boston Garden Rodeo were upset about the low pay for their performances. They banded together by signing this petition. It was delivered to the producer of the rodeo by Richard (Dick) Truitt, Hugh Bennett, Herman Linder, and Richard (Dick) Griffith.

Everett Bowman competed in rodeo as a tie-down roper, steer wrestler, and steer roper. He was elected to be the first Speaker of the Cowboys' Turtle Association. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979 as an all-around cowboy.

Portrait of a man wearing a black cowboy hat, white shirt, dark jacket, and striped tie.

Photograph, Everett Bowman

Everett Bowman

Hugh Bennett competed as a steer wrestler. He was chosen by his fellow cowboys to present the petition to Colonel Johnson. He was then chosen as the first Secretary/Treasurer of the Cowboys' Turtle Association. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979 as a steer wrestler.

Portrait of a man wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and a dark shirt.

Photograph, Hugh Bennett

Hugh Bennett

Dick Truitt competed mostly as a tie-down roper and a steer wrestler. He was chosen to take the petition to Colonel Johnson on behalf of his fellow cowboys.

Portrait of a man wearing a light-colored hat, white shirt, and dark jacket.

Photograph, Dick Truitt

Dick Truitt

Everett Shaw competed as a steer roper for more than 15 years. He was the fist signer of the petition that created the Cowboys' Turtle Association. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979 as a steer roper.

Portrait of a man wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, a white shirt, and dark tie.

Photograph, Everett Shaw

Everett Shaw

Dick Griffith competed in rodeo as both a bull rider and a trick rider. He was chosen by fellow contestants to be part of the committee to present this petition to Colonel W.T. Johnson. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1989 as a bull rider.

Portrait of Dick Griffith. He is wearing a light-colored hat and a satin shirt.

Photograph, Dick Griffith

Petition from Cowboys to Colonel William T. Johnson

Follow the organization of individual rodeo contestants into a professional sport.

The Formation of a Sport

Cowboys Turtle Association, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1937.

The United Cowboys Turtle Association

Cowboy and Cowgirl Contestants at the 1936 Madison Square Garden Rodeo.

Early Contestants

At the 1936 Boston Garden Rodeo, 61 cowboys refused to participate in the rodeo because they were not going to be paid what they had been promised. Look at the Petition in the last activity and answer the questions below.

Cowboy Strike

Colonel William T. Johnson chose to offer less money to the contestants at the Boston Garden Rodeo than originally promised. Upset by this change, the contestants refused to participate in the Rodeo. The documents in the slide show document the strike by the contestants.

Cowboys Strike!

While rodeo began on the plains of Kansas, Texas, and other western states in the 1880s, it took many years before it became a professional sport. In 1936, sixty-one cowboys joined together to fight for proper payment and representation. They were the first to speak out against the injustices practiced by rodeo producers. These men created a new organization for the cowboys and cowgirls for whom rodeo was becoming a career.

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Becoming a Profession: Rodeo Becomes a Sport

Petition from Cowboys to Colonel William T. Johnson

Created by ProRodeo Hall of Fame

Guiding Question

Everett Bowman