The United Cowboys Turtle Association

After the successful strike at Boston, the cowboys and cowgirls continued with their new organization. They elected a Board of Directors, created a fee structure, and established rules for the organization. They named themselves the Cowboys' Turtle Association. No one is quite sure how or why they chose the turtle. The prevailing story is that turtles move forward by sticking their necks out of their shell. The cowboys moved their association forward by sticking their necks out and striking. More and more cowboys and cowgirls joined the "Turtles." Each member was given a pin and a copy of the rule book.

After reading the rules in the article above, would you want to join with the Turtles?

The pins above were given to members when they paid their membership fees. These pins were a source of pride for the cowboys. Many of the early members held onto their pins even after the Cowboy's Turtle Association changed its name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1945.

Membership in the CTA provided members with a network of others that could support them in all aspects of the rodeo life. They could argue for a change to a rule, bring a dispute against a producer, or find someone to travel with on the road from rodeo to rodeo. It also created rules of conduct that the contestants and producers needed to follow.

How do you think the rules and networking of the CTA helped or hindered the cowboys and cowgirls?

The Cowboys' Turtle Association attracted more contestants to its membership each year. In the early spring of 1945, the membership opted to reorganize to include more people in the association. The members changed the name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association. During the next 30 years, the Rodeo Cowboys Association became synonymous with the top athletes and top events in the Sport of Rodeo. The big rodeos of Cheyenne, Denver, and Fort Worth were leading members. The biggest athletes of the sport were also members - Freckles Brown, Jim Shoulders, Larry Mahan, and Casey Tibbs.

In 1975, the Rodeo Cowboys Association added the word Professional to their name. Today, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is the largest membership organization of rodeo athletes. It includes rodeo contestants, the people that organize the rodeo, clowns, announcers, trick riders, the people that raise the animals, and many more. Benefits of being a PRCA member include the ability to enter the largest rodeos in the country, health insurance for when they are injured, and access to large corporate sponsorship contracts.