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Breaking Trail: Cheyenne Frontier Days

By Shannon Strain

“Gotta go now baby, If I hurry I can still make Cheyenne.”

George Strait

Cheyenne. The “Daddy of ’em all.” One of the top 10 prize-money rodeos for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

This rodeo is a major event that takes place every summer with over 300,000 people visiting Cheyenne, Wyoming each year. It has a long and rich history that we’re going to talk about today!

The first Cheyenne Frontier Days took place in September 1897 and has been an annual event ever since. But why was Cheyenne chosen as the destination for this rodeo?

The town was in need of an event to help with the local economy. Some local businessmen and the mayor decided that showcasing cowboy talent would be a great attraction for the town! People from across the United States would travel to Cheyenne to see the cowboys and cowgirls compete. It began as a single day event the first year but expanded to two days the following year. Today, Cheyenne Frontier Days takes place across TEN days.

Let’s look through some photos from past Cheyenne Frontier Day rodeos to see how the event has changed over the years!

Leonard Stroud is trick riding at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Ralph R. Doubleday took this photo around 1920. (Leonard Stroud trick riding Cheyenne Frontier Days, ca. 1920, Leonard Stroud Collection, DRC, R.241.279.)
Helen Bonham was named Miss Wyoming around 1920. Doubleday also took this photo at Cheyenne. She was selected to act as the model for the Frontier Days poster as well. According to the newspapers, Bonham was a “champion woman broncho buster” who competed across the United States and Canada. (Helen Bonham, Miss Wyoming Frontier Days, Cheyenne, Wyo., ca. 1920, Photographic Study Collection, DRC, 2003.064.)
Omaha World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), July 6, 1919.
A group of cowgirls in 1926. Rose Smith and Ruth Scantlin Roach are among the women pictured. (Cowgirls Cheyenne Frontier Days 1926, Howard Tegland Rodeo Postcards Collection, DRC, 1991.046.156.)
Arapahoe Indians at frontier days, ca. 1925, Photographic Study Collection, DRC, RC2006.017.
Prairie Rose at Cheyenne around 1915. She was a champion bronc rider during the golden age of rodeo. She was known for her stylish outfits and costumes. (Prairie Rose Cheyenne Frontier, ca. 1915, Leonard Stroud Collection, DRC, R.241.235.)
Tom Larson is pictured on Black Diamond from the Knight Stock company at the 75th Annual Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1971. Jerry Gustafson took this photo. (Tom Larson on Black Diamond, Knight Stock, 75th Annual Frontier Days, Cheyenne, WY 7-24-8-1-71, 1971, PRCA Rodeo Sports News Photographs, DRC, 1998.08.3565.)
Going to Cheyenne for Frontier Days, ca. 1935, Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Photographs, DRC, 79.026.2381.
Mert Osness riding at Cheyenne in 1936. Osness was born in Norway, but later moved to the United States. He worked as a farm laborer and eventually bought his own ranch according to census records. He competed at several local rodeos and made a name for himself. Osness was named “Montana’s premier cowboy, by all rights of the American Rodeo association” in 1934. (Mert Osness- “sticks” tight. Cheyenne Frontier Days 1936, Photographic Study Collection, DRC, RC2007.088.2.)
Bonnie Gray jumps King Tut over a car at the 1926 Cheyenne Frontier Days. She was known as “King Tut Cowgirl” and was one of the best trick riders of her time. (Bonnie Gray jumping “King Tut” over auto, Cheyenne Frontier Days, 1926, Leonard Stroud Collection, DRC, R3241.66.)
Frontier Days Cheyenne, ca. 1925, Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Photographs, DRC, 79.026.2384.

Awards from Cheyenne in the American Rodeo Gallery

In addition to photos in the DRC, we have awards spanning decades from Cheyenne Frontier Days on display in the American Rodeo Gallery at The Cowboy! We selected a handful to show you here but know there is a lot more for you to come see at The Cowboy.

Ike Rude

Ike Rude entered his first Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in 1923. Rude won the Steer Roping Title in 1956 at Cheyenne. He became the oldest champion ever named at 62 years old. He continued competing and almost won again in 1971 but was a few seconds shy of the title at age 77! In total, he competed at Cheyenne 48 times throughout the years. (Saddle on loan from Sammie Rude Compton.)

Lorena Trickey

Lorena Trickey was a very talented cowgirl in the early-twentieth century and won numerous awards! Check out this photo from the Nashville Banner of Lorena Trickey holding her awards from the 1920 and 1921 Cheyenne Frontier Days. You can see these awards in the gallery when you visit The Cowboy!

Nashville Banner (Nashville, Tennessee), July 30, 1922.
Trophy Plaques. Lambert Brother’s Jewelers, 1920 & 1921. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. R.256.10 A & B.
The Denver Post Trophy Cup. Essen Silver Co., 1921. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. R.256.5.
The Denver Post Trophy Cup. Forbes Silver Co., 1924. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. R.256.4.
The Denver Post Trophy Cup. Essex Silver Co., 1926. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. R256.3.

Turk Greenough

Turk Greenough was named the “World Champion Bronc Rider” in 1933, 1935 and 1936. This is the trophy saddle he won in 1936 sponsored by the Union Pacific Railroad. You can see the logo engraved on the saddle. To learn more about Greenough read our post, “Breaking Trail: Calgary Stampede.” (Trophy Saddle. Powder River Saddlery Co., 1936. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 80.14.)

Concluding Thoughts

We enjoyed doing the research for this post! Cheyenne Frontier Days still happens every year in July – so seeing the events unfold in real time has been cool. I love comparing old photos from the archive with photos being posted on social media. Some things change, but some things will always be the same!

I hope you’ll join me further down the trail for our next post in the “Breaking Trail” series where we uncover the stories of the American West at The Cowboy!

Want to know more about the history of rodeo? Check out these books from Persimmon Hill!

Richard C. Rattenbury, “Arena Legacy: The Heritage of American Rodeo.”

Heidi M. Thomas, “Cowgirl Up!: A History of Rodeo Women.”

Chris Enss, “Along Came A Cowgirl.”

Sources

Newspapers

“Miss Helen Bonham of Cheyenne, Wyo. “Teddy her horse and “Miss Wyoming” in which she is the central figure. She was chosen from a big field of eastern and western beauties.” Omaha World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), July 6, 1919.

Omaha World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), July 6, 1919.

“Cheyenne Girl is Model for Frontier Day Poster.” The Wood River Sunbeam (Wood River, Nebraska), August 21, 1919.

“Scra-a-atch ‘im cowboy! Its Frontier Days.” Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, Nebraska), July 2, 1922.

Nashville Banner (Nashville, Tennessee), July 30, 1922.

“Tales of the Town.” Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana), March 30, 1934.  

Websites

“125 Years of History.” Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Cheyenne Frontier Days Website

“Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame Inductees.” Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“Cheyenne Frontier Days.” Local Legacies – Celebrating Community Roots. The Library of Congress.

“Cheyenne Frontier Days.” ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

“History.” Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Mike Kassel. “Angier and the Founding of Cheyenne Frontier Days.” Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“Prairie Rose Henderson.” National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Photos

Cowgirls Cheyenne Frontier Days 1926, Howard Tegland Rodeo Postcards Collection, DRC, 1991.046.156.

Prairie Rose Cheyenne Frontier, ca. 1915, Leonard Stroud Collection, DRC, R.241.235.

Helen Bonham, Miss Wyoming Frontier Days, Cheyenne, Wyo., ca. 1920, Photographic Study Collection, DRC, 2003.064.

Mert Osness- “sticks” tight. Cheyenne Frontier Days 1936, Photographic Study Collection, DRC, RC2007.088.2.

Tom Larson on Black Diamond, Knight Stock, 75th Annual Frontier Days, Cheyenne, WY 7-24-8-1-71, 1971, PRCA Rodeo Sports News Photographs, DRC, 1998.08.3565.

Bonnie Gray jumping “King Tut” over auto, Cheyenne Frontier Days, 1926, Leonard Stroud Collection, DRC, R3241.66.

Leonard Stroud trick riding Cheyenne Frontier Days, ca. 1920, Leonard Stroud Collection, DRC, R.241.279.

Frontier Days Cheyenne, ca. 1925, Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Photographs, DRC, 79.026.2384.

Going to Cheyenne for Frontier Days, ca. 1935, Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Photographs, DRC, 79.026.2381.

Arapahoe Indians at frontier days, ca. 1925, Photographic Study Collection, DRC, RC2006.017.

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