Bio
A ranching and rodeo legend from Oklahoma, Ben Johnson Sr. was a teen when he first worked as a cowboy at the Chapman-Barnard Ranch near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. After training horses for British and French Troops during World War I, he hit the rodeo circuit.
He was the World Champion Steer Roper at the Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1922, 1923 and 1926. He roped three steers in 18 seconds to set a world record at the Pendleton Roundup in 1927.
In 1935, he became foreman of the Chapman-Barnard Ranch, which was 85,000 acres. He operated his own ranch near Foraker, Oklahoma.
His son Ben Johnson Jr. was a renowned rodeo performer and Academy Award-winning actor.
