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National Rodeo Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2008
Claire Belcher Thompson
Gladys Rogers Emmons, later known as Claire Belcher, was born on February 9, 1902, in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Gladys developed an interest in horses through her aunt, Mabel Barnes, an accomplished equestrian. Mabel taught her English-style riding, and Gladys excelled in dressage, participating in exhibitions throughout Massachusetts.
In the 1920s, she met rodeo performer Bob Belcher at a rodeo in North Adams, Massachusetts. Bob introduced her to the world of rodeo, particularly bulldogging, a dangerous sport where riders leap from horses to wrestle steers to the ground. Gladys, now going by Claire Belcher, became the Miller Brothers’ only female bulldogger, performing in their 101 Ranch Wild West show.
Claire and Bob toured the rodeo circuit extensively, with Claire becoming renowned for her daring skills in bulldogging, trick roping, and bronc riding. Newspapers frequently praised her beauty, bravery, and skill. By the mid-1920s, Claire was a prominent rodeo star, holding titles such as “World’s Champion Cowgirl Steer Wrestler” and performing across the country. She set records in bulldogging, most notably at the Cotton Palace Rodeo in Texas in 1926, where she threw a steer in eight-and-four-fifths seconds.
Claire’s fame continued to grow throughout the late 1920s, with her and Bob becoming fixtures in the rodeo world. However, the strain of the rodeo lifestyle led to the end of their marriage in 1928. Shortly after their divorce, Claire met and married bulldogger Jack “Red” Thompson. The pair toured extensively, competing in rodeos across the U.S. and Canada. They also traveled to England with Tex Austin’s Wild West Show in 1934.
Despite her success, Claire faced numerous injuries, and by the mid-1930s, both she and Red struggled with health issues. After sustaining serious leg injuries during a bronc riding competition in 1936, Claire took months to recover. Red, having been gored by a steer in 1938, was forced to retire from rodeo in 1940 due to his declining health.
Claire scaled back her rodeo activities in the 1940s to care for Red, who eventually went blind. She supplemented their income by writing for rodeo magazines and, in 1946, opened a riding school, the Western Riding Academy, to help pay for Red’s medical expenses. Red passed away in 1950, and Claire eventually remarried Frank Lohre, a retired bronc rider. The couple managed Cobb Park Stables in Texas before relocating to Florida in 1959.
Gladys Rogers Emmons, later known as Claire Belcher, was born on February 9, 1902, in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Gladys developed an interest in horses through her aunt, Mabel Barnes, an accomplished equestrian. Mabel taught her English-style riding, and Gladys excelled in dressage, participating in exhibitions throughout Massachusetts.
In the 1920s, she met rodeo performer Bob Belcher at a rodeo in North Adams, Massachusetts. Bob introduced her to the world of rodeo, particularly bulldogging, a dangerous sport where riders leap from horses to wrestle steers to the ground. Gladys, now going by Claire Belcher, became the Miller Brothers’ only female bulldogger, performing in their 101 Ranch Wild West show.
Claire and Bob toured the rodeo circuit extensively, with Claire becoming renowned for her daring skills in bulldogging, trick roping, and bronc riding. Newspapers frequently praised her beauty, bravery, and skill. By the mid-1920s, Claire was a prominent rodeo star, holding titles such as “World’s Champion Cowgirl Steer Wrestler” and performing across the country. She set records in bulldogging, most notably at the Cotton Palace Rodeo in Texas in 1926, where she threw a steer in eight-and-four-fifths seconds.
Claire’s fame continued to grow throughout the late 1920s, with her and Bob becoming fixtures in the rodeo world. However, the strain of the rodeo lifestyle led to the end of their marriage in 1928. Shortly after their divorce, Claire met and married bulldogger Jack “Red” Thompson. The pair toured extensively, competing in rodeos across the U.S. and Canada. They also traveled to England with Tex Austin’s Wild West Show in 1934.
Despite her success, Claire faced numerous injuries, and by the mid-1930s, both she and Red struggled with health issues. After sustaining serious leg injuries during a bronc riding competition in 1936, Claire took months to recover. Red, having been gored by a steer in 1938, was forced to retire from rodeo in 1940 due to his declining health.
Claire scaled back her rodeo activities in the 1940s to care for Red, who eventually went blind. She supplemented their income by writing for rodeo magazines and, in 1946, opened a riding school, the Western Riding Academy, to help pay for Red’s medical expenses. Red passed away in 1950, and Claire eventually remarried Frank Lohre, a retired bronc rider. The couple managed Cobb Park Stables in Texas before relocating to Florida in 1959.
