EVENTS
Rodeo Livestock Contractor
Rodeo Producer
Born at Chillicothe, Missouri, in 1875, Charles Burton “C. B.” Irwin was among the early figures involved in the organization and promotion of rodeo. During his colorful career, he was a blacksmith, rancher, livestock agent, steer roper, Wild West Show entrepreneur, and rodeo promoter and contractor.
From his Y6 Ranch near Cheyenne, Wyoming, C. B. Irwin provided rough stock and administrative ability to the early success of the Frontier Days Rodeo. In 1912 he formed the Irwin Brothers Wild West Show, which performed at many state fairs (the bucking string included famed horses Steamboat and I Be Damn).
The Irwin Brothers Wild West Show was disbanded in 1917, but C. B. Irwin continued tirelessly to contract livestock and conduct contest rodeos throughout the Midwest and Great Plains for more than a decade. By the time of his death in 1934, rodeo was an established spectator sport in the United States.
