EVENTS
Bronc Rider
Steer Wrestler
Ambrose “Nowata Slim” Richardson was born on a farm near Nowata, Oklahoma, in 1894. An unwilling farmhand, he left home at age 16 to work on ranches and follow the rodeo circuit.
Nowata Slim Richardson performed in locally-produced Wild West shows in Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas before being noticed by major producers. In 1924 Nowata Slim accompanied Tex Austin’s rodeo extravaganza to London and then performed across Europe in Tommy Kirnan’s show.
Richardson easily made the transition from show work to real competition. One of early-day rodeo’s greatest contestants, he won at Denver, Cheyenne, and the other major venues of his day. In 1924 he captured the all-around championship at Madison Square Garden, and two years later he won the bronc-riding title in Chicago. Temporary paralysis ended his competitive career, and he became a producer and livestock trader. Nowata Slim Richardson died in 1982 in Los Angeles.
