EVENTS
Bull Rider, Champion, 1939-1942
Rodeo Trick Rider
Born into a rodeo family at Canton, Oklahoma, in 1913, Dick Griffith performed as a trick rider with his father, Curley Griffith, in the 1920s. At age 12 the youngster ran away from home to join the famed 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. His determination to follow his father into the business led him to a varied career.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Dick Griffith became a champion, riding bulls and bareback broncs in major rodeos around the nation. He returned to trick riding in time to join Tex Austin’s 1934 London show. Griffith’s specialty act was best known for his shoulder stand on a running horse as it jumped over a convertible (with the top down). Griffith’s wife and son were also part of the act.
Dick Griffith kept riding bulls until the 1960s. Known for his flashy clothes and his riding style, Griffith “rarely ever lost his cool, or his hat. . . .” He retired in Acton, California, and died in 1984.
