EVENTS
Calf Roper
Steer Roper
Loving, New Mexico’s Joe Welch was an outstanding professional cowboy from 1920 to 1946. Born in 1906, he grew up on a ranch and rode his first bull in a rodeo at age 14. His career included tours with the Miller Brothers’ 101 Ranch and Wild West Show and the Texas Kid’s Wild West Show in the 1920s.
Joe Welch took part in all events, but he specialized in roping. A protégé of Bob Crosby, Welch first competed professionally in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1923, placing third in bronc riding and first in wild horse racing. The next week he won the calf roping at Amarillo, Texas. During the 1930s he successfully roped at most of the major venues and competed ten times at Madison Square Garden.
After retiring from rodeo, Welch owned a restaurant in Carlsbad, New Mexico, and also raised and trained race horses at Ruidoso Downs. He died in 1991.
