EVENTS
Rodeo Trick Rider
At age five, Don Wilcox saw a Wild West show and made up his mind to be a trick rider. Born at Arkansas City, Kansas, in 1914, he grew up on a ranch near Tulsa and became an experienced rider in early boyhood. Learning without a teacher, Wilcox invented his own unique repertoire of roping and riding tricks. At age 15 he toured with the Boy Scout Mounted Troop of America, and three years later he signed a contract with Homer Todd’s outfit.
In a 31-year career Don Wilcox headlined for all of the major producers, including Gene Autry, Everett Colburn, Verne Elliott, Beutler Brothers, Col. W. T. Johnson, and Harry Knight. Wilcox got top billing in Dallas at the 1936 Texas Centennial. On his stallion, Big Step, or his gelding, Star, Wilcox performed amazing feats–double vaults, rollovers, under-the-neck and under-the-belly passes, and shoulder stands, to name a few.
While still in demand as a specialty act, Don Wilcox nevertheless retired in 1960. He bred and trained horses until his death in 1984.
