EVENTS
Rodeo Livestock Contractor
Dedication to the well-being of his livestock made Harley Tucker one of the most respected and admired men in the business. Born on a ranch near Joseph, Oregon, in 1908, Tucker began with a small bucking string in the 1940s and built one of the finest rodeo companies in the Pacific Northwest.
At their peak, Tucker’s buckers, Brahma bulls, steers, and calves gave even the sharpest cowboy a real challenge. Tucker owned the infamous saddle broncs, PDQ, Smokey, and Brown Bomber, as well as the bareback bronc, High Society, and the bull, Blacksmoke.
A marvelous showman, Harley Tucker produced fast-paced rodeos, with added attractions like covered wagons and matching white horses in the grand entry. His company worked 20 venues a year and also furnished stock for San Francisco, Salinas, Fort Worth, and the National Finals Rodeo. In 1960, while flanking bucking horses in Vancouver, Washington, Harley Tucker died suddenly of a heart attack. Said an admirer, “He couldn’t have picked a better way to die.
