EVENTS
Calf Roper
Steer Wrestler
Trick Roper
Buff Douthitt was born in Hagerman, New Mexico, in 1924 and raised on a 60,000-acre cattle ranch near Roswell. He cowboyed from childhood and entered his first major rodeo at age 15, becoming the youngest contestant ever to win an event at Madison Square Garden. Joining the Turtles in 1939, he rodeoed throughout the country with New Mexico greats Bob Crosby, Tater Decker and Bill Hancock.
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With the exception of a three-year stint in the Marines during World War II, Douthitt was a full-time professional rodeo cowboy from 1939 to 1978. He entered, won or placed at all the major venues, accumulating some 50 trophy saddles and 70 buckles over 40 years. Douthitt also developed a unique trick roping act that was performed on a slack rope above the ground, and he was a model and spokesman for the H.D. Lee (jeans) Company known as the “Lee Rider.”
In 1966, Buff Douthitt designed and developed a unique “Horse-House Trailer” to reduce the cost of attending rodeo venues around the country. Production soon expanded into travel trailers and relocatable homes, but this amazing financial success did not remove Douthitt from his cowboy and rodeo roots. He continued riding and roping, nearly capturing the team roping championship at the 1983 National Old Timers Rodeo Association finals.
