EVENTS
Champion Team Roper, 1958
Born in Mariposa County, California, in 1926, Ted Ashworth grew up working with cattle on his grandfather’s ranch. He developed his roping skills while on cattle drives, practicing heel catches on steers for hours on end, and participated in his first rodeo contest at age 12.
After serving in the Navy, Ashworth joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1949 and began competing around the West while also working construction around Modesto. He took the team-roping title in 1958, edging out Dale Smith by a mere $13 for the gold buckle. Ashworth became a six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier (1959-60, 1962-65) in the team roping and won at major venues such as the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver, the Reno (Nevada) Rodeo and California Rodeo Salinas.
A well-remembered contestant on the western circuit, Ted Ashworth died in 2009.
