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Fort

Troy Fort Rodeo Photographs

Troy Fort Collection, 1955-1966
Collection SMS010
Accession 1988.19

Biography

With a rodeo career spanning more than fifty years, Troy Fort competed at the West of the Pecos Rodeo for more than forty of those years.

Troy’s many achievements include events such as New York’s Madison Square Garden to the Calgary Stampede in Canada and being crowned the World Champion Calf Roper in both 1947 and 1949.

Troy Fort, a native of Lea County, New Mexico, learned to rope with the best and that included having Jake McClure as one of his coaches.

He was known as a great stylist at calf roping and was picture perfect on his runs. People watched him with awe even when he failed to win. Troy became well-known for his calf roping style. He dismounted on the near side and approached the calf in a “business-like” manner, delivering slack ahead of his run. It was his “trademark.”

Fort was also famous for his horses, including a bay gelding named Streak and of course, the famous Baldy, a horse that he bought from Katherine Burk after the untimely death of her husband, Clyde. After Fort’s competitive days ended he served as the steer roping director for the PRCA for four years and served on the Rodeo Foundation Board for four years. He was inducted into the PRCA Hall of Fame in 1979. Fort was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1986.

Troy was also one of the founding members of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo in Lovington, New Mexico, and faithfully attended the yearly West of the Pecos Rodeo event.

Troy was born on December 8, 1917, in Lea County, New Mexico, and attended school in Lovington. He died January 2, 1993.

Scope & Content Note

The Troy Fort Rodeo Photographs contains six photographs of Troy Fort. Three of these photographs have copy negatives available. Some of the 8×10 inch black-and-white photographs show Fort calf roping in rodeos.

Subject Terms

Personal Names:
Fort, Troy

Subject Headings:
Calf roping
Horses
Rodeo

Processing Information

This collection was accessioned on January 16, 1989.

Preferred Citation

Troy Fort Rodeo Photographs, Box ##, Folder ##, Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Container List

Series 1: Troy Fort Rodeo Photographs

Series 1: Troy Fort Rodeo Photographs
Photographs have been scanned and cataloged in the Image Archive Database.
Box/Folder # Accession # Folder Title/Description
1 1988.19.05 Troy Fort posing with a horse. 1966. Fort Worth, TX. Photographer: James Cathey. Photograph, b&w, 8×10 in. Copy negative available (1988.019.05N).
1988.19.05N Troy Fort posing with a horse. 1966. Fort Worth, TX. Photographer: James Cathey. Copy negative.
1988.19.06 Sidney 1955, Red Light. Council Grove, KS. Photographer: O.J. Hebrank. Photograph, b&w, 8×10 in. Copy negative available (1988.019.06N).
1988.19.06N Sidney 1955, Red Light. Council Grove, KS. Photographer: O.J. Hebrank. Copy negative.
1988.19.07 Last time Fort roped off Baldy in competition, New Mexico State Fair Rodeo, 1951. Albuquerque, NM. Photographer: Hassebroek. Photograph, b&w, 8×10 in. Copy negative available (1988.019.07N).
1988.19.07N Last time Fort roped off Baldy in competition, New Mexico State Fair Rodeo, 1951. Albuquerque, NM. Photographer: Hassebroek. Copy negative.
1988.19.08 Troy Fort, Lovington, N.M., one great champ. Fort Worth, TX. Photographer: James Cathey. Photograph, b&w, 8×10 in.
1988.19.09 Troy & Joe at Sidney, Iowa. Council Grove, KS. 1955 ca. Photographer: O.J. Hebrank. Photograph, b&w, 8×10 in.
1988.19.10 Portrait photograph of a horse. 1955 ca. Published by Moss Photo Service. New York City, NY. Photograph, b&w, 10×8 in.

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