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SCLT Explore History Program Features Sheridan WYO Rodeo
On Tuesday, July 12, in a three-part program, Carrie Edinger, SCLT Historical Program Manager, presented a program on the history of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.
The WYO is 95 years old this year. Edinger said she found much of the history from Tom Ringley’s book, Rodeo Time in Sheridan, Wyoming, a History of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. She took the history of the rodeo from a start-up, independent first-class rodeo in 1931 through the challenges of WWII.
Edinger presented some of the highlights of the rodeo’s history, and the early rodeos in Sheridan.
These early rodeos were held on the first fairgrounds, near where the Mill Inn Motel currently stands. An 1897 Sheridan Enterprise article about the rodeo stated that there was a procession from The Sheridan Inn to fairgrounds, commercial stalls, and shooting galleries, as well as horse races, bucking steers and broncs, and polo games. The article also noted that over 500 Indians were in attendance.
In 1914, the Sheridan Stampede was held. It was a three-day event in conjunction the 4th of July, it was organized by Dr. William Frackleton, known around Sheridan as the Sagebrush Dentist. Events included a stagecoach hold-up, car races, bronc busting, polo, and multiple Indian events.
The Crow and the Cheyenne tribes were involved in the stampede. According to the newspaper article, the Sheridan community had to obtain government permission for the Indians to leave the reservation to come to the stampede.
The Crow Indian term, Bots Sots, meaning “Heap Good,” was used for this rodeo.
In 1916, the Frackleton retired, and the Sheridan Commercial Club put together a big county affair. Other rodeos followed throughout the years.
Sheridan wanted an organized, annual event. So, in1931, the founders reached out to Cheyenne Frontier Days and other rodeos to understand how to organize and finance the event. A permanent site was needed so the rodeo was moved to the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.
They needed a name for the rodeo, and three names were entered in a local contest. Sheridan WYO Rodeo was selected.
The first official Sheridan WYO Rodeo was held on July 15-16-17, 1931. The parade had bands, Indian tribes, American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps, a prairie schooner, and many other entries. It was estimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 people attended.
During WWII, the rodeo was canceled.
But, after the war, in 1951, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo returned, and in 1956, a new grandstand was built.
The second and third parts of the program were dedicated to All-American Indian Days, with a talk by Judy Slack, local historian, and a special showing of Gregory Nickerson’s documentary “No Indians or Dogs Allowed? Sheridan, Wyoming and the Miss Indian America Pageant.”
All American Indian Days will be another story.
