Round-Up’ Was First Rodeo
In 1905 the Miller brothers of the 101 Ranch offered to perform what they called a “round-up” or “buffalo chase” as an entertainment incentive for a National Editorial Association convention. Visitors were said to come to the ranch in 30 regular and special trains, and the crowd estimated at nearly 60,000 was thrilled to the exhibition of cowboys recreating real life ranch work from bronc riding and roping to Tom Mix’s debut as a roper and rider.
After years of success as the “101 Ranch Real Wild West and Great Far East Show” things at the ranch began to crumble in the late 1920s, due to the deaths of Joe in 1927 and George in 1929.
But the rodeo returned to the Ponca City scene.....In late 1959, Allan W. Muchmore, president of the chamber of commerce envisioned the plan of a rodeo as a part of the Cherokee Strip Celebration and appointed Scott Hancock as president of the Ponca City Rodeo Foundation, a subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce formed for the purpose of promoting and sponsoring rodeo here in Ponca City. The rodeo returned during the Cherokee Strip Celebration in September 1960. By 1962 the financial success of the Cherokee Strip Rodeo proved that people wanted the return of a show similar to the 101 Ranch Real Wild West Show and the history now continues on.
Congrats to Oilbear125 and Borntoscrap for FTF