Since the 1930s, the name and fame of Mississippi rodeo has spread from Columbia on the Pearl River to Canada on the Old Man River.
It all started with the Bascom brothers – Earl and Weldon.
The Bascoms are credited with producing the first rodeo in Mississippi, held at the City Park in Columbia in 1935.
This rodeo heritage gave rise years later to the founding of the Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame at the birthplace of Mississippi rodeo.
Rodeo pioneer and Western artist Earl Bascom is also credited with helping another rodeo become famous.
Known world-wide as the “greatest outdoor show on earth,” — it is Canada’s famous Calgary Stampede.
In a recent publication —“Guide to the Calgary Stampede” — interesting aspects of that rodeo are featured.
It also lists the contributions that Earl Bascom made to the Calgary Stampede and to rodeo in general, such as his rodeo equipment inventions, and his being the first rodeo champion inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Founded in 1912, the Calgary Stampede lasts for 10 days and has $2 million in prize monies.
Earl Bascom had an attachment to the Calgary Stampede as early as 1924.
On the Bascom Ranch in Canada, Earl Bascom and his brothers cared for a string of horses.
Two of those horses, a pair of golden palominos named Bud and Goldie, were owned by rodeo producer Raymond Knight.
Those two horses had gained Canadian fame as champion roman racing horses.
In the summer of 1924, a Hollywood movie production company came to the Bascom Ranch and contracted to use the palominos in a Western movie starring cowboy actor Hoot Gibson.
Filmed at the Calgary Stampede of 1924, Hoot Gibson rode roman-style, standing straddle on the backs of the palominos, galloping in a wild race around the oval track and winning the race.
Released world-wide in 1925 with the title “The Calgary Stampede,” Hoot Gibson’s cowboy movie launched the Calgary Stampede to world class stature as it became the largest rodeo in the world.
Earl Bascom and Weldon Bascom were early contestants at the Calgary Stampede, competing in the three rough stock events of saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, and steer riding.
Earl Bascom won the North American Reserve Championship at the Calgary Stampede in 1933.
The “Guide to the Calgary Stampede” summarizes Bascom’s influence on the Calgary Stampede - “With the induction of Earl W. Bascom in 2015, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame welcomed its first Honored Member known for Rodeo. With the help of innovators like Bascom, the modernized version of the sport features new methods and equipment which helped shape the face and spirit of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” and with this invitation - “Visit Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame to see this piece of Canadian Rodeo history.”
Locally, there is a standing invitation to visit the Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame to see some of Mississippi’s rodeo history, as well, including cowboy Earl Bascom as the first inductee.
Pictured Above: Earl Bascom riding a saddle bronc at the Calgary Stampede in 1932. | Photo Submitted
