Almost every year since 1902, Gunnison has hosted its own version of a western summer celebration — Cattlemen’s Days — one which today, as well as a century ago, generated great anticipation and enthusiasm among the locals. Early day events were primarily a showing off of range skills used by local cowboys. Today’s affair is a more polished and professional production; but it is still, to some degree, a reflection of activities originating on a ranch.
Almost every year since 1902, Gunnison has hosted its own version of a western summer celebration — Cattlemen’s Days — one which today, as well as a century ago, generated great anticipation and enthusiasm among the locals. Early day events were primarily a showing off of range skills used by local cowboys. Today’s affair is a more polished and professional production; but it is still, to some degree, a reflection of activities originating on a ranch.
The very first local rodeos were nothing more than “ranch rodeos” — gatherings where cowboys took turns riding wild broncs and practicing calf-roping. But such performances were exciting and soon these informal rodeos moved to town and were hosted by the local Cattlemen’s Association. Now local cowboys and cowgirls got up early and headed for Gunnison’s Main Street to start a celebration — first as participants in a parade and later as candidates for prize money at rodeo grounds.
One hundred years ago the Gunnison News Champion covered Cattlemen’s Days and reported, “What a celebration ... cattlemen, merry-go-rounds, cowpunchers, popcorn, horses, ice cream, more cowpunchers, red silk handkerchiefs, people, cars, races, brass bands, an eight legged calf, snakes …. “
The 1916 Cattlemen’s Days celebration consisted of a parade with entries of horses and riders, teams and wagons, and early-day motor cars. The parade was followed by hair raising contests held on downtown streets. Horse races, team driving contests, and bucking horse contests made up the program. One can only imagine the thrilling 1916 rodeo which was staged on the dirt streets and participated in by local ranchers, ranch hands, and a great number of cowgirls. Most had ridden ponies to town, some for short distances and some for more than twenty miles. These ranch horses, used primarily for work purposes at home, were soon thundering down the dusty thoroughfares of early Gunnison.
This celebration was held at the junction of Main and Virginia and booths extending up and down both sides of the street were flanked by a carnival. The newspaper does not indicate whether the various contests were all held at the downtown location or some were held elsewhere, but they included a “ladies with glass of water race” which required the lady to carry a glass of water on horseback and run full speed 200 yards — lady with the most water in glass at finish to win. A chuck wagon race was described as “a splendid exhibition of skill and accuracy with a round-up outfit.” There were horse shows, whip relay races, and wild horse races where some horses, it was said, “threw riders, some jumped fences, and some took sections of the fence with them.”
The 1916 celebration was followed by a big bash at the LaVeta Hotel which was attended by an immense crowd. Then weary cowboys and cowgirls and weary ponies rode back home to the hard work that awaited them back at the ranch. The not so nearly exciting haying season was about to begin.
-Judy Buffington Sammons
(Local author Judy Buffington Sammons’ six books on local and Western Colorado history are available at area book stores.)
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here