Event: Black Hills Roundup Steer Roping

Date: TBD  2012

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: Roundup Grounds

Admission:

Steer Roping really wasn’t a part of SD rodeo history until Jim Thompson and Ralph Taton began what they called “Les Kleven Day” in Buffalo, SD in the mid 90s…it was held to introduce the event to regional rodeo fans and to honor the long time Sturgis broadcaster.  The event lasted 7 years as part of the Wyoming Steer Roping Association under the production of Thompson and Taton.

It wasn’t easy in the beginning, the Harding County Sheriff called Thompson, then in the SD State Senate to inquire about the legality of the event.  There was a commonly held misconception that “steer roping was only legal in 7 states!!”…with the help of Legislative Research Council member Rueben Bespaletz in Pierre, Thompson researched the rumor and found that not only wasn’t it true, but that no state had ever made steer roping illegal…never even considered it legislatively.  There was a time in Texas however, when the big ranches outlawed the event because too many of their cowboys were practicing on the ranch livestock!

Thompson, along with business partner Kay Jorgensen of Creative Broadcast Services, Inc, was instrumental in getting the steer roping event added to the Days of 76 in Deadwood in 1997.  Now 15 years later, that rodeo has been the Rodeo of the Year 13 times in the PRCA and the steer roping certainly has been part of that success.

Along with his brother Rick, Thompson worked with the Black Hills Round Up committee to add steer roping to their 4th of July rodeo in 2009.  Now in its 3rd year the event continues to draw cowboys from all over the country to steer-rope.  It also adds one more roping to the Badlands Circuit which makes it possible for the circuit to have a steer roping finals and qualify members for the National Steer Roping Circuit Finals in Torrington, Wyoming.

Come join us in Belle Fourche at the Round Up Grounds for Single Steer Roping during the 93rd Black Hills Roundup in 2012. No need for cheerleaders or loud music.. just good horses, men who know how to ride ‘em, and a crowd that can tell the difference.