Bud Parker, Rodeo Boss

Calf Roper and Well Known Cattleman, Parker,

Will Take His First Bow as Rodeo Boss Sunday At Amado;

Special Ropers to Be Matched In Arena

Bud Parker is going to put on rodeo at Kinsleys!

If you don't think that's news, you don't know cowboys.

....Bud Parker, anywhere in the southwest, is a name to do tricks... the cattlemen on the range or the cowboys in the arena.... ?? Bud has been battling around with the cattle business as a working cowboy, as a cattle buyer, horseman and, last but not least, as a roper. He has competed in many rodeos and has been a judge in a number of them; in fact, has officiated as one of the three judges in the Tucson rodeo for the 12 years of its existence. But this is Bud's first appearance as an arena director and manager. He will stage the show this Sunday afternoon.

The rodeo at Kinsleys, which is near Amado on the Nogales road, will be a little show, as rodeos go, but don't figure the excitement according to size—for that little show will be the warming-up session for the crack ropers and riders in the rodeo business, all of whom now are in Tucson or nearby awaiting the opening of the annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, which starts here on February 20.

Located right in the heart of the cattle country (Amado is one of the most active shipping stations in this end of Arizona), the Sunday show will draw more than the ordinary number of working cowboys to take part in the steer riding and bareback bronc riding contests. There will be plenty of laughs and excitement in that, but the highlights of the bill will come when the bronc riders and the ropers appear.

Don't think for a minute that, because this rumpus is not one of the shows like the Tucson rodeo and has no long list of prizes, the boys will be pulling their punches in either event. It's a good gamble that there will be more money up in side bets on most of the roping than would be in the purses of any of the good size shows for the same event.Because in southern Arizona these lads take their roping seriously. Anyone who doesn't believe that can get all the figures from some of the northern ropers who have tried to compete with them.

In addition Parker has added several special roping events, both in the steer tying and calf tying. Johnny Rhodes of Oracle is matched in a calf tying event against Jack VanRyder, western artist; Breezy Cox and an unnamed partner will be matched in a steer roping event against Jake McClure of New Mexico and Arthur Beloat of Buckeye, Ariz. If Breezy's unnamed partner happens to turn out to be Bud Parker himself, I want to see that match!

Someone was trying to rig up another match between Ed Echols and Bill Nicholson, so as to have all the arena judges of the Tucson show tied up in this calf-catching fracas. That wouldn't be bad, either.

((text missing--5 column inches?))

...in that event in 1912 and has been a top flight roper ever since, and Nicholson builds his own loop right today in handling his stock out on the Twin Buttes range.

In addition to the rodeo, introducing the new ringmaster, there will be a big barbecue prepared for the visitors and enough steers will be placed in the barbecue pits so that none will leave hungry. Big Boy Kinsley will be in charge of that feature of the day's sports.

Sunday should be a right busy day at Amado.

60

The original publisher and date of this article are unknown. Proper permissions and crediting will be used as soon as possible.

Thanks to the Bud Parker family for providing this article.

(ovk--"twelve year after" The internet reports that the Tucson rodeo started in 1925. That would put this article around 1937. But artifacts of the article imply that the article was a postwar, 1940's, article. )