Wednesday, March 11, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
9
History rides in Sisters Rodeo poster
Sisters Rodeo 75th
Anniversary poster art was
unveiled at the monthly meet-
ing of the rodeo association.
The Dennis McGregor
poster depicts the era of
the first of Sisters Rodeo in
1940. The saddlebronc cow-
boy is reminiscent of mus-
tached characters of the Old
West, dressed in a throwback
loose-fitting shirt and baggy
dungarees.
“I talked to a lot of peo-
ple about this painting,”
McGregor said. “I wanted to
give a true historical repre-
sentation of Sisters Rodeo in
1940.”
The painting clarifies why
McGregor has become a pre-
mier poster artist in Central
Oregon. The richness of stars
in a blue-black sky above sun-
down colors over the Three
Sisters sets off the boldness
of the sorrel paint horse and
its rider. There is detailed
accuracy in the gear, from the
horse’s halter to the horsehair
rope gripped by the cowboy.
According to celebrated
Sisters-based hat-maker Gene
Baldwin, the hat McGregor
chose for the cowboy is a
“Tom Horn hat,” customized
by the legendary cowboy
detective with a crease down
the middle that extended to
the back of the hat, dented on
the sides.
“Most cowboys put some
sort of identifying crease or
tuck on their hats to individu-
alize them,” said Baldwin.
“This was Horn’s.”
McGregor was not aware
of the significance of his
choice.
I talked to a lot of
people about this
painting. I wanted to
give a true historical
representation of Sisters
Rodeo in 1940.
— dennis Mcgregor
“Tom Horn rode with
Roosevelt in Cuba,” Baldwin
added, “ and became a Pinker-
ton detective. He worked for
the Wyoming Cattlemen’s
Association controlling rus-
tlers. On his big black horse
with his distinctive hat, people
were struck with fear when
they saw him riding in.”
Horn was paid a $750
bounty for rustlers, and his
kills were noted by his place-
ment of a rock under the
rustler’s head. The colorful
cowboy of American West
history was wrongfully con-
victed and hung in 1901 for
the death of a boy, accord-
ing to Western historians.
Romantic entanglement was
suspected as the cause of the
conviction.
“He was set up,” Baldwin
said.
Even the saddlebronc in the
poster depicts an era 75 years
past. The big-jawed paint
horse has old scars and ragged
unshod hooves in a nod to his-
torical reality. Rough stock, as
bucking stock is known, was
exactly that, rough, even in
appearance. Scar tissue and
damaged hides were non-
issues. As long as the animal
wasn’t lame and could buck,
cosmetics be damned.
From Gene Autry’s Cham-
pion to Tom Mix’s mount,
Tony, there was not much
attention given to the care of
horses’ feet in the time period
through the 1940s, includ-
ing being fitted with horse-
shoes. Rodeo horses wore
their hooves down moving
over rocky ground in the off-
season. To this day, bucking
horses are not shod, although
photo provided
dennis Mcgregor captured the hardy spirit of vintage rodeo for the Sisters
Rodeo’s 75th year.
they may get their hooves
trimmed if they don’t get a
natural leveling wear as they
move across ranch lands.
T h i s c o m m em o r a t i v e
poster is available at several
locations, including the rodeo
ticket office, Leavitt’s, Open
Range, Stitchin’ Post and
many other outlets in Central
Oregon.
Sisters Rodeo will begin
June 10 with Xtreme Bulls
followed by four rodeo per-
formances June 12-14. For
tickets and information, call
the ticket hotline at 541-549-
0121 or 1-800-827-7522, or
visit the ticket office at 220 W.
Cascade Ave. in Sisters. For
more information visit www.
sistersrodeo.com.
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