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City. After the parade, the group will perform an afternoon
tour of Miles City, stopping at almost every bar downtown.
A flock of fans trails behind them to hear them play, thus pa-
tronizing the kindly bars and boosting the local economy.
"THE BUCK COMES OUTTA THE HEART."
- THIRD-GENERATION RANCHER JOHN MOORE
Unofficially, the first Bucking Horse Sale took place in
1950. According to rancher, journalist, author and prairie
wise man John L. Moore, a man named Les Boe went down to
Ekalaka on behalf of the Miles City Livestock Commission to
purchase yearling steers from another man, known as Heavy
Lester. Les successfully bought the steers, but Heavy Lester
threw in some 35 head of bucking horses that Les had no
idea what to do with. After brainstorming for a while, some-
one suggested a sale—which would end up being a three-
day experience that was incredibly successful. Community
members thought it would make a profitable annual event,
and in 1951 the World Famous Bucking Horse Sale made its
official debut. Local service organization the Jaycees got in-
volved around 1956 to help sell concessions and libations to
the mass of attendees, and soon the word about the one-of-
a-kind event spread worldwide. Press from all over the coun-
try and abroad flocked to Miles City to cover this unique
phenomenon, which of course attracted "the Golden Voice
of Rodeo" Cy Taillon. Famous for his precise diction and
grammar, he made it his mission to attend and announce the
Bucking Horse Sale for twenty-five years.
Trick roping (below) entertained audiences at early Bucking Horse Sale events
ARTHUR
ROTHSTEIN,
PHOTO
COURTESY
LIBRARY
OF
CONGRESS
(2)
CONTINUED
