Distinctly Montana Magazine

101 w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m of Big Timber along the Sweetgrass Creek, it is home to Mon- tana's first Lutheran congregation. The beautiful Melville Lu- theran Church was built near the Cremer Ranch about the same time the Cremers started homesteading nearby and it still stands there today. Just east of the Crazy Mountains, the Cremer Ranch gradually grew with sound business practices, hard work, and shrewd land purchases. About that same time, legislation was introduced in the U.S. Congress proposing the Crazies become a national park. Congress failed to pass the legislation, however. When officials in the National Park Service considered the idea again in 1935, they determined a national park wouldn't be feasible because "half of the land is owned by the Northern Pacific Railroad or is in private hands." But before all that, Leo J. Cremer, a strapping, square-jawed muscular chap, toiled trying to eke out a living for his new fam- ily. Then around 1919 Cremer saw his first rodeo. He then gave rodeo a try for himself. He won two titles in back-to-back years for "dogging" (a.k.a. steer wrestling) at the Livingston, Montana rodeo. Then in 1926, some friends in nearby Big Timber came calling with a sudden urge to create an impromptu rodeo just for themselves. Leo Cremer's steeds were, they thought, perfect for bucking. Without hesitation they "borrowed" some of Cremer's stock while he was away in the field haying. They held their very personal, makeshift rodeo right there in Cremer's barnyard. When Cremer returned from the fields and witnessed the hijinks for himself, the seeds for Cremer's rodeo company were planted. So bitten by the rodeo bug, his interest in the great Western sport grew and soon Cremer would begin producing rodeos for others to see. Mr. Rodeo was born. The Cremer Ranch served as head- quarters for his traveling rodeo, which he called "Leo J. Cremer's World Champi- onship Rodeo Company." Though it was a working ranch that raised livestock, the Cremer Ranch also raised the best string of bucking horses in the entire state of Montana. Perhaps the world. Cremer came to know a good rodeo performance must captivate the audi- ence with thrilling moments. Good stock animals contributed to a rodeo by show- casing strength, agility, and a wild spirit. The explosive energy of a bucking bronc, the ferocity of a charging bull, and an animal's performance are every bit as im- portant to the show as that of the cowboys who ride them. Someone once said, "For any rodeo to make a big hit, there has to be men who keep the stock fit." Cremer knew this. Then perfected it. And in doing so, he revolutionized the sport of rodeo forever. In those early years, Cremer trailed his horses to nearby rode- os in Big Timber, Butte, Livingston, and Billings. Then in 1934 he bought his first semi truck and began hauling stock farther away to places like Lewistown, Great Falls, and Miles City. Around 1936 he began using buffalo in his rodeo shows for the first time…until one of them killed his favorite horse. That's when Cremer retired his small herd of buffalo and began using buck- ing steers instead. Always innovating, Cremer then switched to bigger, stronger Brahma bulls. More and more semi trucks later, Cremer was hauling his stock to bigger and better events in Col- orado, Louisiana, Idaho, Texas, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. Eventually, Cremer began using the locomotive to move his stock to shows in other parts of the country. He wined and dined the railroad people so he could talk them into accommodating his needs. Or more aptly, the needs of his animals. Like convinc- ing them to put sand down in baggage cars so his stock was com- fortable and could get to destinations faster. Doing so was easier on his animals than loading them into cattle cars. Between events, Cremer still tended to his herd at home and also spent time at smaller rodeos in the state looking for the very best bucking horses money could buy. "Any bronc that can be ridden by a range hand will be immediately cut from my herd," he said, as Cremer believed "good horses are not made, they are born."

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