Distinctly Montana Magazine

104 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 3 (PRCA) stepped in and had to change the rules. Cremer knew the most important ingredients at a rodeo included having the best possible stock, providing classy and colorful acts, conducting a well-organized event, and making sure every attempt was made to woo the crowd. And because of this, his rodeos were often re- garded as the very best productions in every regard. Cremer, who dressed like a cowboy as often as his riders did, was considered the first rodeo producer to regularly include special acts at rodeos. Clowns, trick riders, and jumpers all first appeared in Cremer's rodeos. Nancy Sheppard was one of the performers who traveled with Cremer's team. She was billed as the only woman who could stand on a running horse while twirling two ropes at the same time. Cremer also tapped the ra- dio announcer Cy Taillon for the crow's nest. Cremer recognized Taillon's unique abilities and felt he was perfect for announcing rodeos. Someone once said Taillon could play a rodeo crowd the way a musician played an instrument, "by instinct and with per- fect pitch." Outside of the rodeo arena, Cremer was just as colorful as he was inside it. Though he was mostly busy raising cattle and man- aging his rodeo company, Cremer somehow found time to serve two terms in the Montana State Senate. He was first elected to the legislature as an independent in 1949, winning by just one vote. He then again served in 1951. While serving, he playfully introduced a bill proposing Montana move its state capital from Helena to Big Timber, which caused quite a ruckus in the halls of the capitol as well as the newspapers. Eventually the bill was tabled indefinitely, but not before Cremer had his fun debating it with his colleagues in senate chambers. Over time, the Cremer Ranch grew to over 80,000 acres, in- cluding land in three counties and more than 4,800 head of live- stock. By age 60, Cremer's rodeos were among the most watched and most popular in the country. His rodeo was seen in such magnificent places as Hollywood, Madison Square Garden in New York and at the Calgary Stampede in Canada, which was considered the greatest show of its kind in the world. The rodeos were some of the finest in the nation and were often the first time many people outside of the West were introduced to the sport. But it all came to a tragic end on Saturday, November 29, 1953. Renowned blue ribbon stretch of the Missouri River just north of Craig, MT 406.468.0080 | www.hiddencanyonlodge.com Best Fly Fishing Resort 520 W GRIFFIN DR, BOZEMAN, MT 59715 (406) 587-3092 DANIELSGOURMETMEATS.COM CUT AND SMOKED IN-HOUSE, USING FAMILY RECIPES FOR THREE GENERATIONS.

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