The Texas Prison Rodeo

On October 1, 1849, an inmate was brought to the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. He was the first inmate in the new partially completed Walls Unit, and was serving time as a convicted horse thief. At the time of his arrival, the town of Huntsville, TX had no idea that their new resident’s interest in horses was a sign of their future claim to fame as home of the Texas Prison Rodeo.

   Years later, in 1931, the general manager of the prison system, Marshall Lee Simmons, dreamed up the idea of the prison rodeo. Starting that same year, his dream came alive and an annual prison rodeo was held (with the exception of a one year cancellation in 1943 for WWII) until 1986. The rodeo, known as the Texas Prison Rodeo, drew famous entertainers and fans from across the country to watch the feats of the contestants and connect with the isolated inmate population. The crowds were huge and the competition was fierce. In 1933 under the leadership of Albert Moore, the rodeo had two shows in October and averaged over well over 15,000 spectators.

   The rodeo consisted of its own unique lineup of events: goat roping, wild cow milking, bronc riding, bull riding, wild mare milking, mule races, chariot races, barrel racing, greased pig sacking, calf roping, a mad scramble, and hard money. In the mad scramble, ten bulls were turned loose with a rider on their back and the first rider to still be aboard and make it to the other end of the arena on the bull won. For the hard money event, a sack filled with $50 was tied to a bull’s horns. The contestant could keep the money if he got the sack free. The feats were dangerous, and the arena was electric with excitement. The inmates competing were ordered to wear prison stripes so they wouldn’t get lost in the crowd and have the chance to escape, making them stand out in the stark contrast of their cowboy hats and striped apparel.

   Female inmates had also been present at the rodeo as performers and side show entertainment since its inception. Women from local areas were involved too, often participating in the pageant to be named rodeo queen. Neither female inmates or outside female community members were allowed to compete in the rodeo though until the 1970’s. When they were accepted into competition, their participation was limited to three main events known as women’s events. Women’s events included barrel racing, calf roping, and greased pig sacking. The ladies continued to compete in the rodeo until 1981 when they were moved from the Goree Unit in Huntsville to the prisons in Gatesville.

   Legendary singer and man in black Johnny Cash gave his first ever prison concert during the rodeo in Huntsville, Texas in 1956, kicking off what would become a prison concert tour of sorts. He was followed by many other  famous entertainers who performed at the rodeo including Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and George Strait. Hollywood even took an interest and came to shoot footage of the rodeo for the movie Urban Cowboy.

  Inmates made their claims to fame through their success in the arena as well. O’ Neal Browning received a life sentence in 1949. The following year he participated in his first prison rodeo and won the Top Hand Prize. Over the next thirty years, Browning won the Top Hand Prize six more times. He remains the only convict cowboy to win titles across three separate decades.

   Some inmates returned to participate in the rodeo after they finished serving their time. A man named Bert Stonehocker returned to his role as rodeo clown after his release and was the first former inmate allowed in the rodeo as a free man. The second inmate returning from the free world to participate was a burlesque performer by the name Candy Barr. She sang at 5 different shows during the 1966 rodeo.

  The last rodeo was held in 1986. Several reasons for its demise were cited, with the stadium infrastructure crumbling and funding unavailable. But the moments that arena held live on in the memories of the country.