William W. Bascom

Earl Wesley Bascom (1906-1995) was a prominent American-Canadian artist, inventor, and rodeo performer whose life was deeply intertwined with the American and Canadian West. Born in Utah, his family later relocated to Alberta, Canada, where he developed his early experiences in ranching and cowboy life. Bascom's artistic endeavors, which included painting, printmaking, and sculpture, often depicted his firsthand experiences as a cowboy and rodeo participant. He is recognized for his significant innovations in rodeo equipment and his role in shaping modern rodeo practices. Bascom was also a Hollywood actor and held strong ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His career spanned various roles, from a working cowboy on vast ranches to a celebrated artist and innovator, earning him numerous accolades and inductions into halls of fame.

Born in 1906 in Vernal, Utah, Earl Wesley Bascom's early life was shaped by his family's deep connections to ranching and frontier law enforcement. His father and grandfathers were involved in ranching and served as lawmen, with ancestors participating in historical events like the Utah War and the Black Hawk War. The family's history also included figures like a Pony Express rider and a member of the Mormon Battalion. In 1913, his father moved the family to Alberta, Canada, where they engaged in ranching. Bascom's childhood was marked by his mother's death at a young age and his early involvement in ranch work, even leaving school temporarily to work on a ranch. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen through his father's naturalization. The family moved back and forth between Utah and Canada during his formative years.

Bascom was a highly accomplished professional rodeo cowboy from 1916 to 1940, competing internationally and winning multiple all-around championships. He excelled in rough stock events like saddle bronc and bull riding, as well as timed events such as steer wrestling. His innovations in rodeo equipment were groundbreaking; he is credited with designing the modern bucking chute, the first hornless bronc saddle, and the first one-hand bareback rigging, earning him titles like "Father of Modern Rodeo" and "Father of Rodeo Bareback Riding." Bascom also played a role in introducing Brahma bulls to rodeo and co-produced early rodeos in Mississippi, including one of the first held at night under electric lights, which led to Mississippi's official recognition of Columbia as the "Birthplace of Mississippi Rodeo." His rodeo career also financed his college education at Brigham Young University, where he was known as "Rodeo's First Collegiate Cowboy."

Beyond his rodeo achievements, Earl Wesley Bascom was a prolific artist, known as the "Cowboy of Cowboy Artists." His artwork, encompassing painting, printmaking, and sculpture, drew heavily from his personal experiences as a cowboy and rodeo performer in the American and Canadian West. He was among the last individuals to have experienced the era of free-range ranching firsthand. Bascom's artistic output captured the essence of cowboy life, the landscapes of the West, and the thrill of the rodeo. His legacy extends beyond his art and rodeo innovations, as he was also an inventor and a Hollywood actor. He received significant recognition for his contributions, including the Pioneer Award from the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and inductions into multiple halls of fame.

“I worked for some of the big open-range outfits from Purple Springs to the Sweetgrass Hills and Kicking Horse Creek to the Milk River Ridge and the Canadian Rockies. On one roundup some 7,000 horses were gathered in one bunch a mile wide. And the Knight Ranch dipped 18,000 head of cattle. What a sight to see. The sight, the sounds, the smell I can still remember.”

“The life of a cowboy and the West, I know”