Jim Shoulders, American Cowboy
By RICK GUNTER
Whenever Americans think of macho men, of so-called real Americans, they still would list the likes of John Wayne, George Patton, and a few other kindred spirits. Jim Shoulders belongs on that list, too.
He was called the Babe Ruth of the professional rodeo. He did not come by the title easily, either. I suspect nothing came easily to this city boy who made it big on the rodeo circuit.
He rode bucking broncos and irate bulls to a record 16 world-championship titles.
He got hurt a lot. “They hadn’t even invented concussions when I was still in rodeoing,” he told The Daily Oklahoman in February. “Back then, you just got knocked out and they poured water on you and drug you out of the arena and let you come to. I had a few of them.
“I got both collarbones broke a couple of times. I had a few ribs. A bull hit me in the face in Houston and broke 27 bones in my face. They had to do some plastic surgery on me there. Whey you got banged up, you just learned to heal real quick.”
Life magazine, while still in its prime, dubbed Mr. Shoulders “Mister Broken Bones.”
For all his tenacious efforts, Jim Shoulders probably never earned more than $50,000 in a single year. What he did earn the very hard way, his way, was seven bull-riding, world titles, four bareback-riding world crowns and five all-around world championships between 1949 and 1959. He captured three consecutive rodeo crowns, finishing first in each of three-world-championship categories in 1956, ’57, and ’58.
But his larger achievement may be that he moved the professional rodeo to a higher level of attention in the sporting world.
James Arthur Shoulders was born and reared in Tulsa, Okla. As the story goes, when he was 14, he took a break from his job harvesting wheat for 25 cents an hour to watch a smalltime rodeo on July 4th, in Oilton, Okla. An older brother, he recalled, had been riding bulls, so he figured why not give it a whirl.
“I won it and won $18, and that sure beat the hell out of 25 cents an hour.”
He was hooked. He also was a natural in what can be a violent game.
Across the years, the injuries increased. But so did his legend. He became an icon even to Americans who were not exactly rodeo fans.
With the legend and fame came a huge responsibility that Mr. Shoulders, a Westerner through and through, understood. Listen to his words:
“Being an ole bull rider, I always said we carried the rest of the rodeo anyway, because they always had the bull riding last and it was the most popular event. When we go to a car race, if you don’t see a wreck, you are a little disappointed. If you go to a rodeo and don’t see some wrecks, you are disappointed. The American people don’t want to see somebody get killed, but if someone gets killed, we don’t want to miss it.”
Finally retired, he experienced another level of fame appearing in Miller Lite commercials. The producers paired him with the outrageous Billy Martin. In one spot, the two legends are seen sidling up to a bar. Both are wearing cowboy hats. Mr. Shoulders announces to the camera, “I’ll teach Billy to be a cowpuncher as long as he don’t practice on my cows.”
He was not too impressed with today’s rodeos even though the purses are so much larger than they were when he was on the circuit. Last year, he visited a rodeo in Ada, Okla. “These days,” he said, “it seems like they need a little more riding and a little less bull. There were guys laying all over. Folks like to see a bull rode occasionally.”
Jim Shoulders, a true all-Åmerican male, died Wednesday, June 20, in Henryetta, Okla. He was 79 and he truly was an American
Whenever Americans think of macho men, of so-called real Americans, they still would list the likes of John Wayne, George Patton, and a few other kindred spirits. Jim Shoulders belongs on that list, too.
He was called the Babe Ruth of the professional rodeo. He did not come by the title easily, either. I suspect nothing came easily to this city boy who made it big on the rodeo circuit.
He rode bucking broncos and irate bulls to a record 16 world-championship titles.
He got hurt a lot. “They hadn’t even invented concussions when I was still in rodeoing,” he told The Daily Oklahoman in February. “Back then, you just got knocked out and they poured water on you and drug you out of the arena and let you come to. I had a few of them.
“I got both collarbones broke a couple of times. I had a few ribs. A bull hit me in the face in Houston and broke 27 bones in my face. They had to do some plastic surgery on me there. Whey you got banged up, you just learned to heal real quick.”
Life magazine, while still in its prime, dubbed Mr. Shoulders “Mister Broken Bones.”
For all his tenacious efforts, Jim Shoulders probably never earned more than $50,000 in a single year. What he did earn the very hard way, his way, was seven bull-riding, world titles, four bareback-riding world crowns and five all-around world championships between 1949 and 1959. He captured three consecutive rodeo crowns, finishing first in each of three-world-championship categories in 1956, ’57, and ’58.
But his larger achievement may be that he moved the professional rodeo to a higher level of attention in the sporting world.
James Arthur Shoulders was born and reared in Tulsa, Okla. As the story goes, when he was 14, he took a break from his job harvesting wheat for 25 cents an hour to watch a smalltime rodeo on July 4th, in Oilton, Okla. An older brother, he recalled, had been riding bulls, so he figured why not give it a whirl.
“I won it and won $18, and that sure beat the hell out of 25 cents an hour.”
He was hooked. He also was a natural in what can be a violent game.
Across the years, the injuries increased. But so did his legend. He became an icon even to Americans who were not exactly rodeo fans.
With the legend and fame came a huge responsibility that Mr. Shoulders, a Westerner through and through, understood. Listen to his words:
“Being an ole bull rider, I always said we carried the rest of the rodeo anyway, because they always had the bull riding last and it was the most popular event. When we go to a car race, if you don’t see a wreck, you are a little disappointed. If you go to a rodeo and don’t see some wrecks, you are disappointed. The American people don’t want to see somebody get killed, but if someone gets killed, we don’t want to miss it.”
Finally retired, he experienced another level of fame appearing in Miller Lite commercials. The producers paired him with the outrageous Billy Martin. In one spot, the two legends are seen sidling up to a bar. Both are wearing cowboy hats. Mr. Shoulders announces to the camera, “I’ll teach Billy to be a cowpuncher as long as he don’t practice on my cows.”
He was not too impressed with today’s rodeos even though the purses are so much larger than they were when he was on the circuit. Last year, he visited a rodeo in Ada, Okla. “These days,” he said, “it seems like they need a little more riding and a little less bull. There were guys laying all over. Folks like to see a bull rode occasionally.”
Jim Shoulders, a true all-Åmerican male, died Wednesday, June 20, in Henryetta, Okla. He was 79 and he truly was an American
posted by Rick Gunter at Thursday, July 05, 2007
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