Earl Bascom

Sculptor and Professional Cowboy

In life he followed faithfully his own philosophy, “If you want to be a champion bullrider, you have to ride the toughest bull.”

He was born in Utah and raised in Alberta. He started rodeo in 1916 at the age of ten. He was a champion in saddle bronco riding, bareback riding, bull riding and steer wrestling. In 1922 he invented the hornless bronco riding saddle. Two years later he invented the one-hand bareback rigging. He also invented the side-delivery rodeo chute. Upon retiring from rodeo, he became an accomplished cowboy sculptor. In 2000, he became the first Mormon inducted into the Cowboy Memorial Museum, located in Caliente California.

Earl was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the 2 June 1915. He started rodeo in 1916 at the age of ten. He was a champion in saddle bronco riding, bareback riding, bull riding, and steer wrestling. In 1922 he invented the hornless bronco riding saddle. Two years later he invented the one-hand bareback rigging. He also invented the side-delivery rodeo chute. Upon retiring from rodeo, he became an accomplished cowboy sculptor. In 2000, he became the first Mormon inducted into the Cowboy Memorial Museum, located in Caliente, California. After his award-winning rodeo career, Earl became an internationally known western artist and sculptor. He was the first cowboy elected a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Arts of London, England, and the oldest cowboy ever elected a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Artists Association.

Earl possessed artistic talents inherited from the family bloodlines, being a cousin to western artist Charles M. Russell (through Charles’s mother, Mary Elizabeth Mead) and a cousin to master sculptor Frederic S. Remington (through Frederic’s mother, Clarissa Bascom Sackrider). Earl was the last remaining cowboy artist who lived when both Remington and Russell were alive and producing master artwork.

Earl rodeoed from 1916 to 1940 and had memberships in the early-day Cowboys Turtle Association, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association, and the National Police Rodeo Association.
When the United States Sports Academy selected its first rodeo cowboy, Earl was the honoree. He was honored as a “rodeo pioneer” and his name has been inscribed on the USSA’s “Walk of Fame.” Earl’s name now stands with other great sportsmen such as basketball great Michael Jordan, boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and Olympic champion Carl Lewis.

Earl competed in the events of bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding, steer riding, steer wrestling, steer decorating, wild cow milking, and wild horse racing. He also worked as rodeo producer and stock contractor, rodeo announcer, pick-up man, hazer, rodeo clown, and bullfighter.

Roy Rogers, TV and movie star, said of Earl in 1968, “Earl Bascom is a walking history book. His knowledge of the Old West was acquired the old-fashioned way—he was born and raised in it.”

Later in life he served for many years as patriarch of the Victorville (California) Stake. He followed faithfully his own philosophy, “If you want to be a champion bullrider, you have to ride the toughest bull.” Earl Bascom rode into that big arena in the sky, a champion, on August 28, 1995.