The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-11-16

on to the rope he pulled JAKE neal
and shoulders far forward. When tn,
bulls head came up, Jake, in thu
poor light, failed to get his head gu
of the way and the bulls head beinl
the hardest Jake passed out for abou
4 half an hour. His cheek was Gu
open to the bone. He landed some
ten feet behind the bull and in hi!
rapid descend he discovered a lo
of stars that have never been located
by the worlds most famous astrono
mers.
Jake was never a gutter, and he
went back in October, 1894, and rode
the bull to a dog-raw finish for which
he received a handsome medal made
of California gold with satin finish
Now and then you hear remark
from someone who pretends to know
lot about the Belgrade bull that
no man ever rode him. Others will
tell of men besides Ross who success
fully tackled the famous jumper from
the Gallatin valley but this story is
founded on the actual facts as many
residents of the vicinity of Belgrade
will testify.
A man named William Sitton rode
the bull at Belgrade in 1893 but he
used a double-cinch saddle and the
rear cinch was so tight that the ami
NAL was unable to get into real ac-
ton. Anyone who has ever put a
tight strap around a kicking milk
COW knows the effect it has.
At the state fair in 1894 rider
known as Kirkwood, who was after
wards drowned in the Missouri river,
received a purse of one hundred dol
lars for riding the bull, win, lose or
draw. In other words he was offered
the money whether he rode the bull
or failed in the attempt. Kirkwood
merely threw his leg over the cantle
board, hooked his spur in the cinch
and hung on to the horn with his
hand, lying alongside the bulls
neck, and never getting into the
saddle.
In addition, the bull had just been
in a box car from Butte
where he was open to all contestants
several days, and previous to that
had been worked out three days in
BY the time he arrived
at the state fair he was tired out, |
gaunted from light feeding and sore
and in no shape for real action.
The Belgrade bull was no stranger |
in Montana, particularly in Gallatin |
county. He was taken to many |
county fairs and appeared at Helena,
Butte and Bozeman sew
eral times where he was open to all |
corners. Many good riders travelled
from two to three hundred miles to
Try him out and he would throw them
before they were on, with his head
;nubbed to post.
Jake rode at the Montana State
air in Helena in 1903. He rode
wenty head during the week, for
which he received a gold medal.
These horses were advertised for and
,ame from many different places.
Needless to say they came with repu-
ations or they would not have been
here.
Speaking of the difference between
iding in the old days and now, Jake
avs "these days the horses are put
n a chute, saddled there and the
ider mounts in the chute. He rides {
few jumps and then men ride up |
nd grab the horse and rider At |
he State fair l had help in saddling
pen and rode seven head in 35 min t
ties. l mounted and dismounted in ]
ne open, alone, where the people I
Ould see." C
Winning the State Fair medal was C
ue entirely to Jake's best friend, s
Judge Albert J. Galen. Judge Galen d
as instrumental in having the man e
cement advertise a medal several 8
onths before the fair for broncho c
ding. The judge told Jake he G.
fought he still had one more good il
de left in him and he wanted him il
make it at the State fair, where Il
lie thousands who annually visit the O
eat exposition could see him, and
at is how he happened to be there.
Judge Galen, by the way, in his II
.rlier days was protege of Jake II
oss and a horseman of no mean 90
,ility himself. He rode the range y,
r number of years in company r,
it'll Jake. Those were happy days Vi
+ Al when he could saddle good
,rse and get out in the hills with IN
e roundup crew. Even today Jake Fl
ers that the judge would gladly Ia
anvil out of his auto to climb on the ~
ok of good horse. fir
Jake put on a wild-west show at ve
'ntral Park in Helena July and
1904, with Judge Galen as mana In
r. During this show, Miss Fannie in
erry, now Mrs. Fannie Sperry of
eele, champion woman rider of the re
rid, made almost her first public ar
pearance. She gave splendid evil ro
nee then of her ability and her m
ill has not waned to this day. Dur nj
3 this show, Jake rode about 20
ad of horses, one mule and two be
lis. The show was advertised for W,
Teral weeks and invitations issued ce
everyone to bring in the worst ia
sy had. fie
The famous Belgrade bull, which th
Ike rode, and for which he carries Os
medal, was a Holstein and his tn
light was 1850 when he was gaunt- tic
for action. He was owned by A. S. tic
d P. S. Johnson of Belgrade. The va
II was sold to Charles Beveridge of DO
lena who took him east with wild Sc,
st show and he was never ridden co
anyone afterward. cia
sh