Reg Kesler (October 16, 1919 – May 16, 2001) began his rodeo career at the age of 14 at the

Raymond Stampede The Raymond Stampede is an annual rodeo that is held in the town of Raymond, Alberta, Canada every 1 July. Famous for being Alberta's oldest rodeo, the Raymond Stampede is also known for being Canada's oldest professional rodeo, having started a ...

, competing in the boys

steer Steer, Steers or Steering may refer to: Animals * Steer or bullock, castrated male cattle * Ox, a steer used as a draft animal People * Steer (surname) * Steers (surname) Places * Steer Creek (West Virginia), a tributary of the Little ...

riding. At the time, it was common for cowboys to compete in many or even all the rodeo events, and Kesler was no exception as he grew into his rodeo career. He participated in all five major rodeo events of the time: saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie-down roping and steer decorating, a precursor to steer wrestling. Kesler especially excelled in the roughstock events, namely saddle bronc riding and bareback riding, appearing in the top four in the Canadian standings in those events six times. He was also a successful competitor in the wild cow milking and wild horse racing, an outrider in the chuckwagon racing, and a well-known pick-up man. Kesler was a

ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, pr ...

and

Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame The Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (CPRHF) was founded in 1979 to honour and distinguish outstanding contestants, builders, and animals in the Canadian rodeo arena. Inductees are qualified by the Canadian Rodeo Historical Association. The C ...

inductee. Kesler's first appearance in the record books was in 1948 when he was named Canadian All-Around Champion, winning a total of $1,960 and the first trophy saddle awarded by the Cowboys' Protective Association (CPA), the organization that eventually evolved into today's

Canadian Professional Rodeo Association The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) is the governing body of professional rodeo in Canada. Its championship event is the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) held every November. History The Canadian Professional Rodeo Organization was f ...

(CPRA). He earned the Canadian All-Around title again in both 1951 and 1953. He was crowned All-Around champion at the

Calgary Stampede The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and featu ...

in 1949 and 1950, and won the wild cow milking championship at " The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" three times. Although Kesler had started his own ranching operation in 1943, where he raised cattle, his journeys along the rodeo trail inspired the next stage of his career, and what he would ultimately be best known for. In the 1950s, due to the growing demand for bucking horses, Kesler set up a string of rough stock and became a

stock contractor A stock contractor is an individual or business that provides animals for rodeo competition. Stock contractors supply roughstock - horses for saddle bronc and bareback bronc riding (called buckjumpers in Australia) and bulls for the bull riding e ...

and rodeo producer. He supplied stock to rodeos and events across Canada, including the 1967 World Exposition in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

, the same year he officially retired from competition, and a number of rodeos across the United States. Kesler has been recognized a number of times for the contributions he made to the sport of rodeo during his lifetime. Of them, the highest honor is the

in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which inducted Kesler in 1992 for his contribution as a stock contractor. In 1989, Kesler was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Honors

* 2009

Rodeo Hall of Fame The Rodeo Hall of Fame was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1955. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of cowboys and cowgirls from around the world. The h ...

of the

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of Ame ...

* 2008

Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame in Fort Worth, Texas, dedicated to the sport of rodeo. History This hall of fame was founded by Johnny Boren. Also contributing to the foundation were a group of Belton, Texas, bu ...

* 1992

* 1990

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, dedicated to the preservation and history of sports within the province. It was created in 1957 by the Alberta Amateur Athletic Union (AAAU). The museum ...

* 1989

* Kesler Rodeo - Stock Contractors

References

External links

Canadian Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kesler, Reg 1919 births 2001 deaths People from Stirling, Alberta Canadian ranchers Stock contractors Sportspeople from Lethbridge All-Around Saddle bronc riders Bareback bronc riders Bull riders Roping (rodeo) ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductees

Honors

See also

References

External links