Pete Knight (rodeo)
Encyclopedia
Peter Charles "Pete" Knight (May 5, 1903 - May 23, 1937) was a World Champion Rodeo Bronc Rider and an international superstar of Rodeo. Knight was the acclaimed "King of the Cowboys" of the 1930s, and held the Rodeo Association of America title "World Champion Bronc Rider" for 1932, 1933, 1935, and 1936.
, in the spring of 1918. At the first competition he entered at Crossfield in June, 1918, Knight won second place in the bucking contest. His riding style was influenced by Yakima Canutt
, and was later witnessed by Calgary Stampede
founder Guy Weadick
, who invited Knight to compete in the 1923 Calgary Stampede
; breaking his leg in a riding accident, Knight was unable to compete that year.
At the 1924 Calgary Stampede
, Knight won second place in the Canadian Bucking Horse Championship event by 1/10 of a point behind the Canadian Champion, Pete La Grandeur. In 1925, Knight was invited to join the Alberta Stampede Company, a travelling rodeo firm which toured North America. While riding with the company in Montreal
in October, 1926, Knight rode the legendary bucking horse, "Midnight". In 1927, Knight won both the North American Open Bucking Championship and the Canadian Bucking Championship at the Calgary Stampede, placing his name on the Prince of Wales' Cup for the first time.
At the Hand Hills Lake Stampede situated near Drumheller, Alberta
, Knight won the bucking horse event through four consecutive years (1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927) and the wild horse race event in 1928.
At the 1930 Calgary Stampede, Knight won the Canadian Championship Bucking event for the second time, and weeks later, won the 1930 bucking event at the Cheyenne
Frontier Days
Rodeo
. In 1931, Knight won the World Series Rodeo bucking event held in Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, and was chosen to compete against three other riders (the bucking event winners of the 1931 Rodeos at Calgary
, Pendleton, Oregon
, and Cheyenne) for the Jack Dempsey
Trophy, which Knight won at Reno, Nevada
in the Ride of Champions event held in June, 1932. He went on to win the bucking event at the 1932 Pendleton Round-Up
in Pendleton, Oregon.
Knight entered the Calgary Stampede in 1933, again winning both the North American Open Bucking Championship and the Canadian Championship Bucking event, and was presented with the Prince of Wales' Cup for perpetuity. Later in 1933, Knight won the bucking event held at the World's Fair
Rodeo in Chicago. Later that year, Country Music recording artist Wilf Carter
recorded "Pete Knight, The King of the Cowboys." The same year, Knight performed screen tests and rode bucking horses in movies for silver screen star Tom Mix
at Los Angeles.
In 1934, Knight was invited to ride in England with the Tex Austin
Rodeo Troupe. Later in 1934, Knight was invited to Melbourne
, Australia, where he rode in the Stewart McColl pageant with fellow rider Yakima Canutt
. The Rodeo Association of America (RAA) named Knight the World Champion Bronc Rider for 1932, 1933, 1935, and 1936. At the Rodeo held in Boston Gardens in 1936, Knight helped organize the Cowboy strike, becoming a founding member of the Cowboys Turtle Association (CTA) in 1936.
On May 23, 1937, Knight was trampled to death by a horse called "Duster", at the Hayward
Rodeo in California
. He was buried at Lone Tree Cemetery
in Fairview
near Hayward.; his remains were later reinterred in 1960 at the Greenwood cemetery in Hot Springs, Arkansas
. Pete Knight's cups, trophies, saddles and buckles became a permanent fixture at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
, USA. In his hometown of Crossfield, Alberta, the town named its arena in honor of Pete Knight, and holds an annual "Pete Knight Days Rodeo".
Bronc Riding career
Knight began formal riding training at the Deep Dale Ranch, Crossfield, AlbertaCrossfield, Alberta
Crossfield is a town in southern Alberta, Canada within Rocky View County.Crossfield is located 43 kilometers or north of the City of Calgary, on Highway 2....
, in the spring of 1918. At the first competition he entered at Crossfield in June, 1918, Knight won second place in the bucking contest. His riding style was influenced by Yakima Canutt
Yakima Canutt
Yakima Canutt , also known as Yak Canutt, was an American rodeo rider, actor, stuntman and action director.-Biography:...
, and was later witnessed by Calgary Stampede
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 features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
founder Guy Weadick
Guy Weadick
Guy Weadick was an American performer and promoter. Today, he is best known as the founder of the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada.- Early years :Weadick was born in 1885, in Rochester, New York....
, who invited Knight to compete in the 1923 Calgary Stampede
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 features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
; breaking his leg in a riding accident, Knight was unable to compete that year.
At the 1924 Calgary Stampede
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 features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
, Knight won second place in the Canadian Bucking Horse Championship event by 1/10 of a point behind the Canadian Champion, Pete La Grandeur. In 1925, Knight was invited to join the Alberta Stampede Company, a travelling rodeo firm which toured North America. While riding with the company in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in October, 1926, Knight rode the legendary bucking horse, "Midnight". In 1927, Knight won both the North American Open Bucking Championship and the Canadian Bucking Championship at the Calgary Stampede, placing his name on the Prince of Wales' Cup for the first time.
At the Hand Hills Lake Stampede situated near Drumheller, Alberta
Drumheller, Alberta
Drumheller is a town within the Red Deer River valley in the badlands of east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located northeast of Calgary...
, Knight won the bucking horse event through four consecutive years (1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927) and the wild horse race event in 1928.
At the 1930 Calgary Stampede, Knight won the Canadian Championship Bucking event for the second time, and weeks later, won the 1930 bucking event at the Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
Frontier Days
Frontier Days (rodeo)
Frontier Days is a common name for a major rodeo event. At least five cities called their annual rodeo "Frontier Days."-Cities with a "Frontier Days" event:* Prescott, Arizona* Willits, California* Abbyville, Kansas* Charlotte, Michigan...
Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
. In 1931, Knight won the World Series Rodeo bucking event held in Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, and was chosen to compete against three other riders (the bucking event winners of the 1931 Rodeos at Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
, and Cheyenne) for the Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
Trophy, which Knight won at Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
in the Ride of Champions event held in June, 1932. He went on to win the bucking event at the 1932 Pendleton Round-Up
Pendleton Round-Up
The Pendleton Round-Up is a rodeo held in Pendleton, Oregon, United States, during the second full week of September each year, since 1910. The rodeo brings roughly 50,000 people every year to the city of Pendleton...
in Pendleton, Oregon.
Knight entered the Calgary Stampede in 1933, again winning both the North American Open Bucking Championship and the Canadian Championship Bucking event, and was presented with the Prince of Wales' Cup for perpetuity. Later in 1933, Knight won the bucking event held at the World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
Rodeo in Chicago. Later that year, Country Music recording artist Wilf Carter
Wilf Carter
Wilf Carter , also known as Montana Slim, was a Canadian country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and yodeller...
recorded "Pete Knight, The King of the Cowboys." The same year, Knight performed screen tests and rode bucking horses in movies for silver screen star Tom Mix
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin "Tom" Mix was an American film actor and the star of many early Western movies. He made a reported 336 films between 1910 and 1935, all but nine of which were silent features...
at Los Angeles.
In 1934, Knight was invited to ride in England with the Tex Austin
Tex Austin
John Van "Tex" Austin was an American rodeo promoter, known as the King of the Rodeo or "Daddy of the Rodeo" because of his efforts to popularize the rodeo outside of its core American West demographic....
Rodeo Troupe. Later in 1934, Knight was invited to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia, where he rode in the Stewart McColl pageant with fellow rider Yakima Canutt
Yakima Canutt
Yakima Canutt , also known as Yak Canutt, was an American rodeo rider, actor, stuntman and action director.-Biography:...
. The Rodeo Association of America (RAA) named Knight the World Champion Bronc Rider for 1932, 1933, 1935, and 1936. At the Rodeo held in Boston Gardens in 1936, Knight helped organize the Cowboy strike, becoming a founding member of the Cowboys Turtle Association (CTA) in 1936.
On May 23, 1937, Knight was trampled to death by a horse called "Duster", at the Hayward
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
Rodeo in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was buried at Lone Tree Cemetery
Lone Tree Cemetery
Lone Tree Cemetery is a cemetery and funeral home in Fairview, California, near Hayward. The site was first established in 1868.-People interred:*William Dutton Hayward, namesake of the city of Hayward*Pete Knight, 1950s rodeo champion...
in Fairview
Fairview, California
Fairview is a census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. It borders on the city of Hayward. The population was 10,003 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
near Hayward.; his remains were later reinterred in 1960 at the Greenwood cemetery in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
. Pete Knight's cups, trophies, saddles and buckles became a permanent fixture at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, USA. In his hometown of Crossfield, Alberta, the town named its arena in honor of Pete Knight, and holds an annual "Pete Knight Days Rodeo".