Midnight was foaled in 1916 on the Cottonwood ranch in the Porcupine Hills, west of Fort MacLeod, in Alberta, Canada.[1] He was originally owned by Jim McNab. He was a black horse standing 15.1 hands (61 inches, 155 cm) and weighing 1,300 pounds.[2] He was a crossbred horse.[1] He was Thoroughbred on his dam's side and Percheron/Morgan cross on his sire's side.[1] Midnight was branded with McNab's Door Key brand.
When he was a three-year-old, McNab broke him to be a saddle horse by using him for a cow horse. He used him this way for two years. Midnight's spirit was so erratic that he was ready to buck even after a one- or two-day ride.[1] According to an article by a writer in the Oklahoman, Midnight is a legend. "As often happens with legends, both human and equine, recounting the early days of such standouts can be difficult and confusing. As a rodeo historian, I have heard it both ways: Midnight was never gentled, always bucked from the very start; or Midnight was broken to the saddle and served on the McNabb Ranch as a using horse."[3]
Career - 1920sedit
McNab had tired of dealing with Midnight by 1920.[1] He decided to try his luck using the horse for bucking at some nearby rodeos.[1] In 1924, he entered Midnight in the Calgary Stampede rodeo.[1][2][4] Midnight was proclaimed the "champion bucking horse of Western Canada."[2] During the 1920s, Midnight developed the reputation of being unrideable. Those attempting to ride him were usually thrown off in only 2 to 3 seconds.[citation needed] At that time, the target was to ride the horse for ten seconds. Then, in 1926, according to the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, a cowboy who would some day be in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame rode Midnight in Montreal, Quebec. An article in the Calgary Herald also claims Pete Knight rode the horse.[4][1]
It was in the late 1920s that McNab sold Midnight to stock contractors Peter Welch and Strawberry Red Wall.[5][2][3] The two were producers for Canadian rodeos.[5] The pair then also acquired a smaller black horse called Tumbling Mustard.[5] Tumbling Mustard's previous owner was a Sarcee Indian reservation.[5] Not too long after that, the pair sold both horses to Colonel Jim Skew.[5] Supposedly, he paid $250 for the horse but he was just "too much horse" for his show's riders.[3] So, Skew turned around and sold both to producers Eddie McCarty and Vern Elliot.[1] They hailed from Wyoming and Colorado.[1] Verne and McCarty were a team who operated together.[1] Verne was a notable rodeo producer and stock contractor who was inducted into ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1990.[2] He was the last owner of the two horses.[2]
1930s careeredit
Some say it is only rumors that he was ridden by a cowboy named Pete Knight during Cheyenne Frontier Days at some point in the early 1930s.[2] Regardless, according to many sources, no one is on record as having officially ridden Midnight, despite his long career and multiple appearances in large rodeos.[2] However, the Texas Trail of Fame claims he was ridden by nine riders.[6] He bucked at the inaugural National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, Colorado, in 1931.[7][6] This continued until 1933 when he retired from bucking at the end of Cheyenne Frontier Days due to ringbone disorder.[1][5] However, owner and horse made one trip to England. Midnight took four exhibition rides there, in Wembley Stadium. They soon returned home where Elliot retired Midnight to the pasture of his ranch.[2]
Deathedit
About three years after retirement, Midnight died on November 5, 1936, at the Denver Rodeo.[1] He was buried on the McCarty-Elliott Ranch in Johnstown, Colorado, originally.[1] He was estimated to be around 20 years old. He was buried beneath a gravestone saying: "Underneath this sod lies a great bucking horse. There never lived a cowboy he couldn't toss. His name was Midnight, his coat as black as coal. If there is a hoss-heaven, God please, rest his soul."[8] Tumbling Mustard was renamed to Five Minutes to Midnight.[9] He also died on the ranch and was buried there. Later, both horses were moved and buried on the grounds of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[10][11] Both horses were posthumously inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979.[5][1][9] On July 9, 1967, in recognition of Midnight, Jim McNab officially opened the Midnight Stadium in Fort MacLeod, Alberta.[1]
^ abcdefghijklmnopq"1981". Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
^ abcdefghi"Midnight: The world's greatest bucking horse - TheFencePost.com". 3 August 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
^ abc"Midnight Left Trail of Battered Riders". NewsOK.com. 1989-02-26. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
^ ab"Stampede 100 Day Countdown: 1924". Calgary Herald. 2012-04-10. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
^ abcdefgh"Midnight - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame". Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
^ abc"Midnight". Western Heritage from the Texas Trail of Fame. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
^"World-famous bucking bronc, Midnight, at first National Western rodeo". Retrieved 8 October 2016.
^Lawrence, Elizabeth Atwood (1984-05-15). Rodeo: An Anthropologist Looks at the Wild and the Tame. University of Chicago Press. p. 124. ISBN9780226469553. Midnight bucking horse.
^ ab"Five Minutes To Midnight - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame". Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
^"A Final Resting Place for Rodeo Bulls & Good Horses". Atlas Obscura. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
^"Oklahoma City museum is final resting place for animal rodeo greats". NewsOK.com. 2015-10-19. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
^"Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame". www.cfdrodeo.org. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
^"Midnight". Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame. pendletonhalloffame.com. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
^"Midnight: Champion Bucking Horse - The Blithering Bookster". Retrieved 8 October 2016.
October 31, 2023
midnight, horse, midnight, 1916, 1936, bucking, horse, 1979, inducted, into, prorodeo, hall, fame, midnightbreedthoroughbred, percherondisciplinesaddle, broncfoaled1916colorblackhonorsinducted, into, prorodeo, hall, fame, contents, early, life, appearance, car. Midnight 1916 1936 was a bucking horse who in 1979 was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame MidnightBreedThoroughbred x PercheronDisciplineSaddle broncFoaled1916ColorBlackHonorsInducted into ProRodeo Hall of Fame Contents 1 Early life and appearance 2 Career 1920s 3 1930s career 4 Death 5 Honors 6 Pop culture 7 See also 8 ReferencesEarly life and appearance editMidnight was foaled in 1916 on the Cottonwood ranch in the Porcupine Hills west of Fort MacLeod in Alberta Canada 1 He was originally owned by Jim McNab He was a black horse standing 15 1 hands 61 inches 155 cm and weighing 1 300 pounds 2 He was a crossbred horse 1 He was Thoroughbred on his dam s side and Percheron Morgan cross on his sire s side 1 Midnight was branded with McNab s Door Key brand When he was a three year old McNab broke him to be a saddle horse by using him for a cow horse He used him this way for two years Midnight s spirit was so erratic that he was ready to buck even after a one or two day ride 1 According to an article by a writer in the Oklahoman Midnight is a legend As often happens with legends both human and equine recounting the early days of such standouts can be difficult and confusing As a rodeo historian I have heard it both ways Midnight was never gentled always bucked from the very start or Midnight was broken to the saddle and served on the McNabb Ranch as a using horse 3 Career 1920s editMcNab had tired of dealing with Midnight by 1920 1 He decided to try his luck using the horse for bucking at some nearby rodeos 1 In 1924 he entered Midnight in the Calgary Stampede rodeo 1 2 4 Midnight was proclaimed the champion bucking horse of Western Canada 2 During the 1920s Midnight developed the reputation of being unrideable Those attempting to ride him were usually thrown off in only 2 to 3 seconds citation needed At that time the target was to ride the horse for ten seconds Then in 1926 according to the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame a cowboy who would some day be in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame rode Midnight in Montreal Quebec An article in the Calgary Herald also claims Pete Knight rode the horse 4 1 It was in the late 1920s that McNab sold Midnight to stock contractors Peter Welch and Strawberry Red Wall 5 2 3 The two were producers for Canadian rodeos 5 The pair then also acquired a smaller black horse called Tumbling Mustard 5 Tumbling Mustard s previous owner was a Sarcee Indian reservation 5 Not too long after that the pair sold both horses to Colonel Jim Skew 5 Supposedly he paid 250 for the horse but he was just too much horse for his show s riders 3 So Skew turned around and sold both to producers Eddie McCarty and Vern Elliot 1 They hailed from Wyoming and Colorado 1 Verne and McCarty were a team who operated together 1 Verne was a notable rodeo producer and stock contractor who was inducted into ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1990 2 He was the last owner of the two horses 2 1930s career editSome say it is only rumors that he was ridden by a cowboy named Pete Knight during Cheyenne Frontier Days at some point in the early 1930s 2 Regardless according to many sources no one is on record as having officially ridden Midnight despite his long career and multiple appearances in large rodeos 2 However the Texas Trail of Fame claims he was ridden by nine riders 6 He bucked at the inaugural National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver Colorado in 1931 7 6 This continued until 1933 when he retired from bucking at the end of Cheyenne Frontier Days due to ringbone disorder 1 5 However owner and horse made one trip to England Midnight took four exhibition rides there in Wembley Stadium They soon returned home where Elliot retired Midnight to the pasture of his ranch 2 Death editAbout three years after retirement Midnight died on November 5 1936 at the Denver Rodeo 1 He was buried on the McCarty Elliott Ranch in Johnstown Colorado originally 1 He was estimated to be around 20 years old He was buried beneath a gravestone saying Underneath this sod lies a great bucking horse There never lived a cowboy he couldn t toss His name was Midnight his coat as black as coal If there is a hoss heaven God please rest his soul 8 Tumbling Mustard was renamed to Five Minutes to Midnight 9 He also died on the ranch and was buried there Later both horses were moved and buried on the grounds of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City Oklahoma 10 11 Both horses were posthumously inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979 5 1 9 On July 9 1967 in recognition of Midnight Jim McNab officially opened the Midnight Stadium in Fort MacLeod Alberta 1 Honors edit2006 Texas Trail of Fame 6 2003 Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame 12 1981 Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame 1 1979 ProRodeo Hall of Fame 5 1969 Pendleton Round Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame 13 Pop culture editIn 1974 a 96 page novella entitled Midnight Champion Bucking Horse was written about him by Sam Savitt 14 See also editList of historical horsesReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 1981 Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Retrieved April 29 2019 a b c d e f g h i Midnight The world s greatest bucking horse TheFencePost com 3 August 2009 Retrieved 8 October 2016 a b c Midnight Left Trail of Battered Riders NewsOK com 1989 02 26 Retrieved 14 May 2017 a b Stampede 100 Day Countdown 1924 Calgary Herald 2012 04 10 Retrieved 14 May 2017 a b c d e f g h Midnight Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Retrieved 30 March 2017 a b c Midnight Western Heritage from the Texas Trail of Fame 2013 06 11 Retrieved 13 May 2017 World famous bucking bronc Midnight at first National Western rodeo Retrieved 8 October 2016 Lawrence Elizabeth Atwood 1984 05 15 Rodeo An Anthropologist Looks at the Wild and the Tame University of Chicago Press p 124 ISBN 9780226469553 Midnight bucking horse a b Five Minutes To Midnight Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Retrieved 14 May 2017 A Final Resting Place for Rodeo Bulls amp Good Horses Atlas Obscura 14 August 2014 Retrieved 30 March 2017 Oklahoma City museum is final resting place for animal rodeo greats NewsOK com 2015 10 19 Retrieved 13 May 2017 Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame www cfdrodeo org Retrieved 13 May 2017 Midnight Pendleton Round Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame pendletonhalloffame com Retrieved 3 January 2018 Midnight Champion Bucking Horse The Blithering Bookster Retrieved 8 October 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Midnight horse amp oldid 1169316168, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
