Bob Christophersen

Modern-era Rodeo

Inducted 2012

Bob Christophersen was born in Iowa on March 21, 1950, to John and Edith (Kunkel) Christophersen.

He wrestled steers at youth rodeos in 1959. While competing in high school rodeo, winning Iowa State steer wrestling championship in 1966 and ‘69. He was also Iowa State All-around Champion in 1966 and 2nd in bull riding and 3rd in calf roping. In 1966, ‘68 and ‘69, Christophersen was National High School Rodeo Association steer wrestling champion and runner up in ‘67. In college rodeo, he participated in steer wrestling, calf roping and ribbon roping. He earned his RCA card in 1967.

Christophersen qualified for six NFRs in the 1970s, winning the steer wrestling average in 1971 and 1975. He lived on what he earned on the rodeo circuit during the ‘70s. He was the champion steer wrestler at the San Francisco Cow Palace Rodeo in 1973 and at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1987.

He participated in the PRCA-Montana Circuit from 1973-‘89 and, since 1989, in the PRCA-Badlands Circuit and NDRA. He won the Black Hills Stock Show in 1991 and the NDRA average champion in 1996. He was inducted into the National American University Hall of Fame in 1996.

Christophersen married Vicki Selman in 1973, and they had two sons. After a stint as a welder that allowed him time off to travel to PRCA events, Christophersen operated Big Sky Hitches in Glendive. He coached the rodeo team at Dawson College (MT) and also mentored his sons and their friends in the sport. He rodeoed for 40 years and helped young cowboys and always had time to help his neighbors.
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After he married again in 1989, Christophersen and his wife, Eunice, moved to a spread west of Grassy Butte where he ranches and continued to participate in PRCA-Badlands Circuit and NDRA events. Bob passed away in 2018.