Harry Olson

Modern era Rodeo

Inducted 2007

Harry Olson, born June 28, 1940, has been at home on the range near Killdeer his whole life, save for travel time to rodeos.

Olson’s rodeo career started in high school. In 1958, he qualified for the National High School Rodeo Assn. steer wrestling. At various times, he entered each rodeo event, qualifying, winning or placing in many.

In 1960, he began his professional rodeo career and was named Bareback and All around Champion at the Killdeer Mountain Round up Rodeo. He competed in saddle bronc, steer wrestling, bull riding and team roping events. He won or placed at many of the PRCA and CPRA rodeos in the U.S. and Canada from 1960 1978.

Olson perfected a style of bareback bronc riding that became the chosen style of many successful bare back contestants, a style described as “throwing caution to the wind”.

He also worked as a contract bullfighter from 1962 1970, flank man and rodeo judge for various PRCA stock contractors and on rodeo committees. Olson helped start the first high school rodeo club in ND. He was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys and ND Farm Bureau and a NDCHF Trustee.

Along with raising his family, beef cattle and ranch and performance horses, Olson worked as a sales representative for Prairie Breeders and was a ring man and field representative for Stockmen’s Livestock, Dickinson.