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Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Eellitta Stone (View posts)
Posted: 7 Aug 2006 2:48AM GMT
Classification: Biography
Edited: 8 Aug 2006 1:41PM GMT
Surnames: Mulkey, Knight, Carney, Bowman, Giffith
My father gave me a scrapbook with newpspaper clippings concerning cowboys and rodeos. A couple of the articles concern Burel Mulkey from Salmon, Idaho who was the 1938 World All-Around Champion and 1937-1938 World Saddle Bronc Riding Champion. He lived from May 24,1904 - Nov. 1982, at least from what I have ascertained.

The first shows a picture of Burel Mulkey riding a bronc with the caption:

King Bronco Upsets Rider
Five Minutes to Midnight, generally adjudged the champion bronco in the Rocky Mountain District, tossed Burel Mulkey, Salmon, Idaho rider, in eight seconds, in the annual frontier days celebration in Cheyenne, Wyo. Mulkey is shown leaving the "hurricane deck" of the animal.

The second is a longer article:
Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000 (Idaho Statesman newspaper January 19, 1938)

Denver(AP) Twelve seconds a day...five days a week...that's Burel's Mulkey's working time...when there's a rodeo on.

The 31 year old Mulkey, the world's champion bronc rider, admits he made " more than $5000 but not very close to $10,000" last year, his first champion season.

"Nice work..."

"Yeah, if you can...take it," finished Mulkey's pal and rival, Nick Knight of Cody, Wyo.

Mulkey, a blue-eyed ranch reared rider from Salmon, Idaho, is riding the bucking horses this week at Denver's National Western Stock Show, Horse Show and Rodeo.

"We're riding regular from now on through till after the show at Baton Rouge next November," said Mulkey declared last year's champion by the Rodeo Association of America.

"Sure, a bucking horse ride is only 12 seconds - 10 seconds for indoor shows like this - and we only ride about five times through a whole show."

"But you sure enough do a lot of riding in 12 seconds, if you stay on," Mulkey said.

Dropping his wide, square jaw in a big grin, Mulkey explained:
"I don't need to do any other riding besides what I do in the shows to keep in shape."

Does Burel have any plans for quitting riding and settling down on a ranch of his own?

"That's what all the top boys say they're going to do some day," said Mulkey, opening up his big grin again.

"But there's not many that do. These days I guess you can make more money riding than running a ranch, anyhow.

There is another colorized picuture that seems to be an artist's rendition showing Paul Carney, Everett Bowman, Mrs. Dick Giffith and Burel Mulkey

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 14 Oct 2008 1:35AM GMT
Classification: Query
This is a nice article you posted. Uncle Burel was my grandmother's brother. He was a real character, definately one of my favorites. I remember taking trips to California to visit him and his wife on their ranch. I remeber watching him climb up on horses that were twice his height and they weren't exactly tame.

Thanks for the nice read.

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 27 Nov 2008 5:53PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 27 Nov 2008 6:44PM GMT
Surnames: Mulkey
Hi, I lived in that little valley (Kern River) out in California where Burel ended up. We were a pioneer ranching family and Burel married into another pioneer ranching family, the Silicz's (Mernie). He was one of the greatest inspirations of my younger life. He was brand inspector for the area and my grandparents had a old country store out in Weldon Ca. He came in about 3 times a week and got a ice cold soda and sat around and shot the breeze with my grandpa. I always made sure I went with them when I could. Some of his stories he told, I could just see. One time he told about being in a hotel out in New York for the Madison Square Garden rodeo and jumped from I think the 5th or sixth flood down to the 4th floor, grabbing a window on his way down. (Not sure if that is true)

Anyways Burel is one of a kind and I have quite a bit of things on his family if you are interested.
Robert Rhoads

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 2 Dec 2008 11:10PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 3 Dec 2008 2:30PM GMT
Surnames: Mulkey
Robert,

Thanks for the reply. It would be great to get any kind of information on uncle Burel and his family that you have. All I really have is information on births and deaths of siblings and parents. What I would really like to have is a photo of Burel's and Mernie's grave site. I created a memorial on the Find-A-Grave website for both of them and requested a photo from any volunteers that live in the area but I've had no success. Would you know of anyone that still lives near Kern River that could get those for me? Thanks again for the story. I'd be willing to bet it is true.

Kevin A. Maus
Meridian, Idaho

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 7 Aug 2009 2:04AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 8 Aug 2009 2:14AM GMT
Surnames: Mulkey, Harrington
Burel Mulkey is my fiance' Great Uncle. His name is Oliver Harrington and his father is Vern Harrington from Cheney, WA.
I don't know allot about him, but Vern could possible give you some more information.

Sandy

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 7 Aug 2009 3:50AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Mulkey
Hi Kevin,
I posted the original message about your Uncle Burel. I thought I would post the pictures in the album. I would send them to you but they are glued into the album and I am afraid if I tried to steam them off, they would be ruined. I also have a couple of newspaper articles that might interest you too.
Eellitta
russetred@msn.com
Attachments:

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 7 Aug 2009 3:54AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Mulkey
Here is another picture of Burel Mulkey. This picture shows him with Herman Linder, Canadian champ, and Buck Buchanan of Boise, Idaho.

Eellitta
Attachments:

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 7 Aug 2009 3:59AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Mulkey, Benson, Shelton, Alvord, Ross, Ward, Holder, Curtis, Mason, Utley,Hepler, Klines, Nesbitt, Roach, Karsted, Thod
I have two newspaper articles. I will post them seperately. This first one was published:

Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas)
October 19, 1929
Section 1 page 8 column 2

Regards,
Eellitta
Attachments:

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 7 Aug 2009 4:03AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Mulkey
Bronco Rider Earns $100 a Minute

Trenton Evening Times
New Jersey
April 1, 1938
Column 6 & 7 page 11

Regards,
Eellitta
(I use to be an Idaho potato. I grew up in Caldwell.)
Attachments:

Re: Idaho's Burel Mulkey, Bronc Champ, Admits Rodeo Earnings Pass $5000

Posted: 11 Aug 2009 6:12AM GMT
Classification: Query
Sandy, Thanks for the tip. If there is some way I could contact Vern Harrington, let me know.

Kevin A. Maus
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