Gene Ross was born on a farm about ten miles southeast of Sayre, a son of the late Gardner Ross. His mother, Mrs. Gardner Ross is one of our most respected citizens of north Fourth Street. He was reared on a cotton farm and when asked how he got the inspiration to be a cowboy, he said by listening to the experiences related by hi father about his cowboy days when a young man and also the experience he got in associating with the boys of the Haystack Mountain community, which adjoins his community and is only used for grazing purposes.
He is not a has been, but an active world champion and just a young man of not over twenty-six or twenty-eight years of age. He is a man who weighs two hundred pounds, almost six feet tall and I would say of perfect physical build.
He entered his first show in Shamrock, Texas, in 1925 and got second day money I bulldogging. This same year after making several towns he spent the latter part of the season in the 101 Ranch show. They had a first and second show of eighteen days each. He was only in six days when he ad the misfortune to get three ribs broken, but in this six days had won six hundred dollars which was quite an incentive for a beginner to "go out with the show." He finished up that fall by attending the rodeos in Nebraska, Kansas and later at Roswell, New Mexico, where he got first money for bronc riding and second for bulldogging and doubled for time McCoy and Buck Jones in the movies.
1927 was his first year to enter the Fat Stock show at Fort Worth, Texas, and he also was there in 1923, but won nothing to speak of at these shows. During the year 1928 he got second money at Chicago for bulldogging and at Madison Square Garden he had the first money won and thought he would spur his horse with both feet an extra time and this lost him $2000, as in an instant he was on the ground. This cut his winnings down at this place to $1,000.
In 1929 he started at Fort Worth again, but did not do so good as he had an argument with the judge. From here he went to California and played shows all up and down the Pacific coast. Here is where he got his first experience of putting a rubber band around the steer's nose instead of throwing him. From here h went up through Idaho, Montana, Canada and back to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
He won second money in riding in Calgary, Canada and second money bulldogging and third money riding in Cheyenne. From here he made Chicago and phoenix, Arizona. The totals of the year 1929 gave him the world's championship in bulldogging.
In 1930, he decided to buy himself a horse and going to a ranch near Phoenix to look at some horses he selected one that looked at him through the Chico bushes. He bought this untrained horse and named him "Chico." The first three months Chico helped him make $1460. He spent a great deal of time in 1930 training his horse, which was one cause of his losing his world's Championship in 1930; but with his well trained horse in 1931 he won the championship back. The cowboys consider Chico to be the best trained and the fastest horse in the shows.
While in 1932 he lost his championship, he only lacked a few point of being "Champion Cowboy, this being considered the highest honors in this line of sports.
He calls attention to the fact that in 1923 he married Mary Lee Cummings of Uvalde, Texas and has had better success since then, having a business manager. She is very proud of being from the same town as John N. Garner and takes every opportunity to tell you what a wonderful man he is.
Ross has just recently purchased from the herds of Gardner Ross, deceased, the old Ross home so it is felt this will be another incentive for him and Mrs. Ross to spend their spare time here.
Ross has just started his year's shows by playing the Fort Worth where he won second money in bulldogging and other money for different stunts. He goes from here in a few days to Juarez, Mexico and from there to Wichita, Kansas, and many other places this year. He declares he is going to win his championship back in 1933. Sayre friends wish him to remember that they are for him one hundred percent and hope he will come back not only with your old championship back but donned with the championship of "Cowboy of the World of 1933."
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