Jerry Nelson's Frontier Rodeo Company
Frontier Rodeo Company was “born” in 1991 during a meeting with Jerry Nelson and a rodeo friend. Though it was a meager beginning, Nelson’s love for rodeo drove him to later become owner of one of the largest rodeo contracting businesses in the country.
Nelson didn’t have a goal of making a lot of money, or to achieve fame with this venture. He loved rodeo, especially bulls, and was determined to make the sport better than it was. And he did just that!
In the early 1990s he purchased 50 acres of land near Hamshire, TX, and constructed a rodeo arena. In 1992 he invested in a bucking bull and traveled the rodeo circuit with him for a few years.
Frontier Rodeo Company quickly grew and branched out in the mid-1990s when Nelson began forming a staff. He soon acquired land in the gypsum hills south of Freedom.
Nelson was familiar with northwest Oklahoma through his acquaintance with Dan Mundorf, a rancher/rodeo stock producer in the Alva area. Nelson had a desire to purchase land in the Freedom area for expansion of his rodeo stock company. He liked the country.
“It seemed like a good place to raise horses and it was the type of land we were looking for,” Nelson said. He purchased the first piece of property in 1997 and has been buying land in the area ever since. Today the Frontier Rodeo Company owns approximately 10,000 acres.
Frontier contracts rodeo stock throughout the United States from Florida to Utah. The company’s list of awards and honors include:
- 9-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year
- 4-time PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year (Medicine Woman)
- 2-time PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year (Full Baggage)
- 2013 PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year (Maple Leaf)
- 2-time PRCA Remuda Award recipient. The Remuda is an award given by the PRCA for a high caliber herd of bucking horses.
In the 2012 National Finals, Frontier Rodeo Company became the first PRCA stock contractor to have the top bareback horse in the National Finals four years in a row and in 2011 the company was first to win both bareback and saddle bronc Horse of the Year awards in the same year.
Numerous other awards have been earned by the company’s horses and bulls. And, yes, the early bull herd included Jerry’s first bull, Tough Enough, who had been “retired.”
You'll find these big names in bucking stock and the up-and-comers at this year's rodeo. Don't miss it!