The man considered by many to be North Dakota’s best rodeo cowboy

FARGO — Who was one of the best rodeo performer to ever come out of North Dakota? There could also be some disagreement from North Dakota rodeo followers, however I consider a strong case might be made for bestowing that honor onto Brad Gjermundson.

Whereas in class at Halladay, he was the North Dakota Excessive Faculty All-Round Champion. He earned the rookie of the yr honor within the North Dakota Rodeo Affiliation (NDRA) throughout his freshman yr of faculty and, in his senior yr, was the School Nationwide Saddle Bronc Champion.

Brad turned professional in 1980 and was named by the Skilled Rodeo Cowboys Affiliation (PRCA) because the saddle bronc using Rookie of the 12 months. He certified for the Nationwide Finals Rodeo (NFE) eight straight occasions (1981-1988) and once more in 1994, and received the saddle bronc world championships in 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1985. He additionally received the Badlands Circuit saddle bronc championship six occasions. He was inducted into not less than six totally different halls of fame.

Bradley Jay Gjermundson was born in Richardton on March 25, 1959, to Stanley and Sharon (McNamara) Gjermunson. Stanley, the son of a Norwegian-born father, owned a ranch 3.5 miles west of Marshall in Dunn County, and Sharon was the city’s postmistress. Brad helped on his father’s ranch and attended faculty in Halliday, positioned about 15 miles north of Marshall.

Whereas in grade faculty, Brad grew to become keen on rodeos and “took half in show-de-os and the saddle membership.” He additionally attended most of the native rodeo occasions. Brad’s father, Stanley, “rode rodeo rough-stock in his day,” and helped out by “retaining Brad in horses.” He consistently purchased contemporary horses for Brad to experience, inspired him to observe rodeo occasions, and even bought a bronc saddle and a bucking machine to observe on throughout the winter months.

As a rodeo participant in 1975, whereas in highschool, Brad certified for the Little Britches Nationwide Finals in Cheyenne, Wyo., competing in bareback using, bull using and calf roping. Brad received the state saddle bronc championships in 1976 and 1977 and, in 1977, he was the North Dakota Excessive Faculty Rodeo All-Round Champion.

In 1977, Brad graduated from highschool and enrolled at Dickinson State School (now Dickinson State College) the place he grew to become a member of the rodeo group. Brad majored in farm and ranch administration and commenced relationship Jackie Lynn Brown, a pupil majoring in elementary schooling. Apart from attending lessons, competing in rodeo occasions and relationship, Brad additionally labored part-time on the Peavey Elevator in Dickinson.

Throughout his freshman yr, he earned the Rookie of the 12 months honor from the North Dakota Rodeo Affiliation (NDRA) and, in 1979, he received the NDRA saddle bronc championship. Brad completed second within the School Nationwide Saddle Bronc Championship in 1979 and was the nationwide champion in 1980.

Following commencement from Dickinson State in 1980, Brad turned skilled. Though he had participated in a number of totally different rodeo occasions up to now, he determined to give attention to saddle bronc using as an expert. Rising up he rode bareback, however he mentioned, “saddle bronc appeared to come back extra pure.”

No North Dakotan had ever received the nationwide saddle bronc championship and the competitors seemed to be evenly matched as a result of six totally different cowboys had received that occasion up to now 5 years. Just one particular person had ever really dominated that occasion, and he was Casey Tibbs, from Fort Pierre, S.D., who received six nationwide bronc using championships between 1949 and 1959.

Saddle bronc using was much like bareback using, however the rider makes use of a specialised Western saddle with out a horn. The rider wanted to remain on the bucking horse for at least eight seconds and judges assessed the experience primarily based on sure standards. The cowboy with the very best rating given by the judges was declared the winner.

In 1980, “there was no restrict to (the quantity) of rodeo entries” an individual may enter. Brad signed up for the utmost variety of rodeos he anticipated he would be capable to compete in, even when it meant a couple of rodeo on a given day. He mentioned, “One Fourth of July, I entered 5 rodeos and made 4 of them.”

The skilled rodeo season had already begun in 1980 when Brad turned professional, however his entry into that sport was glorious, profitable greater than his share of rodeo occasions. When the season ended, Brad was chosen as nationwide saddle bronc using Rookie of the 12 months by the PRCA.

In 1981, “Gjermundson led the saddle bronc competitors from begin to end,” using in 130 rodeos, and he received his first PRCA saddle bronc championship. He mentioned he received $8,000 in that occasion, “again in 1981 that was a yr’s wages.” Additionally, that yr, North Dakota Gov. Allen Olson proclaimed a “Brad Gjermundson Day.”

In 1982, Brad entered 210 rodeos and went to 155. It was his finest yr moneywise — at about $95,000, he had the very best earnings of any skilled rodeo cowboy. He got here in second within the nationwide saddle bronc championship however was extraordinarily happy with the yr’s outcomes. Brad was additionally happy together with his rodeo ends in 1983 and capped it off by profitable his second PRCA championship within the saddle bronc competitors.

For Brad, 1984 was a major yr. He received his occasion in 15 straight rodeos, together with the PRCA championship.

That summer season, at a rodeo occasion in Reno, Nev., he introduced his girlfriend, Jackie Brown, with him, and on June 20 they have been married. “Their honeymoon was an all-night drive from Reno to North Platte, Nebraska, for one more rodeo. Then, from North Platte to Miles Metropolis, Montana, in order that Brad may catch a non-public airplane experience to Canada for one more rodeo.” Brad and Jackie rented a home in Keene, N.D., the city the place her dad and mom lived.

Brad received the PRCA saddle bronc championship once more in 1985, and though he certified yearly till 1988, the saddle bronc occasion was dominated by Clint Johnson, from Spearfish, S.D. In 1987, Brad and Jackie bought a ranch close to Marshall. Though he continued to compete in rodeos till his official retirement in 1999, Brad spent extra time tending to his ranch. He additionally frolicked annually serving to on the Residence on the Vary Champions Journey Rodeo, which is the largest fundraiser for Residence on the Vary, a facility in Sentinel Butte that “gives a optimistic, therapeutic residence for kids and teenagers who’ve skilled trauma and abuse.”

Few individuals from North Dakota have been inducted into extra halls of fame than Brad Gjermundson. He was inducted into the Western Heritage Corridor of Fame in 1981, adopted by the Scandinavian-American Corridor of Fame in 1986, the North Dakota Cowboy Corridor of Fame in 1990, the North Dakota Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 1994, the Professional Rodeo Corridor of Fame in 1995 and the Nationwide Cowboy Corridor of Fame in 2012.