A young Larry Mahan .

by Don Mellgren
(Sheridan, Oregon)

In 1962 Pat Russell and me were at a rodeo in Panquich, Utah. Pat and I were up Fri. night. We both were placing after that perfomance. Pat in the bareback riding and me in the bull riding. So we waited around to see if we would get any checks until after the last performence Sat. night. We were talking to a couple of guys and in drives this Chevy pickup. I think it was red, had a plywood canopy on it. Out steps this young kid with his wife and little baby. It is funny but I remember loving the block in his hat. He was entered in the bareback riding, bronc riding, and bull riding. He had a big bareback horse called Tipporary, and he got crap jerked out of him. When he got back to the chutes, I said wow a pretty strong horse. He was mad and said ya I really tryed him didn't I. I don't remember his bronc ride. He rode a rank bull, and kicked the stuffings out of him. I was splitting 2nd and 3rd, after that, 3rd and 4th. The reason I am telling this is because, I was so impressed that he had the confidence to go down the road with a young wife and young baby. He is a yr. younger than me, but he is still my idol. What a great cowboy.
IT was the great cowboy Larry Mahan.

Don Mellgren