Legacy INDUCTEE
HI H. WHITLOCK (1926-1989)
DISTRICT 2 - YEAR 2025
Known for riding with a chew of tobacco in his mouth and his large black hat pulled down low over his ears, Hi Whitlock was a cowboy to reckon with when it came to bronc riding and bull dogging at rodeos across Montana in the 1940s through the 70s. He was born on May 14, 1926, in Miles City, due to the road conditions and distance to other medical facilities from the Timber Creek area in McCone County, near Paris, Montana, where his parents Ralph and Lillie (Browning) Whitlock lived. He attended rural schools near his parent’s ranch on Timber Creek. The family droughted out in the late 30s and decided to move to where they could make a living, first to Billings working at the BLS Sales Yard, then to south of Custer to the Camp Ranch. His sister, Ina Ruth, went to high school there, brother Dann attended a year and a half of high school in Cardwell, then joined the Marines. Moving back to Billings, Hi started high school, however, never finished as his last class was on the top floor with his locker by the back door.
The next few years Hi spent learning to cowboy in the south, coming north to join his friend, Dick Johnson, in performing in a wild west show in the northeast states, Maine and New York, where they entertained audiences with their horsemanship and skills in rodeos, bringing to life the disappearing “old” west. They also worked on a dude ranch out of Livingston for a couple of years.
In early 1947, Hi came home to Montana, to heal up from a bad horse wreck, to where his folks were living, outside of Boulder on the Fields Ranch. Here he met Norma Jean Mickel, who became his wife. His daughter, Chris, was born in March of 1948. In 1964, he decided to get his GED. Hi spent a month studying, with help from Chris, as she was covering the same information in high school. He talked the Proctor into letting him take all eight of the sets the same day, passing with flying colors. He received graduation cards from several students in the local high school.
Hi and Norma later divorced. In August of 1969, Hi married Brooke Gjedsted and their son Boyce was born in 1970.
A shuddering experience took place at a Superior rodeo in 1949, when a plane flew low over the rodeo grounds and became tangled in unenergized electric wires and crashed to the ground, within 25 feet of the arena. No one was injured and Hi was able to continue competing with his team to take first in the Wild Horse Race.
Hi won his first buckle in Livingston, Montana in 1951, near the beginning of his professional bronc rider career, which spanned over 30 years. He competed in rodeos from Texas to New York, riding at Madison Square Garden in 1957 and ‘58, and never missed the Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede in 18 years. The family awarded a buckle to the Stampede’s high point saddle bronc rider, after Hi’s death, for several years.
At the age of 40, he rode the infamous “Jake”. Hi was a cowboy who never turned a horse out and was one of the first to assist another cowboy to get ready. Another proud moment was when he was featured on the front of a rodeo publication, Hoofs and Horns, riding Christian Pride in Kalispell in 1951. He worked as a pickup man and chute boss for Montana-Arizona contractors, Alice Greenough and Joe Orr; as well as the Fettig Brothers from Killdeer, North Dakota; Marvin Brookman from Wolf Point, Montana and Harry Vold from Avondale, Colorado.
While pursuing his rodeo career, Hi gave back to the community, for example, he was a judge at the Glendive, Montana District 2 High School Rodeo, and when not participating, judged the sale at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. There were many young men who received his help in learning the “ropes”. For several years, he helped at the “Boys Ranch Rodeo” at Home on the Range, near Sentinel Butte, North Dakota, and at various high school rodeos.
In the 1940s, 50s and 60s he was a Montana state brand inspector, working out of Butte, Billings, Sidney and Missoula offices. He was also a range detective for Garfield and McCone counties in 1965-1966. Throughout his life he worked for some of the larger horse and cattle ranches in Montana, Arizona, Texas and California, always returning to the Big Sky of Montana.
The Baker Rodeo Committee decided they needed to honor Hi and bestowed him with “The Best Bronc Rider” from 1953-1956, honoring him with a special buckle. Hi was featured on one of Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” for riding over 20 broncs in one day at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale in the early 1950s. It was said that he was one of the best riders of the rough string at the annual event, where the cowboys practiced, and the rodeo producers were looking to find new stock. Hi rode in each Bucking Horse Sale from 1951-1968.
In 1964 he took part in match bronc riding, partnering up with Johnny Ley, Denny Looman and Lynne Taylor.
Hi earned his last buckle in Lander, Wyoming in 1964. The “dark horse” called cancer claimed his life on July 10, 1989. Hi’s ashes were scattered on the Binion Ranch, north of Jordan, Montana and a monument erected there. When it came to rodeoing, he was a role model for young riders, demonstrating the hard work and confidence required to compete in a Montana lifestyle.
References:
The Missoulian, Missoula, Montana, May 9, 1949, Page 3
The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, May 31, 1959, Page 9
Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, Montana, May 1, 1960, Page 47
The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, July 12, 1989, Page 4
Ancestory.com
Family memories by Chris Keltner