LIVING INDUCTEE
THOMAS RAY “TOM” LARSEN
DISTRICT 3 - YEAR 2026
Thomas Ray Larsen was born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota to TK “Red” and Alice Larsen on September 29, 1947, the second of three children. He was raised on the family ranch on the North Fork of Thompson Creek between Alzada and Ridge, Montana where Tom has lived his entire life.
For as long as Tom can remember, he wanted to be a cowboy. There are home movies of him breaking his first horse, a pony, at four years old. At a young age he often went with his dad trailing or gathering stock.
Tom rode to school four miles one way across country, opening and closing two wire gates, with his sister, and later his brother. He rode some pretty green horses to school through snow, rain, or shine, every school day.
Tom was no stranger to hard work and tough conditions, At the age of ten, he got a job lambing for a family friend, which gave him the opportunity to perfect his roping skills.
Tom's dad passed away when Tom was 15, therefore, he and his siblings had extra responsibilities. He grew up putting up loose haystacks, and has never owned a baler. He learned to shear sheep with both blades and a machine, and has worked on a shearing crew.
Tom started rodeoing at a young age. He was the National High School Rodeo Champion Saddle Bronc rider in 1964, and was on the Casper, Wyoming College Rodeo Team when they won the National Championship. Tom worked both ends of the arena, riding saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, and also as a pickup man.
Tom worked for Butler & Cervi, Korkow, Sutton, and Gunville Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) stock contractors as a pickup man while he rodeoed.
In 1973, Tom was selected pickup man for the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He even rodeoed at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City, where he was a part of bringing Western culture to the big city.
Tom was asked to work for Rodeo Far West in Europe. They put on rodeos all over Europe for one season, where he competed and ended up All Around Cowboy.
The next two seasons, Tom worked, advertising for the Phillip Morris company (Marlboro) driving stage coach throughout Europe. He later turned down another opportunity to go back to Europe because he wanted to stay home and ranch.
Tom was inducted into the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall & Wall of Fame in Billings, Montana and is a PRCA Gold Card Member.
Tom has broke his share of horses. People would bring him horses that were a little long in the tooth or had some age on them and set in their ways, because Tom would put miles on them, as he does everything on the ranch horseback. Even today he calves in a large pasture, and rides to check his cows; no four-wheeler for Tom. He rides for neighbors in rough country where a four-wheeler can't go. Tom goes in those canyons, cracks his bullwhip, and cattle come trailing out.
Tom and his wife Cheryl raise Highland cattle, and at one time, were the largest breeder of those in the United States. They were awarded the American Highland Cattle Association Hall of Fame honors for a number of years based on good breeding and stewardship.
Tom began supplying roping stock for local stock contractors and roping clubs, and branched out into raising a few rodeo bulls. His bulls have won numerous awards with the South Dakota Rodeo Association (SDRA) and Northwest Ranch Cowboys Association (NRCA). Some of the top rodeo bulls of today can be traced back to Tom's bulls.
Tom wears many hats: horse breaker, sheep shearer, truck driver, stock contractor, stagecoach driver, rodeo competitor, pickup man, rancher, and last but not least, husband, father, and grandfather. As he looks back on his life, he wishes he could change a few things, but one thing he would never change is being raised where he continues to live, with a wonderful upbringing, around some of the best neighbors in the country. He has met some great people through his travels, rodeoing, and his association with Highland cattle.
Tom continues to ranch along with his wife and grandson. His daughter, son-in-law, and remaining grandkids help when they can. He still rides for neighbors, gathering those big pastures, and still shears his own sheep, sometimes having to rope and shear them in the pasture. Tom Larsen is the true definition of a tough cowboy, and will give the shirt off his back to help others.