by Jim Olson
In the early days of rodeo, steer roping competitions were how cowboys competed at roping. Calf (tie-down) roping came along later, then team roping. Around the turn of the last century, as roping competitions started taking hold, three men were known as the “ones to beat.” Joe Gardner, Clay McGonagill and J. Ellison Carroll were the “Trevor, Cody and Fred” of their day. Carroll wore a gold-colored badge with a steer’s head on it.… Read the rest