NFR Qualifier and Hall of Fame Cowboy Mel Potter Passes Away at Age 90

Mention the name Mel Potter and you will get a variety of memories and notable stories. Those who knew him know that he was a legend in almost every aspect of the rodeo world. At 90 years old, Mr. Potter passed away on Saturday, February 22, 2025. The world was a better place because of him and he will certainly be missed by many.

People still involved in rodeo will relate to his fatherly figure to one of the greatest barrel racers in history - Sherry Cervi. Potter certainly passed along his love of rodeo to Cervi who is a four time Women's Professional Rodeo Association World Champion Barrel Racer.

Potter and his wife Wendy of 67 years were the parents to two girls, Cervi and Jo Lynn Alexander. Alexander has stayed active in barrel racing and raising horses just like her father loved to do.

Potter found his love of rodeo at an early age when his mother took him to Tucson at just 9 years old. Immediately he was hooked. The family had found their way to Arizona from Wisconsin due to Potter having asthma and needing a drier climate. Apparently that put Potter in the right place and the right time to develop his aspiring rodeo spirit.

According to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Potter went on to compete in junior rodeos and even college rodeo at the University of Arizona. The talented cowboy won the All-Around College Championship in 1954, 1956 and 1957.

He furthered his rodeo career in the Rodeo Cowboys Association and truly enjoyed the calf roping. In 1959 Potter was a member of the inaugral class of National Finals Calf Ropers held in Dallas, Texas.

Potter was a cowboy through and through and excelled in multiple events including the steer wrestling, calf roping, steer roping and team roping which he continued to do up to even into his 80s. At the age of 75 he qualified for his final trip to the Great Lakes Circuit Finals in 2010.

Potter wasn't just active inside the arena, he also was successful behind the scenes with his rodeo stock contracting company, Rodeos Incorporated in Minnesota. The company earned four consecutive Saddle Bronc Horse of the National Finals titles.

His activity in the horse breeding industry has left an incredible legacy. The most famous horse raised by the Potter family is likely "Stingray", MP Meter My Hay owned and ridden by daughter Sherry Cervi. Potter was extremely proud of his purchase of the stallion, PC Frenchmans Hayday who was known to the world as "Dinero." In total he had seven NFR qualification and more than $600,000 in just PRCA earnings. Dinero went on to sire some of the greatest horses of all time including DM Sissy Hayday and of course, Stingray.

Potter was recognized for all of his achievements with an induction into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2022, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City induction in 2005 and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame in 2003. Additionally, in 2015 he was name a Legend of Pro Rodeo.

While Potter was a cowboy at heart, he was also a very successful cranberry farmer in Wisconsin as he carried on his family business as an Ocean Spray cooperative bog.

Cervi said in an interview one time that, "Good things happen to people that work hard." She certainly wasn't wrong and it is evident that she learned that from her legendary father who certainly had good things happen to him due to a lot of hard work.

The rodeo world and so many people were blessed to know Mel Potter. His memorial will be held Thursday, February 27 at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Marana, Arizona. Mel is survived by his wife, Wendy; daughter Jo Lynn Alexander and her husband George along with their three children - Patsy, Ryan and Roy; and daughter Sherry Cervi and her husband Cory Petska.

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