PRORODEO Honors 50th Anniversary of Chris LeDoux’s World Championship

PRORODEO recently highlighted the life and accomplishments of Chris LeDoux in honor of the 50th anniversary of his Bareback Riding World Championship.

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1976 World Championship

Chris LeDoux grew up loving music and rodeo, the two passions he built his life around equally. For a talented bareback rider who had worked his way up through the ranks, the transition into a professional career was natural. In 1968, he joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

LeDoux went on to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) five times. In 1976, he claimed the most coveted award in the sport: a gold buckle. Despite a tough season and qualifying in the No. 14 position, LeDoux prevailed in Oklahoma City, Okla. In the historic Jim Norick Arena, LeDoux became a World Champion.

In 1976, the NFR was a "clean slate," and the year's earnings did not factor into World Championship standings. After healing from his injuries, LeDoux came into the NFR ready for battle. He was ranked No. 3 as he headed into Round 10, where he placed second. Those earnings boosted him to the No. 1 position and LeDoux left Oklahoma as a World Champion Bareback Rider.

Remembering Chris LeDoux

LeDoux performing on stage — Chris LeDoux | The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK

Before the World Championship, LeDoux was just a young boy who loved to ride bareback horses and loved music.

By the time LeDoux's family moved to Cheyenne, Wyo., the cowboy was already proving his talent inside the arena. LeDoux earned a Little Britches World Championship, followed by a Wyoming High School Rodeo State Championship. His skill for riding bareback horses earned him a college scholarship, and in 1969, LeDoux was crowned the National Intercollegiate Bareback Riding Champion.

In 1972, he married the love of his life, Peggy. The couple shared five children: Clay, Ned, Will, Beau, and Cindy.

The life of a rodeo cowboy has never been an easy one, but it was harder to make a living and support a family during LeDoux's time. He began using his skill with a guitar to supplement his income, penning songs about the cowboy lifestyle.

His music gained traction, with the authenticity of raw Western life shining through. After LeDoux retired from the arena, he and his family settled in Kaycee, Wyo. Many of LeDoux's albums were independently produced and sold without major financial backing or advertising, yet they sold hundreds of thousands of copies. He eventually signed with Capitol Records, producing even more hits and chart-topping albums.

In 2000, LeDoux was diagnosed with liver disease, and his only hope was a transplant. A match was located and LeDoux recovered, releasing two more albums. Sadly, he was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2004. On March 9, 2005, he passed away at the age of 56.

LeDoux was inducted into the PRORODEO Hall of Fame shortly after his death. D. Michael Thomas created a life-size sculpture of LeDoux's 1976 World Championship ride on Stormy Weather. "Good Ride Cowboy," is displayed at the Chris LeDoux Memorial Park in Kaycee, Wyo.

In 2021, another sculpture by Thomas was unveiled in Cheyenne, Wyo., at Frontier Park. "Just LeDoux It" was dedicated to LeDoux's memory on the 125th anniversary of the Cheyenne Frontier Days.