George Bruington, 2002 North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame rodeo inductee, was destined for rodeo. For 73 years, he participated as a competitor, judge, pick-up man, clown and stock contractor.

Born on August 16, 1909, in a sod house near Amidon, George was a son of Ward and Mabel Bruington. He was horse minded and started trading horses when he was 10 years old, beginning a lifetime of buying, training and trading horses. George lived in the Amidon area until he was 16 and then moved to Almont, where he made his living trading horses.

During his rodeo days, which started in 1925, George competed in all of the traditional rodeo events, such as bareback and saddle bronc riding, team tying, calf roping and bulldogging. He also enjoyed horse and chariot racing, wild cow milking and Roman riding. In the late 1920s, George started stock contracting for area rodeos.

On December 10, 1932, he married Ruby Wagner and bought a ranch at Almont where they raised three children. During the 1940s and 1950s, George farmed, ranched and milked cows, always holding onto the best bucking stock. By then, he had slowed down on the rodeoing, also.

In the late 1960s, George decided to build a herd and start contracting rodeos full time. He joined the North Dakota Rodeo Association and remained one of the NDRA’s top contractors until 1988.

He furnished bucking horses for many area rodeos and practice stock for rodeo schools. His stock earned top awards at rodeos as far away as Gallup, New Mexico, some of the best being X23 Pay Day, an NDRA saddle bronc horse of the year; 203 Headlight, a two-time NDRA bareback horse of the year and top horse at the North American Rodeo Commission Finals in Gallup, New Mexico; and Superstar, a four-time NDRA saddle bronc horse of the year. He once took Pay Day, Headlight and a black horse named Whiskey to the National Finals Rodeo.

In 1988, George sold most of his bucking string to three PRCA contractors. He was a “people person” who helped a lot of cowboys get started and received the Walt Neuens Memorial Sportsmanship Award in 1995.

George died on November 5, 2001.

by Cathy A. Langemo, WritePlus Inc.

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