When hundreds of celebrants gather at the Cody Stampede grounds on July 4 to experience the 99th-annual Cody Stampede Rodeo, they can thank the relentless efforts of Caroline Lockhart for the fun.
The everyday frustrations of running the Cody Stampede caused Caroline Lockhart to complain that she didn’t have enough time to pursue her passion of horseback riding. ( Archival photos courtesy of the
American Heritage Center.)
A prominent citizen who had earned fame and financial independence as author of Western novels – some which were made into major movies – it was Lockhart’s vision that led to the creation of the world-renowned Cody Stampede, which is consistently named one of the top rodeos in the world.
Caroline Lockhart flouted societal norms such as drinking alcohol at a time most citizens supported
Prohibition. She was known to through raucous drinking parties at her home.
Lockhart was well-known to the citizens of Cody, and she gleefully flouted societal norms. At a time when traditional domestic life was the primary option for women, she juggled multiple boyfriends but never married. She unapologetically and publicly drank when most Cody citizens voted for Prohibition. She was a passionate horsewoman who jubilantly supported almost any initiative that promoted Western heritage or honored the memory of Buffalo Bill Cody, who had died in 1917.
Caroline Lockhart was a loyal friend of Buffalo Bill Cody, and after his 1917 death, she ensured that the Cody Stampede honored his memory.
In spring 1920, a year after the first Cody Stampede had been staged in late June to coincide with the annual opening of the east gate into Yellowstone National Park, Caroline Lockhart hosted a meeting with other town leaders to discuss the best way to proceed with the Cody Stampede. The group included the editor of the Park County Enterprise (who she would later fire for professional incompetence after she acquired the newspaper), a prominent attorney, dude ranch owner and other Cody supporters.
The committee heightened the profile of the Cody Stampede by scheduling it to coincide with July 4. Lockhart was elected president, and the group energetically raised enough funds to stage an Independence Day-themed Cody Stampede that very same year.
Although public interest in “Old West” themes had declined in the post-WW I era of technological and economic growth and with the invention of modern conveniences such as the rotary telephone and pop-up toaster, the Cody Stampede highlighted established symbols of the West such as horses, agriculture, cowboys and American Indians who populated the region.
The Cody Stampede is considered one of the top rodeo events in the world.
For the next few years, Lockhart worked to support the event by cajoling local merchants for hefty sponsorships and running enthusiastic stories in the newspaper. After a few years, she soon grew tired of everyday business frustrations, however, and she complained that she barely had time to enjoy the pleasures of horseback riding or write novels. Five years after taking reins of the Cody Stampede, while still in her early 50s, she retired from the newspaper and Cody Stampede board, and settled on a cattle ranch in Montana.
Lockhart retired from ranching at the age of 79 and returned to Cody, along with her 77-year-old boyfriend. Although she attempted to live in obscurity, she reportedly bought one of the first television sets in town and invited children of Cody to watch Western television shows like “Hopalong Cassidy.”
Upon her death in 1962, townspeople honored her wishes to forgo a traditional funeral and simply scatter her ashes over “the most convenient peak.”
Until next time, I’m saddling up for the Cody Stampede and loving life here in Cody Yellowstone Country.
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