Warren Granger "Freckles" Brown (January 18, 1921 – March 20, 1987) was a

hall of fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

American

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...

from Wheatland, Wyoming. His career spanned from 1937 to 1974, competing in bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding,

team roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a Cattle#Terminology, steer (typically a Corriente) and two equestrianism, mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the fr ...

, and

steer wrestling Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event in which a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer, then wrestles the steer to the ground by grabbing its horns and pulling it off-balance so that it fall ...

. He was the World Bull Riding Champion in 1962. Brown was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

, for bull riding in 1979. He was also inducted into the inaugural class of the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

, in 2015. Brown was most famous for riding

Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

, who had an undefeated record of 220 riders. Brown was also a close friend and mentor of Lane Frost.

Early career

Brown began competitive rodeo in Willcox, Arizona in 1937, at the age of 16. In 1941, he won his first bull riding trophy by riding his horse to

Cody, Wyoming Cody is a city in and the county seat of Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after Buffalo Bill Cody for his part in the founding of Cody in 1896. The population was 10,028 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, making Cod ...

, before riding back again.

World War II

Brown enlisted to join the U.S. army, and undertook basic training in

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

. He studied horseshoeing while stationed at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

. He was recruited by the

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the first intelligence agency of the United States, formed during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines ...

(OSS) and "did his part by helping to train Chinese paratroopers in secret". The war ended in the summer of 1945, and Brown "returned to China to compete in a Red Cross-sponsored event in which U.S. pack mules were used in place of saddle-broncs and barebacks and native cattle were rounded up for bull riding. Brown left China with the all-around title".

1962 World Championship

Brown was injured badly in October 1962 at the rodeo in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. While riding a bull name "Black Smoke" for 8 seconds, the bull flipped Brown, who fell on his head, paralyzing him. The doctor "pulled on his head and feeling returned to his right side and left foot". He was operated on and put in traction for 34 days, followed by a

plaster cast A plaster cast is a copy made in plaster of another 3-dimensional form. The original from which the cast is taken may be a sculpture, building, a face, a pregnant belly, a fossil or other remains such as fresh or fossilised footprints – ...

"from his waist to the top of his brow for over 2 months". He had saved enough money to win the Championship. His earnings in 1962 were $18,675. Brown competed in the

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the N ...

(formerly the Rodeo Cowboys Association)..During that year he won the World Bull Riding Championship at the

National Finals Rodeo The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier championship rodeo of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money winners in the season for each event. The NFR is held each year in the f ...

(NFR) while he was on the sidelines watching.

Tornado, the unrideable bull

Brown is remembered for riding an "unrideable" bull named ''Tornado'' in December 1967. The bull, owned by Jim Shoulders, had thrown over 200 riders over a 14-year period before Brown's successful ride, and was considered the ultimate challenge on the bull-riding circuit, but Brown stayed on for the 8 seconds required, in front of 6,000 people. Tornado died in 1972 as unridden by 220 professional riders except for Brown and two others, and was buried on the grounds of the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 Western and Native American art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of Amer ...

, near two notable bucking horses,

Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...

and Five Minutes Til Midnight. Brown, this ride, and Tornado are all memorialized in Red Steagall's song, "Freckles Brown".Cathy Logan
"Freckles Brown's ride on Tornado is the stuff of songs and legends"
''

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...

'', January 5, 2006.

Awards and recognition

* 1962 West Best Cowboy (World Champion) Award * 1972 For the 1971 Film/Television - Western Documentary - "Rodeo," Concepts Unlimited, Inc and Contemporary Films/McGraw Hill; Gaby Monet, Producer; Carroll Ballard, Director; Freckles Brown & Larry Mahan, Actors. Bronze Wrangler at the Western Heritage Awards of the

* 1979 ProRodeo Hall of Fame * 1983 Brown received a trophy in 1983 that is in Denver for his "life long contribution to the sport of rodeo" * 1986 Rodeo Hall of Fame of the

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native American art works and Artifact (archaeology), artifacts. The facility also has the worl ...

* 1993 Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame * 2006 Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame * 2015 Bull Riding Hall of Fame * 2017 Molalla Walk of Fame

Personal life

He was the youngest of 10 brothers and sisters. Brown had a wife named Edith, and a daughter named Donna Harrison, and two grandchildren. Brown had retired at age 53 to his 600-acre ranch in Soper, Oklahoma. Brown was found to have

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

in November 1982. He was advised to go to Houston for radiation treatment, but was determined to go to the December finals beforehand, where a dance was held to raise funds to support his treatment. By March 1983 he had returned home to give interviews. His cancer returned in 1987, after being in remission for four years. Another fundraiser was planned for March 1987, but Brown died two days before at his ranch in Soper, Oklahoma. The fund raiser went forward nevertheless and

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

41,000 was raised to help with Brown's medical bills. He was a friend and mentor to bull riding champion Lane Frost, who is buried next to him in Mount Olivet Cemetery in

Hugo, Oklahoma Hugo is a city in and the county seat of Choctaw County, Oklahoma, Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located in southeastern Oklahoma, approximately north of the Texas state line. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, t ...

."Cowboy's funeral draws throng"
AP in ''

'', August 3, 1989.

References

External links

Freckles Brown
at lanefrost.com
The Ride - National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Tip: If there is just blank space under "The Ride" text on this page, you can still click in that space and watch the video.
Ballad of Freckles Brown - Lyrics
Videos:
Red Steagall- Freckles Brown.wmv
YouTube video of Red Steagall singing his song "Freckles Brown."
My Last Ride by Sam Hill
YouTube Video {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Warren G. 1921 births 1987 deaths Bareback bronc riders Bull riders Deaths from cancer in Oklahoma Deaths from prostate cancer in the United States Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma People from Okmulgee County, Oklahoma People from Choctaw County, Oklahoma People from Wheatland, Wyoming ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees Roping (rodeo) Saddle bronc riders Steer wrestlers United States Army personnel of World War II People of the Office of Strategic Services Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductees