Bo started rodeoing at 12 years of age, and quit when he was 44 yrs old. His most memorable time in his long rodeo career was when he entered Houston, and also showed his scramble calf the same year, at age 16. He had given the secretary Dorothy Apadoca a hot check for the entry fees, but of course, he picked it up later in San Angelo. Bo won a lot of major rodeos including Phoenix, AZ, The Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA, Los Angeles, CA, and a lot of other smaller rodeos like Roswell, NM, Phillipsburg, KS, Lamar, CO, Hobbs, NM.
Bo Ashorn went to the National Finals twice, in 1968 and 1970. He finished 4th in the average once.
Bo also put on more Mexican rodeos in Mexico than anyone else. He started going there with George Paul.
He ended up his career at Billy Bob’s Texas from 1981 -1983. Rodeo was a blast for Bo. Bo and Mitt Loyde hold the record, they never missed a night of rodeoing and partying at Billy Bob’s for 90 days straight. In 1985, Bo furnished the bulls at Billy Bob’s, the 6E Bulls.
Neil Yelderman wrote, and Mark Krenek sang, The Gypsy Cowboy, which is about Bo Ashorn. There is also a video made about it. Kim Johnson is writing a book about their experiences together. The rodeoing was great, but the experiences, and the friends that Bo made were the high points of his career. From Texas to Canada and back to Mexico, Bo rode bulls, produced rodeos, and made the best friends a man could ever have.
Jack Wiseman, C. E. Henry and Bo were the first white guys to infiltrate the NCCA (National Colored Cowboys Association) in 1958.
