TORNADO - Oklahoma City, OK - Animal Memorials on Waymarking.com

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum located at 1700 N. E. 63rd Street is a wonderful place to learn about all things "western." With interactive videos and displays, sculptures and paintings, there are endless things to learn.

On the south side of the museum is a lovely garden area, complete with walks, ponds, waterfalls, benches, grassy areas and sculptures. This memorial is to Tornado, a famous rodeo bull. The memorial is an engraved wood crossbar, with a hanging bronze plaque describing his amazing life.

The plaque reads: "Tornado weighed 1500 lbs. Red with a white face, he was a crossbred bull - half Brahman, half hereford. Some say he was the best rodeo bucking bull that ever lived. Unridden in six competitive seasons, Tornado bucked off 220 professional cowboys, all victims of that storm of turbulence for which he was named. / One of the reasons that made him great, aside from the natural bucking, jumping and spinning, was his clown-and-barrel fighting ability, but he was not a killer bull. He bucked just hard enough to toss his rider. The better the cowboy rode, the harder Tornado bent to his task. / He was finally conquered on December 1, 1967 at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, the mighty little Freckles Brown of Soper, Oklahoma mastered Tornado for eight seconds in a never-to-be-forgotten ride that is indelibly etched in the annals of pro rodeo. / A few years later, stock contractor Jim Shoulders retired his bull to a well deserved rest in a lush pasture on his J Lazy S ranch at Henryetta, Oklahoma. Tornado died in 1972 of old age - he was 15 - and is buried here in the shade."

NOTE: Admission is required to visit the outdoor garden area. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
Address: 1700 N. E. 63rd Street
Phone: 405-478-2250
Admission (2011)
Adults $12.50, Seniors 62+ & Students $9.75
Children 4-12 $5.75 - Children under 3 Free

Type of Memorial: plaque Type of Animal: other

Visit Instructions:
Proof of visit is required. The easiest proof is a gps photo of the memorial. GPS photos will always be acceptable proof. Individual waymarks may ask for an alternative type of proof of visit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/15/2012 Sneakin Deacon visited it