Rodeo Performer and Actor. Cowboy star Roy Rogers called him "the greatest trick roper of his time". Christened Owen Harlan Mickel by his wandering preacher father, Montana was a fixture of the U. S. rodeo circuit from his teens and used his roping and riding skills as his ticket to Hollywood in the early 1930s. He had small roles in 19 films, including "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962), and did stunts in a dozen others. But he is best remembered for his annual appearances in Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade, beginning in 1932. Riding his pinto, Rex, and decked out in a rhinestone and sequin-studded outfit emblazoned with roses and American flags, Montana delighted fans along the parade route with his rodeo routines. His favorite trick was to lasso an unsuspecting member of the audience. In 1953 he made headlines when he lassoed President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a gag during Ike's inaugural parade in Washington. The President agreed to the stunt beforehand, but his bodyguards were not amused. "I'm lucky the Secret Service didn't ventilate me", the performer quipped. Elected to the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1989, Montana was 83 when he rode in his 60th and final Rose Parade in 1994.
Rodeo Performer and Actor. Cowboy star Roy Rogers called him "the greatest trick roper of his time". Christened Owen Harlan Mickel by his wandering preacher father, Montana was a fixture of the U. S. rodeo circuit from his teens and used his roping and riding skills as his ticket to Hollywood in the early 1930s. He had small roles in 19 films, including "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962), and did stunts in a dozen others. But he is best remembered for his annual appearances in Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade, beginning in 1932. Riding his pinto, Rex, and decked out in a rhinestone and sequin-studded outfit emblazoned with roses and American flags, Montana delighted fans along the parade route with his rodeo routines. His favorite trick was to lasso an unsuspecting member of the audience. In 1953 he made headlines when he lassoed President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a gag during Ike's inaugural parade in Washington. The President agreed to the stunt beforehand, but his bodyguards were not amused. "I'm lucky the Secret Service didn't ventilate me", the performer quipped. Elected to the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1989, Montana was 83 when he rode in his 60th and final Rose Parade in 1994.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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