Arizona in the Saddle | Page 12

By Jim Olson, ©2014, www.JimOlsonAuthor.com

T

om Threepersons was an Indian who
became famous. Research reveals
numerous stories claiming he was a
Cherokee, or perhaps a Blood (Kainai)
Indian; He was born in Oklahoma (1889) or
perhaps Canada (1888); he was a mounted
policeman, tracker and rodeo star in Canada;
a famous lawman and prohibition officer
in El Paso, Texas; a cowboy in New Mexico
and a successful rancher in Canada; he had a
leather gun holster named after him and won
the World Bronc Riding Championship of
1912; his name was spelled “Threepersons”
or perhaps “Three Persons” and he died poor
in 1969, in Arizona, or possibly a rich man
during 1949 in Canada.
Many accomplishments (and
contradictions) for only one man! How
did he do so much, making his name a
permanent part of Western history and lore?
A closer examination of the facts reveals
there were—ironically, TWO different “Tom
Threepersons,” alive and making headlines
at the same time. Their stories are often
mistakenly jumbled into one.
One was a rodeo star, who
had a few encounters with
the law—the other was
a lawman, who had a few
encounters with rodeo. First
let us look at the rodeo star.
Tom Threepersons the
rodeo star was actually “Tom
Three Persons,” a Canadianborn, Blood Indian (often
referred to as “First Nations”
people in Canada) whose primary
language was Blackfoot. His birth
father was said to be an Anglo
whiskey peddler and trader who
abandoned his mother when it was
found out she was with child. His

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January 2014

mother, a Blood, soon married another and
Tom was raised by his step father, “Three
Persons,” also a Blood. He grew up on the
reservation where he learned to hunt, fish,
farm, ranch and—ride wild horses. When
he was a teenager, his mother sent him to an
Indian boarding school where he learned the
English language and was baptized into the
Catholic faith.

Clockwise from left: Tom Threepersons
and wife; Lawman Threepersons; Tom
Threepersons, Rodeo Star

After graduation, Tom married his high
school sweetheart and returned to the
reservation to settle down and raise cattle.
However, during the many roundups held
across the reservation, he became known as
an outstanding cowboy, a fine roper, and most
particularly, a superb bucking horse rider. It
was because of these skills friends encouraged
Tom to enter his first rodeo at Lethbridge,
Canada in 1908. He placed well and returned
the next year, winning first. A new career—
rodeo, was now in the cards for Tom.
It has been written that the lawman, Tom
Threepersons, once served in the Canadian
Royal Mounted Police. Research shows there
was never any “Threepersons” or “Three
Persons” enlisted with them. However, Tom
Three Persons, the rodeo cowboy was said
to have worked for them as a tracker at
times. He was also reportedly a regular
“customer” of theirs
behind bars as he liked
his whiskey and fun—
sometimes a little too
much. He was supposedly
in this exact position
(incarcerated for drinking
too much) in late August
of 1912 when his life was
changed forever.
Guy Weadick, an American
rodeo and wild west show
producer was putting together
the very first Calgary Stampede
to be held in the first part of
September, 1912. It was quite a
production, with the best ropers
and riders from Canada and the
United Stated invited to see who would be the
“Worlds Champion” in each event.
Weadick had heard of Tom Three Persons
(or probably knew him) because by then,

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