Midnight (horse)

Midnight (1916–1936) was a bucking horse who in 1979 was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Early life and appearance

Midnight was foaled in 1916 on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, and was originally owned by Jim McNab. He was a black horse standing 15.1 hands (61 inches, 155 cm) and weighing 1,300 pounds. He was a crossbred horse with Thoroughbred and Percheron blood.^[1]

Career - 1920s

During the 1920s, Midnight developed the reputation of being unrideable. Those attempting to ride him were usually thrown off in only 2 to 3 seconds. At that time, the target was to ride the horse for ten seconds.

1930s career

Some rumors say that he was ridden by a cowboy named Pete Knight during Cheyenne Frontier Days at some point in the early 1930s. Regardless, no one is on record as having officially ridden Midnight, despite his long career and multiple appearances in large rodeos. He bucked at the inaugural National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in 1931.^[2] This continued until 1933 when he retired from bucking.

Death

About 3 years after retirement, Midnight died on the 5th of November, 1936. He was estimated to be around 20 years old. He was buried beneath a gravestone saying: "Underneath this sod lies a great bucking horse. There never lived a cowboy he couldn't toss. His name was Midnight, his coat as black as coal. If there is a hoss-heaven, God please, rest his soul."^[3]

Pop-culture

In 1974, a 96-page novella entitled Midnight, Champion Bucking Horse was written about him by Sam Savitt.^[4]

References