Ted Terry started out as someone else. He was born Dallas Edgman but GIVEN to a family in Canada! I had no idea one could give away their children back then. Dallas became Ted, and he eventually became a member of the Sawtooth Range Riders, a rodeo group who performed on the radio.
In 1937 he and a few band members accepted a $500 bet from a casino owner that he could ride a bull to New York.
The bull he rode over 3,000 miles had two names too. Originally named "Ohadi" which is the reverse of Idaho, the beast seems to have acquired the name "Hitler" on the road. Also on the trip was Skipper the dog, Silver Sally the aging pack horse and other members of the Sawtooth boys. They covered an average of 12 miles a day. The crew reached Times Square in 1940 and won the bet.
There are several entries on the adventure, but one comes from The Backyard Cow: An Introductory Guide to Keeping a Productive Family Cow by Sue Weaver. I'd not ever have learned of the book if it weren't for Hitler Ohadi the Bull.
A ten minute youtube film featuring band member H.G. Wood follows. His amazing photographs document a long lost Western America as well as the amazing trip. The film was produced as part of the Phd work of Janine Curry.
Real Photo Postcard of Ted Terry and The Range Riders. Circa 1938 Collection Jim Linderman
