Trailblazer
Kenny McLean
A tremendously gifted athlete who could have excelled in any sport, Kenny McLean was breaking colts on the home ranch for his dad by the time he was 12. By the time he was 17 he was competing against some of the best saddle bronc riders in rodeo …and he was winning.
He won his first Canadian title in 1959 at the age of 20, winning again in 1960 and ’61, becoming the first cowboy ever to be crowned Canadian Champion three years in a row.
Ken was named PRCA Rookie of the Year in 1961 and the next year he earned the title of World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider.
His athletic ability served him well when he tried his hand at timed events and he’s one of only two Canadian cowboys to win championships in steer wrestling and calf roping in the same year. He was Canadian all round champion four times and won 13 major championships over his career.
His peers called him the smoothest bronc rider to ever go down the road. His rodeo schools were attended by rookies and champions. Larry Mahan had won two world championships when he attended one of Ken’s schools to refine his technique.
When Ken hung up his bronc saddle more than 25 years ago he went on to establish a reputation as a trainer and breeder of top quality performance horses. He continued to rope and wrestle steers on the regional circuits. When he was inducted into the B.C. Cowboy Hall Fame in 1961 he wasn’t there to accept the award in person. He was competing in the Senior Pro Rodeo in Hamilton Montana, and that year he captured the World Senior Pro Calf Roping Championship in Reno.
Forty-five years after winning his first buckle, Ken was in the arena on a good horse with his rope in hand when his number was called for the final time.
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