[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 12, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REMEMBERING HORTON ALEXANDER ``COTTON'' ROSSER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2022

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
lasting contributions of Horton Alexander ``Cotton'' Rosser. Passing 
away at the age of 93, Mr. Rosser leaves behind an indelible legacy in 
the rodeo world as a champion saddle bronc rider and owner of Flying U 
Rodeo Company, the oldest rodeo livestock company in the United States.
  In the 1950s, he made a name for himself in the rodeo world as a 
champion saddle bronc rider, including a prominent victory at the Reno 
Rodeo in 1950. Unfortunately, his competitive rodeo career abruptly 
ended in 1956 when a ranch accident left him with two broken legs.
  However, Mr. Rosser remained an integral part of the rodeo world as 
the country's premier rodeo rancher. In 1956, he bought the Flying U 
Rodeo Company, supplying rodeo animals and livestock. Over several 
decades, Mr. Rosser and his family built Flying U, based in Marysville, 
California, into one of the most successful stock contracting firms in 
professional rodeo.
  In addition to stock contracting, Flying U produced around 50 rodeos 
annually; Mr. Rosser and his company became known for their outstanding 
rodeo productions. The showmanship of his rodeo opening ceremonies 
presented at the National Finals Rodeo, the Houston Livestock Show, and 
the Grand National Rodeo in San Francisco raised the profile of the 
sport.
  Mr. Rosser was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1995 and 
honored with a half-sized bronze statue in front of the Reno-Sparks 
Livestock Events Center commissioned by past presidents of the Reno 
Rodeo Association. The statue remains a lasting tribute to Mr. Rosser's 
work as a longtime rodeo producer. In the same year, he became the 
first-ever Triple Crown winner at the National Cowboy & Western 
Heritage Museum. The Western Fairs Association inducted Mr. Rosser into 
their Hall of Fame in 2014 for his incredible work supporting the fair 
industry. In 2015, Mr. Rosser received the PRCA Donita Barnes Contract 
Personnel Lifetime Achievement Award.
  I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Mr. Rosser's loved 
ones. I know that they, along with the rodeo community, join me in 
celebrating his life and legacy.

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