PSN_Dec3 2028

PRCA PASSINGS

NFR STEER WRESTLER REX BLAND PASSES AWAY AT 76 By PRCA Staff S teer wrestler Rex Bland, a three-time Na tional Finals Rodeo qualifier, passed away on Oct. 17. He was 76. Bland qualified

BILL FEDDERSEN, FIRST NFR SADDLE BRONC RIDER, PASSES AWAY AT 98 PRCA Staff B ill Feddersen, the first-ever saddle bronc

rider out of the chutes at the Na tional Finals Rodeo in 1959, passed away Oct. 27. He was 98 years old. Feddersen was a trailblazer in PRO RODEO. He was part of an exclusive group of saddle bronc riders that set the stage for the event at the NFR in 1959, the first year of the prestigious rodeo

for the National Fi nals Rodeo in 1971, 1972, and 1973. He finished seventh in the Rodeo Cowboys Association World Standings in 1971, was ninth in 1972 and 10th in 1973.

He placed seventh

(1971), fifth (1972) and 12th in the average in 1973. Rex was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2009. Rex and his brothers, John and Steve are the only three-brother set to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in three different events, John as a bull rider (1976-77), Steve as a tie-down roper (1980), and Rex as a steer wrestler. Rex was born June 4, 1946, in Abilene, Texas, the first son of R.L. and Rosemary Bland. Rodeo was always a part of Rex’s life. Growing up in a rodeo family, he dreamed of the day when he would make an appearance at the NFR. Rex entered his first rodeo at 12 years old in Big Lake, Texas, where he won the goat roping and placed in the steer riding. This began a lifelong love for rodeo competition. Going to AJRA rodeos every summer, winning a few buckles and saddles along the way, continued to strengthen his appetite for the sport. As a member of the rodeo team at Tarleton State Col lege in Stephenville, Texas, and winning the Southwest Region steer wrestling proved Bland was on track to reach that goal. He accomplished that goal qualifying for the NFR three times when it was held in Oklahoma City. One of the greatest honors Rex has received was the 1975 Texas Circuit Man of the Year award. Bland also was the Texas Circuit Year-End Steer Wrestling Champion in 1977. Rex Bland. (File Photo)

Bill Feddersen. (PRCA File Photo)

that was held in Dallas, Texas, at the time. The $10,000 purse for each event differed greatly from the more than $1.5 million per event up for grabs this year. Born in Union City, Okla., in 1927, Feddersen ran a farm and raised beef cattle alongside his younger broth er, Don, and the rest of the family. He got his first horse at a young age and rode to school. In 1943 as a high school-aged cowboy, he competed in rodeo for the first time with the Cowboy Turtle Associa tion, which later became the Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He began to pursue rodeo, but his career was paused when he was drafted into the Army during World War II. In 1948 he returned to rodeo. He competed in rodeos at Madison Square Garden in New York and the Boston Garden, among many other large venues. He competed at the first NFR in both saddle bronc riding and steer wrestling. A year later, Don joined him at the second-ever NFR. Together they became the first brothers to compete in a timed event at the Finals. Feddersen retired from rodeo in 1962, placing 76 times in his final year. He returned to working as a switchman for Rock Island Railroad, a profession he held since 1950. In 2013, he was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

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DECEMBER 3, 2025