World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Cattle Drive Heroes and Trail Bosses

Ikua Purdy: The Parker Ranch Paniolo Who Won at Cheyenne in 1908

A Waimea-raised cowboy crossed an ocean and a continent in 1908 and beat the mainland's best ropers with a 56-second run.

Who Was Ikua Purdy?

Ikua Purdy was a paniolo, the Hawaiian cowboy tradition that traces back to Mexican-Spanish vaqueros. Hawaii Public Radio reports that he traveled from Honolulu to Cheyenne, Wyoming, by steamship and train in 1908. By the end of Cheyenne Frontier Days, most of the rodeo's crowd of more than 10,000 knew who he was.

A detailed biography at The Active Historian gives his birth date as December 24, 1872, in Waimea. It says he was descended from John Palmer Parker, the founder of Parker Ranch, and from Kipikane, a granddaughter of King Kamehameha. The Hawaii Cattlemen's Council describes him as the grandson of Jack Purdy, one of Waimea's original settlers.

Growing Up on Parker Ranch

Purdy grew up on Parker Ranch on the island of Hawaii, learning to rope and ride, and was considered a master of the rope by age 20, according to the same biography. Parker Ranch was founded in 1847 and now covers about 130,000 acres, as the Parker Ranch article notes.

On October 21, 1905, he competed in the first Cowboy Carnival at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu. He won the roping and tying contest in 38 and three-quarters seconds, which earned a hand-carved Mexican saddle, and he also won the straight-away roping contest, where Parker Ranch ropers swept the placings.

The Trip to Cheyenne in 1908

Cheyenne's rodeo committee offered $300 toward the expenses of two riders from Hawaii, and Eben Low selected Purdy and Archie Kaaua. Jack Low also went, and the group left Honolulu on August 5, 1908, aboard the Alameda. The contests ran August 20 to 22. Entry cost $10 and the purse was $400.

Their arrival caused what a Cowboy State Daily history column calls a minor firestorm. The three men faced race-based prejudice and were widely seen as foreigners.

How Purdy Won Steer Roping

The steer roping ran over three days. Half the field roped on day one and half on day two, and the two fastest ropers each day advanced to a final run, with times from the two runs added together. Jack Low was the only Hawaiian to rope on the first day and did not qualify.

On day two Purdy finished first with 63 seconds and Kaaua second with 69. In the final, Purdy ran first in 56 seconds, seven seconds faster than before. Kaaua's steer broke free, which disqualified him in the Cowboy State Daily account. Other accounts differ on the placings: The Active Historian says Kaaua placed third and Low sixth. Either way, Purdy took the title and was named world champion.

The Key to Purdy's Success

Purdy's win was not a lucky run. It came out of daily ranch work and a ranch that rewarded roping skill.

The documented lessons are about preparation, adaptation and nerve under pressure.

  • He learned his craft as a working hand on Parker Ranch, where roping was a daily job.
  • He competed at home first, winning two contests at the 1905 Honolulu Cowboy Carnival.
  • He improved under pressure: his final run was seven seconds faster than his second-day run.
  • He was part of a team with Kaaua and Low and had backing from Eben Low and the Cheyenne committee.
  • He faced prejudice on arrival and answered it with results in the arena.
  • Limit: accounts differ on Kaaua's and Low's placings, and few firsthand records survive.

Home to Hawaii and Later Life

Purdy and Kaaua were celebrated when they arrived home in September 1908, as the Honolulu Advertiser reported. Purdy kept competing in local events and working on ranches for several years, and he worked about 30 years as foreman of Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui. He married Kelea Benjamin on January 19, 1925, and they had several children.

He died on July 4, 1945, at his home on Maui, aged 72.

Honors and Legacy

The Hawaii Cattlemen's Council lists Purdy among the first group inducted into its Paniolo Hall of Fame in 1999 and says he was the first Hawaiian nominated to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. The Active Historian reports a 1999 induction into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, and Hawaii Public Radio notes his place in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame.

In June 2020 a lei brought by Purdy's grandson was buried near the arena spot where he won in 1908. The lei had hung at his portrait in the Old West Museum since 2018, and curator Mike Kassel said it was disposed of in an honorable way. Readers can explore more at the rodeo section of farm.FM, and a related read is a farm.FM story about paniolo and rodeo.

Timeline

  1. 1847Parker Ranch is founded on the island of Hawaii
  2. 1872Born in Waimea on December 24 (per one biography)
  3. 1905Wins two roping contests at the first Cowboy Carnival in Honolulu
  4. 1908Sails for Cheyenne on August 5 and wins steer roping at Frontier Days
  5. 1925Marries Kelea Benjamin on January 19
  6. 1945Dies on Maui on July 4
  7. 1999Inducted into the Paniolo Hall of Fame
  8. 2020A lei is buried at Frontier Park in Cheyenne in his honor

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ikua Purdy?

Ikua Purdy (1872-1945) was a Hawaiian paniolo from Parker Ranch who won the steer roping at 1908 Cheyenne Frontier Days and was named world champion roper.

What did Ikua Purdy win in 1908?

He won the steer roping at Cheyenne Frontier Days, finishing his final run in 56 seconds. He was the first non-Wyomingite to win the event, according to Hawaii Public Radio.

Who traveled with Ikua Purdy to Cheyenne?

Archie Kaaua and Jack Low, both tied to Parker Ranch, also made the trip. Kaaua placed high in the steer roping, while Low did not qualify for the final.

What honors did Ikua Purdy receive?

He is in the Paniolo Hall of Fame (1999) and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame, and one biography reports a 1999 National Rodeo Hall of Fame induction.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall