Frederic Remington
American, 1861­1909
The Bronco Buster
Modelled 1909, cast 1912
Bronze
ht.: 82.6 cm
Gift of Burr L. Robbins, 1959.214

A bronco is a horse that is “green”—one that has never been ridden before. This rider is busting a bronco, getting the horse used to a saddle and bridle. Rodeos today still include bronco-busting contests.

Remington worked as a ranch hand in the early 1880s. He traveled across the West and Southwest, observing and sketching Indians, ranch life, cowboys, and soldiers on horseback. His paintings, drawings, and sculpture capture the Old West. Is the cowboy going to stay on the bronco or get thrown?