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Reno Gay Rodeo Collection (MS-00503)

Abstract

The Reno Gay Rodeo Collection comprises organizational records collected by Dennis McBride that document the National Reno Gay Rodeo from 1977 to 1988. It includes newspaper clippings, notes, and ephemera, as well as legal documentation from two lawsuits fought unsuccessfully in 1988 to retain the Reno rodeo. The two lawsuits were the Silver State Gay Rodeo Association vs Lawlor Events Center (1988), and the Lantry, et. al. vs Third Judicial District Court, NV (Nevada Supreme Court dismissal, 1988).

Finding Aid PDF

Date

1977-1988

Extent

0.21 Linear Feet (1 box)

Related People/Corporations

Scope and Contents Note

The Reno Gay Rodeo Collection comprises organizational records collected by Dennis McBride that document the National Reno Gay Rodeo from 1977 to 1988. It includes newspaper clippings; notes, ephemera; as well as legal documentation from two lawsuits fought unsuccessfully in 1988 to retain the Reno rodeo. The two lawsuits were the Silver State Gay Rodeo Association vs Lawlor Events Center (1988), and the Lantry, et. al. vs Third Judicial District Court, NV (Nevada Supreme Court dismissal, 1988).

1975
Reno Gay Rodeo founded in Reno, Nevada by Phil Ragsdale
1976
First gay rodeo held in Reno
1982
The National Reno Gay Rodeo draws more than 20,000 individuals
1984
Last National Reno Gay Rodeo
1996
First annual Big Horn Rodeo
2004
The gay rodeo returns to Reno

Access Note

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.

Arrangement

Original order has been maintained

Biographical / Historical Note

Founded in Reno, Nevada in 1975 by Phil Ragsdale, the Reno Gay Rodeo was the inspiration for gay rodeos that today are held throughout the world. The first gay rodeo was held in Reno on October 2, 1976, and served as a fund-raiser for local charities. While only 125 people attended that first event, the National Reno Gay Rodeo grew to eventually draw more than 20,000 spectators and participants in 1982. The Reno rodeo ended in 1984, but reemerged in Las Vegas in 1994 with a Gymkhana, an equestrian sporting event, and in 1996 with the first annual Big Horn Rodeo. In 2004 the gay rodeo returned to Reno, hosted by the High Sierra Rodeo Association.

Preferred Citation

Reno Gay Rodeo Collection, 1977-1988. MS-00503. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Acquisition Note

Materials were donated in 2005 by Dennis McBride; accession number 2005-008.

Processing Note

Material was processed by Dennis McBride in 2005. In 2014 as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Hana Gutierrez revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. Subsequently Hana Gutierrez entered the data into ArchivesSpace.

Resource Type

Collection

Collection Type

EAD ID

US::NvLN::MS00503

Finding Aid Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard
English