J.C. "Doc" Sorensen
J. C. “Doc” Sorensen was born of Danish parents in Utah, moving to Idaho at an early age. Mr. Sorensen graduated from Rigby High School in three years with a scholarship to play football at Colorado A&M. He graduated from A&M in three years with a degree in Veterinary Science and a minor in English. Doc practiced veterinary medicine most of his life attaining a rodeo company and a purebred Angus ranch. He married Mimi Poole in 1915 and to this union six children were born; Theda Bellin, Dick Sorensen, Marie Hunter, Hadley Sorensen, Billie Dee Ekberg and Berva Dawn Taylor. In 1929, he and the late Everett C. Colborn founded the Colborn and Sorensen Rodeo Company producing rodeos throughout the Northwest. They produced the first Henry’s Stampede in 1929. In 1939, Mr. Colborn left to join the Gene Autry Associates. The Partnership later dissolved but the friendship endured. Mr. Colborn used Sorensen horses at various rodeos including Madison Square Garden, the Boston Garden and at Phoenix, Arizona. Doc along with wife, Mimi, and their six children formed the Flying U Rodeo Company producing rodeos throughout the Northwest. States included Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Idaho and in the winter, Arizona. He furnished stock to The Cheyenne Frontier Days and Pendleton, Oregon. He promoted the first Helldorado Rodeo in Las Vegas, producing it for 19 years and was the first producer to use two announcers in Las Vegas. He promoted the famous Caldwell Night Rodeo and had it for 21 years. He produced the Sun Valley, Idaho rodeo that was internationally known. He was the first to import Brahma cattle to the northwest using bucking bulls and raising his own Brahma roping calves. At some of his rodeos, he had a “White Horse Cavalcade” using all white/grey horses in the bareback riding and bronc riding. Some of these horses were used to pull the parade wagons and then in the winter, they were used on sleds to feed the rodeo stock and purebred Angus cattle. Some of his famous horses were Rusty, My Best, Nicotine, White Slave and the Great Speckled Bird. He had twelve white parade horses which were ridden by women attired in his Alma Matter colors of green and gold. His interests were varied – state brand inspector; on county and local school boards; Mayor of Roberts, Idaho; director of the Eastern Idaho State Fair at Blackfoot, Idaho; director of the Western Idaho State Fair in Boise, Idaho; director of liquor enforcement in Idaho, State Legislator from Lemhi County, and successful manager for Idaho Governor. He sold out the Cotton Rosser in 1961 and the Flying U Rodeo continues to flourish.
by Dee Klenck |
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