F
or 26 years, the popular annual
Gilroy Roundup and Gymkhana
was a major stopover on the
California Rodeo Circuit, in
time becoming one of 600 professional
rodeo venues held throughout the United
States and Canada. Contestants on the
professional cowboy tour, joined by
rodeo performers, ropers and riders,
passed through town, showing off their
talents and offering the public a rousing
good time.
The idea for a local rodeo and
roundup was first suggested in early
October 1930, proposed by a local
business group headed by George Milias,
Jr. The promotional draw, labeled a
two-day “Fiesta,” was to take place
over November 15 and 16, 1930. A
Gymkhana Association was incorporated
and by early November, with two weeks
to go, events and prizes were posted.
Monterey Street was decorated and a
parade was planned. Complete with the
election of Emeryl McHale as Gilroy’s
first Gymkhana Princess, the event was
scheduled to include equestrian acts,
awards and concessions.
Then the November rains arrived
early, causing attendance to dwindle,
and gate receipts to fall. In addition,
many professional contestants had
already headed home, because Gilroy
was at the end of the year’s rodeo circuit.
Fortunately a rain insurance policy saved
the ticket sales losses. In the end, the
Gymkhana Association was able to declare
a dividend of $2,000, split between the
American Legion and the newly opened
Wheeler Hospital.
In following years, the Association
placed the event on a June calendar.
On June 19, 1931, the Gilroy Advocate
noted that the Gymkhana was a hit. By
its fourth anniversary, 8,000 attended
the event. In a burst of civic pride, the
June 16, 1933 Advocate enthusiastically
labeled the Gymkhana equal to anything
of its kind ever held in the West, stating
“That Gilroy’s annual roundup is making a
prominent niche for itself in big Western
shows goes without saying, and all of the
success is due to this group of citizens
who labored night and day for a month or
more, to insure its success.”
The Gymkhana settled into a regular
early summer stop on the rodeo circuit.
A scheduled series of events fell into
place: colorful banners were hung from
streetlights and downtown buildings,
and merchants adorned their storefronts
with posters of buckaroos and bronco-
busters. The Jaycees set up a fundraiser
“Hoosegow,” in which members “arrested,”
“jailed” and “fined” anyone seen in public
not dressed in Western wear.
The exciting weekend kick-off included
Friday and Saturday night Cowboy
Dances, held during the early years in
the Filice and Perelli Cannery ware-
house, and later at the newly constructed
Wheeler Auditorium. A “Queen of the
West” contest attracted eager contestants
vying to earn valuable prizes. In 1933,
the big prize was a trip to Hollywood as
guest of Ken Maynard, a popular cowboy
movie star, complete with a screen test
at Universal Studios. In 1935, Western
star Buck Jones advised Pat Holman, the
Gymkhana Queen, not to take the prize
overly seriously. She had just spent six
hours in front of silent and talkie movie
cameras after sitting through two hours
in the makeup room.
The downtown parade was held on
both Saturday and Sunday of Gymkhana
weekend. Crowds gathered three deep
along Monterey Street to watch the grand
procession, which began at 1 pm from
the railroad depot. Both the Southern
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JULY / AUGUST 2016
Pacific and Gilroy High School bands,
plus drum corps from San Francisco,
Santa Cruz, San Jose, Hollister and
Gilroy led a procession of 1,000 horse-
men up Monterey Street. Ornate floats
sponsored by local organizations
followed. A rear file of open cars bore a
cavalcade of local mayors and dignitaries
from area cities.
The parade north on Monterey
Street turned east at I.O.O.F Avenue
toward the Gilroy High School football
stadium. Converted for the occasion into
a Gymkhana arena, the grounds were
located slightly north of the present
athletic field of South Valley Junior
High.
The Gymkhana itself lasted from
2-5:30 pm. Featured arena events
included calf roping, bareback riding,
saddle bronco riding, and bull dogging.
Besides stunt riders and clowns, working
acts around the surrounding track
included races, jumps and a frenzied
wild horse race.
The last Gymkhana was held on
Sunday, June 17, 1956. Attendance had
dwindled and a Gilroy Dispatch report
observed that the venue’s program had
lacked sufficient content in recent years.
On that final day, the traditional, stirring
pageant that had exhilarated so many for
so long, took its last trip up Monterey
Street to the Gymkhana grounds and rode
into Gilroy’s nostalgic history.
After the final Gymkhana, a figure of
five-time World Champion Rodeo Rider
Casey Tibbs astride his horse, Warpaint,
was installed above Hall’s Clothing
Store at the corner of Monterey and
Sixth Streets. The figure, since removed,
remained for decades, reminding folks
of a time when the days of the Old West
came alive, and everyone had a rip-
roaring good time.
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