20th Century Western Hat

This hat made by the John B. Stetson company was worn by rodeo champion steer wrestler Mike Hastings. Mike Hastings, born in 1891 in Casper, Wyoming, rose to fame in the rodeo arena as one of the most celebrated steer wrestlers of his era. Nicknamed both the “Tarzan of bulldoggers” and the “king of bull-doggers,” he first tested his skills in rodeo competition at Laramie in 1910, entering bronc riding, calf roping, and steer wrestling. Strong from years of lumberjacking and breaking wild horses, Hastings soon found his calling in bulldogging and made it his main event. His talent quickly carried him to the top ranks of competition, and in 1916 he set a world record in New York with a 12-second bulldogging run—a mark that stood unchallenged for four years.

Over the next two decades, Hastings’ name became synonymous with rodeo excellence. He claimed numerous titles, including victories at the Bozeman Roundup in 1922, multiple wins at Tom Burnett’s Triangle Ranch Rodeo in 1923, the 1925 Pendleton Roundup, and the title of “world’s champion bulldogger” at the Chicago Rodeo in 1927. When not competing, Hastings worked as a stock foreman for Gene Autry and Colonel W.T. Johnson, further cementing his place in rodeo culture. After retiring from competition in 1940, he managed the Cimarron Ranch in Brewster, New York, for 25 years. Hastings passed away in 1965 at the age of 74 and was posthumously honored with induction into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1974.