Today marks the start of the 2022 @pendletonroundup_hc. As the competitors look to secure a world-class performance of their own, we celebrate an iconic rodeo hero from the early-1900s. Pictured: Jackson Sundown, born Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn [Blanket of the Sun], was a member of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce and a professional rodeo rider active throughout the west. At age 43, he took the title of the 1916 World Champion Bronc Rider. He had a natural affinity for horses, a common trait of the Nez Perce people, and made a living in their training and sale. In his final competition at the 1916 Pendleton Round-Up he drew a fierce bronc named Angel. Contrary to the name, the creature bucked so furiously that Sundown reportedly removed his cowboy hat and used it as a fan to save the horse from overheating after the ride. At this point, according to legend, he and the steed became one. Both his mastery of horsemanship and compassion for the animal earned him the respect of the crowd and his peers with equal admiration. Sundown was inducted into the National Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame in 2006 and Idaho’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2018. His legacy lives on to this day.