Edmond Chester Solomon was born on December 28, 1929 in Havre. He came up the way many young boys did back then: no-nonsense, no-frills. Cowboy life wasn’t a choice; it was just life.
Most of the time, Ed could be found outside helping with ranch work, as long as it didn’t involve machinery. When he was just 4 years old, he helped his grandma drive freshly weaned calves, thirteen miles to the railroad corral.
In high school, Ed had a variety of jobs on the ranch, including hauling milk to town before the school day began. While he knew his obligations working alongside his dad, there may have been an occasion when the machinery repair work at hand was disrupted by Ed’s shenanigans, which resulted in being relieved of the day’s chores. With rodeo already running through his blood, shenanigans made for a clean getaway to get on the road with that one-horse trailer and make it to the next rodeo on time.
When Ed was 17, a stock contractor had a pickup man working for him who broke his leg. A veteran hand looked over at Ed and said, “Think you can step in?” Ed didn’t hesitate.
Ed was the pickup man for years at the National College Finals Rodeo held in Bozeman.
In 1975, Ed bought a stockyards in Havre and named it Bear Paw Livestock Co. Selling the business in 1978, Ed kept busy, picking up at rodeos during the summer along with buying cattle.
He eventually opened Solomon Trading Yards just west of Havre, providing a place for ranchers to weigh and ship their stock.
Later in his life, Ed coached the Northern Montana College Rodeo Team in Havre. He offered advice freely, whether someone asked for it or not, and was always willing to lend a hand. This was his way of giving back to the sport he enjoyed.
Ed rode horseback well into his 80s. By then, about every bone in his body had been broken at least once. Wear and tear took its toll, but thankfully his mind stayed sharp. He had his fair share of wrecks but refused to quit.
He was inducted into the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall & Wall in Billings in 2010.