King Merritt was born in Calhoun, Georgia. He left home to be a cowboy, working for big ranches in Texas. After viewing a silent movie about Cheyenne Frontier Days™, he made a promise to himself that he would be a contestant one day. He came to Wyoming in 1916 and went to work on the Swan Land & Cattle Co. After serving in World War I, King came home and married Marie Smith, the daughter of a prominent Horse Creek rancher. They bought the Davidson Ranch on Pole Creek and had three sons, Dean (Sonny), Hyde and Cotton and three daughters, Orlene (Sis), Ramona and Ginger. King entered his first Frontier Days in 1920 and every year after that until 1952. He and Marie furnished steers, calves, parade horses and horses for the Indian Races. King invited top Steer Ropers to his Steer Roping in Laramie, many would stay over for Frontier Days. Dean (Sonny) Merritt competed in the Calf Roping and the Steer Roping at Cheyenne Frontier Days™. He became so involved with western wear that he opened his own western store, Merritts, “The Store with the Stable Door.” It became so popular that ranchers, rodeo people and tourists would save their money to buy from the store. Hyde Merritt’s first love was Steer Roping and was King’s right hand at it. After King died, Hyde kept Steer Roping alive in Wyoming, renaming the Laramie Plains Steer Roping competition the “King Merritt Memorial Roping.” Hyde furnished steers for Frontier Days and put on many jackpots and rodeos. He went on to follow his Dad’s footsteps in the Quarter Horse World by becoming one of the top Quarter Horse breeders and judges and he also competed in Cheyenne in the Roping events. He was the West Coast Manager for the Western Horseman Magazine and editor of the magazine, “The Quarter Horse News.” Orlene (Sis) Merritt rode race horses and won contests around the country. She was named Miss Frontier in 1945 and she rode for the Everett Colburns Quadrille Dance Team at Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden and others. Cotton was also an avid Steer Roper and was entered as a contestant at Cheyenne Frontier Days™ when she became ill and passed away. As a Quarter Horse Race Trainer, his horses won at the Frontier and Centennial Race Track in Colorado where they name a race “The Cotton Merritt Memorial.” Ginger was quite a cowgirl and she exhibitioned Team Roping with Sis and Ramona. She rode race horses at the rodeo, rode a calf in the calf riding competition and she was an outrider for the parades. Ramona rode race horses professionally in Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, Kansas, Idaho and Wyoming and rode several years in Cheyenne. She never lost a matched race. King, Ike Rude, John Bowman, Everett Shaw taught her how to rope steers and she exhibitioned this talent at several Steer Ropings. The Merritt family never missed Frontier Days except when Sonny, Hyde and Cotton were in the service. King and Marie put their stamp on many of their 23 grandchildren and great grandchildren who are competing in the rodeo world and serving Cheyenne Frontier Days™ as volunteers.