The story of the European Rodeo Association (ERA) and later the European Rodeo Cowboy Association (ERCA) can’t be told without telling the story of it’s founder Alan Jacob. Alan was born in San Francisco, CA but raised on a ranch in John Day, OR. He enlisted in the US Navy at 17 and served 4 years during WWII in the Pacific theater. After his service, he was a freelance journalist and traveled the world. While in France during the late 1960’s, he got the idea to bring the sport of rodeo to Europe. In 1970 he landed a boat full of rodeo stock in Livorno, Italy and started a rodeo tour that crisscrossed Europe. Due to a lack of financing, this first attempt didn’t pan out and he had to sell all the stock to pay the bills. Early in 1971 after some discussion with a couple of soldiers stationed in Germany, Alan approached the Commander of US Army Europe and they agreed to back a new venture with proceeds going to the Army Morale Fund. Stock was procured and the first European Rodeo Association event was held in Berlin, Germany on 1 July 1971 under the banner of Rodeo USA. Keeping with the times, the association gained a new name during the 1980’s and is now known at the European Rodeo Cowboy Association.
The ERA/ERCA would hold rodeos all over Germany for the next 30+ years allowing over 30,000 military rodeo contestants to compete during that time. Alan’s home ranch in Otterberg, Germany was a second home to many military cowboys during their years in Europe. He took them under his wing and taught them how to ride as well as how to work on the ranch. Many of them became almost family to Alan. The hundreds of ERA/ERCA rodeos Alan produced generated over $1.2 million for the Army Morale Fund which provided other opportunities for service members stationed in Europe. Alan and the ERA/ERCA were ambassadors for military rodeo throughout Europe until his passing in 2003. Could someone else follow in his footsteps to reestablish rodeo in Europe? We surely hope so.
