​SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A longtime rodeo advocate and fixture in the rodeo stock industry, Jim Sutton, Jr., died on Thursday, Sept. 3, according to his obituary.Sutton was 91. He grew up on the family ranch near the Missouri River and graduated from Onida High School and South Dakota State University. Sutton’s influence in the rodeo world was highlighted in a Sutton family on the Sutton Rodeo Facebook.”You kindness is deeply appreciated and we are so grateful to be surrounded by the warm thoughts and the sharing of so many great stories and memories you had of him over the years. Many that we had never heard before this week and it has been so heartwarming to hear how he has impacted your life or gave you a great laugh and memory!” the Sutton Rodeo Facebook post said.
UPDATE: 16-year-old Aberdeen girl found safe Before Sutton became a rodeo fixture, he was an all-conference basketball player for two years. He played for the SDSU Jacks during the 1955-56-57 seasons, scoring 1,034 points in 71 games, according to the SDSU Hall of Fame website. He was drafted in 9th round as the third pick and 65th overall by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1957 draft, according to the Basketball Reference website. Sutton wasn’t with the Lakers for long, according to his obituary. After pre-season training camp he decided it was in his best financial interest to return to the ranch, the obituary said. The Sutton family eventually formed the Sutton Rodeo Company. His role in rodeo is illustrated by his induction into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, producing the PRCA Horse of the Year three times, and that Sutton stock was selected all but two National Finals Rodeo from 1959 on, according to his obituary. The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) posted about Sutton’s death on its website. Sutton was former AQHA director and past president of the South Dakota Quarter Horse Association and South Dakota Cutting Horse Association.Sutton’s funeral is at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at Sully Buttes Gymnasium in Onida. Visitation is from 10 to 11 a.m. that day in the gym.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.