Cooperative Extension Service agent Edd Roberts joined Oklahoma A&M College's Harley Daniels, from the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, to teach youth about soil by creating the first annual "Soil Rodeo" in 1943.

Roberts, pictured teaching about various soil types, helped develop a scoring system for the rodeo, which was such a success that it went national in 1951 as the National Land and Pasture Judging Contest, attracting contestants in 4-H and FFA from around the country.

Range judging was added later and the contest remains an annual event hosted in Oklahoma City.