The Ketchpen: Spring/Summer 2017

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Spring/Summer/Ballot 2017

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For members of the Rodeo Historical Society at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

50th Anniversary Special Edition

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Rodeo Historical Society

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Remember to

VOTE 12

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On The Cover

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Features The Rodeo Suite 7 These six etchings by Prix de West artist Sandy Scott illustrate the Museum’s connection with rodeo

IMAGE COURTESY OF DICKINSON RESEARCH CENTER, 1981.023.19781-01.

How It All Began 12 Celebrating RHS’ first 50 years with a look back at its beginnings More Photos from Rodeo Weekend 16 Revisit the memorable moments that made for such a special event

22 Atop the chute gates are traveling partners as well as champion cowboys (left to right) Jack Buschbom, Harry Tompkins, and Jim Shoulders at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Dallas, Texas, 1961, photographed by DeVere Helfrich. The first NFR was held in Dallas at Fair Park Coliseum in 1959 and continued there through 1961.

Shoulders won PRCA All-Around Cowboy Champion in 1949 and from 1956–1959. Tompkins won All-Around Champion in 1952 and again in 1960. Buschbom was the bareback riding world champion in 1949, 1959, and 1960, and was bareback average champion three times in 1959, 1961, and 1964. (For more images from and information about the Museum’s archival rodeo collections, see p. 22–23.)

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Rehousing Project Dickinson Research Center shares highlights from the archives

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A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna Curator Don Reeves covers the colorful history of bandannas

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Voting Rules and Nominees 2017 Nominee information for review by the voting membership

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Columns President’s Message

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Digest/Calendar

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RHS Board of Directors

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Preserving Heritage

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Lazy E 19 The Museum Store

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Empty Saddles

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

President’s Message

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Rodeo Historical Society’s 50th Anniversary

WWW.OWNBEYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

ate 1966 to early 1967 was a time of innovation and change for both the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA). This was marked by progressive steps to improve professional rodeo overall as well as establishing the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS) on December 9, 1966. (For Part 1 of a series on RHS history, please turn to page 12).

The National Finals Rodeo (NFR), held in Oklahoma City at the time, was sponsored jointly by the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and what was then called the National Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center.

Sharon Shoulders RHS Board President

At the end of 1966, the World Champions of rodeo were Larry Mahan – All-Around; Paul Mayo – Bareback Riding; Junior Garrison – Calf Roping; Marty Wood – Saddle Bronc Riding; Jack Roddy – Steer Wrestling; Ronnie Rossen – Bull Riding; Ken Luman – Team Roping; Sonny Davis – Steer Roping; and Norita Kraus Henderson – Barrel Racing. The bucking horses of the year were Jake and Lynn Beutler’s Descent.

Until 1966, only one cowboy — Pete Knight — was elected to the National Cowboy Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame by virtue of winning the All-Around Championship. After a waiver of the rules, the 1966 roster added five more All-Around Champion cowboys to the Rodeo Hall of Fame — Doff Aber, Clyde Burk, Lee Caldwell, Bob Crosby, and Kid Fletcher. Horse honorees were Dale Smith’s Poker Chip and the Christensen Brothers’ War Paint.

By this time, the National Cowboy Museum housed the greatest saddle collection in the world, and in 1966 saddles owned by Will Rogers, Pete Knight, and Texas author J. Frank Dobie were added to the collection. After it was established in late 1966 a major concern of the RHS was the acquisition of different types of rodeo memorabilia for the Museum’s rodeo collection.

Today, election to the Rodeo Hall of Fame remains the highest of all rodeo honors. Within this issue you will find names and biographies of the 2017 nominees for the Rodeo Hall of Fame. Be sure to vote for your favorite nominees and return your voting form by the deadline. For further information see page 33.

And, remember to make your reservations early to attend the 2017 Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend, November 9-11, when Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees will be honored along with the Ben Johnson Memorial Award and the Tad Lucas Memorial Award recipients.

Under the capable direction of RHS Coordinator Andee Lamoreaux, the spring 2017 RHS Board meeting went well, with several new, exciting projects that will be announced to members on or before the fall 2017 RHS Board meeting.

As it is the RHS’ 50th anniversary year, there will be surprises, so plan on being part of the fun!

It is the responsibility of all of us to help promote the Rodeo Historical Society by membership, participation, and acquiring new members. Also, members should be working on auction items for Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend.

I look forward to seeing all of you in November, if not before, at some of the many exciting events that go on at the Museum throughout the year.

Sharon Shoulders RHS Board President

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Rodeo Historical Society

RODEO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Temporary Window Mural Installed at Museum For two days this summer, National Cowboy Museum visitors witnessed the installation of a major art exhibition as it happened. On June 23-24, Oklahoma artist John Salame installed his window mural, created expressly for the National Cowboy Museum, above the doors to the main entrance.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JOHN

In the mural — taking many of its cues from the iconic Monument Valley as well as the Museum’s architectural design — Salame uses his mosaic style of art to depict the West.

“I believe that less is more and that minimal ornamentation is the best way to drive a concept home,” Salame said. “My work draws the viewer into the piece, placing them as participants in the scene.”

As a designer, Salame lets concept govern the solution. Comfortable working by hand or on the computer, Salame strikes a balance between creative imagery and analytic problem solving. He also allows his humor and wit to direct his approach, and he is a supporter of collaborative work and artistic discussion. Salame’s mural — garnering both wordof-mouth and media attention throughout the region — remains on display through September 5, 2017.

Museum Debuts Saloon Series

“You know you’re in the American West when you can taste the whiskey.”

One of the most ubiquitous features of the Old West was the saloon, an icon of American popular culture that has come to symbolize the rugged frontier. This summer, the National Cowboy Museum’s Silver Dollar Saloon and Prosperity Junction take center stage during the Museum’s first “Saloon Series.”

During happy hour, guests will experience the golden age of the saloon, hear live music, and learn about different whiskeys — from American bourbons to Eastern whiskeys, and from whiskeys around the world to whiskeys of the West.

Specifically for young adults, the program takes place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on July 6, 13, 20, and 27. $25 at the door includes a whiskey flight, one full drink ticket, one food ticket, whiskey class, live music, and Museum admission. Not a whiskey drinker? For $5 Museum admission guests receive access to the whiskey class, live music, and a cash bar.

Annie Oakley Society to Honor Mary Higgins Clark During Luncheon

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MARY

The Sam Noble Special Events Center at the National Cowboy Museum is the place to be on September 14 when the Annie Oakley Society (AOS) honors the “Queen of Suspense,” author Mary Higgins Clark, with the AOS Award during its annual AOS Luncheon. Clark, a New York Times bestselling author, has written more than 50 books during her career as one of the world’s most popular suspense writers. As the AOS Award recipient, Clark joins honorees including the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Reba McEntire, Nadia Comaneci, Kristen Chenoweth, Admiral Michelle Howard, and Donna Shirley who also “demonstrate the leadership and entrepreneurial spirit of the Great American West.” Comprised of women leaders who, like Annie Oakley, play significant roles in shaping their communities, the Annie Oakley Society at the National Cowboy Museum works to celebrate women and preserve Western values for future generations. Tickets to the September 14 Luncheon honoring Clark are on sale through September 11. To learn more, contact Diana Fields, Director of the Annie Oakley Society, at dfields@nationalcowboymuseum.org or (405) 478-2250 ext. 233, or visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/annieoakley.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARLA CAIN NIXON

— Anonymous whiskey fan

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Rodeo Historical Society

2017 CALENDAR OF EVENTS August 25–May 13, 2018 Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger Exhibition Opens

August 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of one of Oklahoma’s most celebrated artists: Jerome Tiger. Having painted for only five years prior to his death, Tiger still managed to produce hundreds of works of art and won numerous awards. Today, he is recognized as one of the greatest Native American artists. To honor this anniversary, the Museum will produce an exhibition of his selected works from its permanent collection. Exhibition continues through May 13, 2018.

For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org.

October 5–7 Cowboy Crossings Opening Weekend

The Museum hosts the premiere and sale for two outstanding exhibitions. The 19th annual Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) Exhibition & Sale showcases the best of saddlemaking, bit and spur making, silversmithing, and rawhide braiding, while the Cowboy Artists of America (CAA) 52nd Annual Sale & Exhibition features art celebrating the West through painting, drawing, and sculpture.

The CAA exhibition will be on view through November 26, while works by TCAA artists will be on exhibit through January 7, 2018.

Reservations required; contact events@nationalcowboymuseum.org or call (405) 478-2250 ext. 218. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/cowboy-crossings.

November 9–11 Small Works, Great Wonders and Rodeo Weekend

This November, the Museum combines two of its most significant events into one must-attend weekend. November 9-11, the annual Small Works, Great Wonders Art Sale — offering paintings and sculpture by emerging and established Western artists, including many from Prix de West — shares a weekend of excitement with the annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend. A major undertaking of the Rodeo Historical Cholla Blossoms by Carol Amos Society (RHS), the weekend features receptions, panel discussions, and the induction of a new class into the Rodeo Hall of Fame, along with the presentation of the Ben Johnson and Tad Lucas Memorial Awards. Reservations for both events required; contact events@nationalcowboymuseum.org or call (405) 478-2250 ext. 218. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Editorial Staff Content Management Blaine Smith

Graphic Production Carolyn Seelen

Institutional Archivists Holly Hasenfratz Kera Newby

Contributing Writers Holly Hasenfratz Andee Lamoreaux Don Reeves Sharon Shoulders Blaine Smith Gail Woerner

Contributing Photographers Bern Gregory Devere Helfrich Hymer Photography Carla Cain Nixon Joe Ownbey Carolyn Seelen

Photography Donors Dickinson Research Center

Society Coordinator Andee Lamoreaux

December 15 Express Employment Professionals’ Cowboy Christmas Ball

Presented by Express Employment Professionals, the 23rd annual yuletide dance features Michael Martin Murphey headlining an evening of entertainment for the entire family. An alcohol-free event combining a dinner buffet, traditional Western songs, and dances dating back 100 years with an unforgettable visit from Santa.

Reservations required; contact events@nationalcowboymuseum.org or call (405) 478-2250 ext. 218. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/cowboychristmas.

Stay informed on all Museum happenings. Visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/event.

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Rodeo Historical Society

Preserve the Future of America’s Great Sport of the West 2017 RODEO HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sharon Shoulders, President, Oklahoma Dave Appleton, Vice President, Texas Doug Clark, Oklahoma Mike Hudson, Texas Larry Jordan, Montana John McBeth, Kansas Bryan Painter, Oklahoma Kelly Riley, Texas Cotton Rosser, California RODEO COMMITTEE Bobby Norris, Chairman, Texas Gilbert Aguirre, California Steve Beneto, California Dr. Billy Bergin, Hawaii Randy Bernard, Tennessee Butch Bratsky, Montana Dr. Scott Calhoon, Oklahoma Robert A. Funk, Oklahoma Mike Ingram, Arizona Dr. John Jameson, Oklahoma Lincoln Lageson, California Nadine Levin, Maryland Dan Lindstrom, Nebraska Gordon Whitener, Tennessee Jerry Winchester, Oklahoma John W. Wroten Jr., Texas

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odeo is a staple of the American West with a history spanning more than 150 years. From the early ranches with competitive cowhands, to crowd-filled arenas cheering on the cowboy of today, the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS) exists to preserve these stories of the past and present. Recognizing the importance of the story of rodeo, its beginnings, and the desire to ensure this unique Western tradition is kept alive for future generations, the RHS aims to protect the history of rodeo in all areas.

The RHS parallels the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s efforts to promote the sport through education, exhibition, and preservation efforts. RHS supports the acquisition of artifacts for the Museum’s American Rodeo Gallery, featuring interactive exhibitions and historical artifacts that bring to life the story of rodeo for visitors. In addition, the RHS

NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM Gary Moore, Interim President & CEO, CFO BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ OFFICERS Lynn Friess, Chairman, Wyoming Roger Simons, Vice Chairman, Oklahoma Everett Dobson, Secretary, Oklahoma Linda Mitchell Davis, Treasurer, New Mexico Lance Benham, Immediate Past Chairman, Oklahoma

shares the history of rodeo in The Ketchpen magazine, a biannual publication featuring compelling articles and mesmerizing pictorials on the rodeo of yesterday and today.

To supplement these efforts, the RHS’ Oral History Project collects interviews, biographies, and stories from rodeo cowboys and cowgirls nationwide in an attempt to archive the history of rodeo in a way never done before. This ambitious Oral History Project makes available a unique repository for authors, historians, and others interested in learning more about rodeo’s history.

Your membership also supports the annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend, a special event designed for rodeo enthusiasts from around the world to gather, celebrate, and honor the best of the sport.

The RHS cannot do this without your help! Your membership places you in the middle of the action, guaranteeing that rodeo remains an integral part of how America remembers the West.

Your RHS membership includes: • Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductee voting privileges • Two issues of The Ketchpen magazine per year • Free admission to the National Cowboy Museum for two (Upgrade to an All-Around membership and receive admission for six)

*Gift memberships for friends and family are always available.

SOCIETY COORDINATOR Andee Lamoreaux

To learn more about joining the Rodeo Historical Society today, please contact: Trent Riley, Membership Manager triley@nationalcowboymuseum.org (405) 478-2250 ext. 251

You can help preserve history and guarantee the future of America’s great sport of the West!

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Rodeo Suite: Etchings by Sandy Scott

By Blaine Smith

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he 2017 Prix de West

Yet, as with anything regarding Scott, preconceptions count for little, and first impressions can be misleading.

Scott was raised on a farm in northeast Oklahoma, is a licensed pilot, an avid fisherman and hunter, and is a horse lover. And long before she exhibited sculptures at Prix de West, Scott made her mark in the art world with etching.

In fact, the etchings pictured on these pages, called the Rodeo Suite — depicting bareback riding, bull riding, calf roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, and team roping — resulted in Scott becoming the first female, as well as the first etcher, to have a solo exhibition at the National Cowboy Museum.

Bareback Bronc. Sandy Scott, 1977, 8 3/4" X 7 1/4", etching on paper. “The concept of an etching as an original work of art is justified by the ability, in fact the necessity, of the artist to determine the artistic essence of each individual print. It is important that the etching process should not be confused with modern photographic printing methods,” Scott said.

One must go back further than the Rodeo Suite, however, for Scott’s introduction to the National Cowboy Museum. “My father and I were here when they broke ground,” she said of the cold day in January 1958 when groundbreaking ceremonies for the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum were held atop Persimmon Hill in Oklahoma City.

Having bred Quarter Horses and ranched in the Lenapah, Oklahoma, area, her father “knew a lot of the old cowboys,” Scott said, “like Shoat Webster — who was just a worldclass calf roper — Buck Rutherford, and those guys.” From the day of the Museum groundbreaking on, it seems

the fates of Scott and the Museum were entwined.

Just before Scott entered into high school her mother decided to move the family from the country into

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SANDY SCOTT

A successful and highly esteemed artist, she is a member of the American Artists Professional League, the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, the National Art Club, the Pen and Brush Club (all based in New York), and a fellow in the National Sculpture Society. All very impressive indeed.

ALL RODEO SUITE ETCHING IMAGES COURTESY DICKISON RESEARCH CENTER 1984.15.5.

Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum marks the 29th year that artist Sandy Scott has participated in this annual climax of the Western art world. Known as a wildlife artist, Scott creates widely sought sculptures that oftentime depict creatures she has encountered in the wild near her studios in Wyoming and Ontario, or during her travels to Alaska, Asia, Europe, and South America.

Scott pilots her own small engine aircraft. She obtained her private pilot’s license in 1965 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Rodeo Historical Society

Steer Wrestling. Sandy Scott, 1977, 6 1/4" X 8 1/2", etching on paper. “Good etchings represent quality and collectability. The edge of the metal plate has left a mark clearly embossed around the paper’s edge. In pencil the signature of the artist, the title, print number, and edition size of the etching will be found. Etchings are fine art, original prints, which have a time-honored meaning for the collector. Finally, look for pleasure in the etching; the subject should give you joy,” Scott said.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to the quality of a public school education in that district. She attended Tulsa’s Edison High School. “I had an art teacher who was a professional artist,” Scott said, “who recognized my interest in art — which I’d had before I can remember — and she promoted that

interest.” Scott’s art teacher, Sue Johnson, allowed the novice artist to serve as her assistant, and helped her to compile a portfolio that led to Scott’s admittance into the Kansas City Art Institute in 1962.

Following art school, Scott worked

in Kansas City for a time as a background artist in the film industry and as a delineator for an architectural firm. But to make a living producing her personal art — invariably focusing on rural life, the outdoors, and animals — was a harder thing. “New York was the center of the art world,”

According to Scott’s website, “An etching begins when a zinc or copper plate is covered with a wax film called an etching ground. The artist draws on the plate with a needle, cutting through the ground and exposing the bare metal. When the drawing is completed the plate is immersed in an acid bath. This acid attacks the bare metal where the artist has drawn with the needle, etching lines into the plate surface. The etching ground is removed and ink is forced into the etched lines then wiped off, leaving the bitten lines full of ink. The prepared plate and a dampened paper are placed in a press and sandwiched between steel rollers under heavy pressure. The print is then pulled away from the plate. The etching is complete, ready to be signed, watercolored, and numbered by the artist.”

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SANDY SCOTT

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she said, while abstract and expressionistic art prevailed in popularity.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

1984.15.4.

Scott also dreamed of piloting airliners, and to that end acquired her private pilot’s license in the summer of 1965. With male pilots soon headed to war in Vietnam, Scott hoped her opportunity to pilot an airliner had come.

She applied with several airlines, but was only offered a stewardess position that “might” evolve into a piloting assignment. This assignment, however, never came to fruition.

After constant inquiries Team Roping. Sandy Scott, 1977, 6 1/4" X 8 1/2", etching on paper. “After the first proof has been pulled, I sometimes about becoming a pilot, go back and repeat any of the steps to improve the work. Once I arrive at a proof which feels right, I designate it as Scott received a letter the bon a tirer, French for ‘good to try.’ This serves as a guide to the entire edition,” Scott said. stating her short stature precluded her from flying for the airline. Scott, however, believes the decision was based not on height, but on gender.

With her dream of piloting an airliner rebuked, Scott found consolation — and acclaim — by devoting herself fully to her art. By the mid-1970s, nearly two-dozen galleries carried Scott’s work.

Rather than sculpture, however, etching was the discipline in which she garnered recognition.

According to Scott, the trademarks of her etchings were small, hand-pulled editions of rural and

1984.15.2.

Originally developed in the 16th century and practiced by such well-known artists as Goya, Picasso, and Rembrandt, etching is an art form utilizing both drawing and printing. When etching, an artist uses a needle to “draw” on a wax-covered plate of copper or zinc. The plate is then dipped into acid, where the portions of the plate that have been drawn upon are exposed to the acid and, thus, eaten away (or “bitten”), while the portions covered with wax remain untouched.

This plate is then covered with ink, where the bitten areas absorb the ink. The plate is then pressed onto paper, leaving an imprint of the bitten image. (For a more thorough explanation accompanied by images, see p. 8) Saddle Bronc. Sandy Scott, 1977, 8 3/4" X 7 1/4", etching on paper. In 1980, Scott turned her attention to sculpture, producing her last portfolio of etchings in 1983.

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Rodeo Historical Society

Calf Roping. Sandy Scott, 1977, 6 1/4" X 8 1/2", etching on paper. “Each etching is an original and there is artistic interpretation with every print throughout the process. The addition of transparent watercolor to the etching further signifies originality and the artist’s hand. When the edition printing is completed, the etching plate is cancelled . . . cut up or defaced, making further production impossible. These steps insure the high quality and lasting value of each print,” Scott said.

wildlife subjects printed on French rag paper with sepia ink, as well as her innovative technique of applying transparent watercolor.

Scott received awards from the Pen and Brush Club, the National Academy of Design, and others for her etchings, and in 1977 she was the topic of a feature in Southwestern Art magazine.

The feature was accompanied by several of Scott’s original etchings, including wildlife scenes, an old horsedrawn wagon, and one that depicts a cowboy in the process of roping a steer.

It was fortuitous, then, that Dean Krakel, the Museum’s first executive director, happened upon the article.

Krakel contacted Scott, who at the time was living in Lampasas, Texas, 10

and said, “I would like to meet with you and ask you about doing some work for the Hall.” Being a pilot, Scott flew to Oklahoma City to meet with Krakel. He then commissioned her to produce the six etchings that comprise the Rodeo Suite in honor of the Museum’s affiliation with the National Finals Rodeo.

According to Scott, completing the Rodeo Suite took the summer of 1977, with valuable rodeo knowledge provided by her father. Each of the six etchings were pulled on handmade French paper in limited-edition sets of 100 (note the etchings pictured here are each numbered 1).

After Scott completed the Rodeo Suite, Krakel again contacted her. This time, he asked if she would put together a group of 40 etchings to display at the Museum.

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In 1978, Scott became the first female, as well as the first etcher, to have a one-person show at the National Cowboy Museum. It was the Rodeo Suite of etchings that formed the core of her exhibition.

Today, Scott’s artwork is in great demand the world over, but from the beginning she has enjoyed a close relationship with the National Cowboy Museum as well as the world of rodeo.

Blaine Smith works in the Traffic & Graphics Department at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. His love of Western history is spawned by his grandfather, who owns a private museum in southeast Colorado.

RIGHT: Bull Riding. Sandy Scott, 1977, 8 3/4" X 7 1/4", etching on paper,1984.15.3.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

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Rodeo Historical Society

In celebration of the Rodeo Historical Society’s 50th anniversary, The Ketchpen begins a multi-part look back at the organization dedicated to preserving the history of the West’s most iconic sport.

By Gail Woerner Images Dickinson Research Center

N

ot long after the

George Williams (right), saddle bronc rider and RCA director, was instrumental in the formation of the Rodeo Historical Society. Shown here in Phoenix, Arizona, with rodeo legend Bill Linderman.

Krakel “decided to have a meeting, inviting anyone interested,” Williams said. “He set up a banquet hall with lots of tables and place settings, but only six people showed up. I felt so bad for him.

That was in December of 1966.”

Though only six people attended, those six were determined. They were A. H. “Hippy” Burmister and W. H. “Bill” Donovan of California; Tad Lucas and Frances “Flaxie” Fletcher of Texas; Ida Lee “Babe” Knight of Arkansas; and Williams of Oklahoma. The small turnout did not deter this group from proceeding. The organization was named the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS). Burmister was appointed the group’s first President, while Fletcher, a former rodeo secretary and widow of

1938 World Champion bull rider Kid Fletcher who died in 1957, was chosen as Secretary-Treasurer.

In January 1967, Fletcher went to the RCA Convention in Denver, Colorado, to sell RHS memberships. She had a desk on the convention floor and signed up eight more members.

It could be thought those who originated RHS might become discouraged, but they were patient.

They knew the history of rodeo was important and must be preserved for the sport’s future. With passion and faith they continued promoting.

As Williams said, “This society is 30 years late in starting, so there is no use getting in a hurry now!”

Flaxie Fletcher, first Rodeo Historical Society Secretary-Treasurer, signs up new RHS members at the RCA Convention in Denver, Colorado, January 11, 1967.

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81023.28842-05.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum opened its doors in 1965, Executive Director Dean Krakel and George Williams, a former saddle bronc rider, Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) Director, and Rodeo Sports News Editor, discussed making sure the history of rodeo was preserved. They decided forming a society would ensure this happened. Located at the Museum, it would be a major source of rodeo research, reinforcing the sport’s authenticity and preserving the records of past rodeos and the cowboys and cowgirls who participated.

20145.12.

How It All Began: The History of RHS

Dean Krakel, National Cowboy Museum Executive Director, in 1965, the year the Museum opened its doors.

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

The “First Lady of Rodeo,” Tad Lucas, served as an RHS Director. Since 1990, the Tad Lucas Memorial Award is given annually by the RHS in her honor.

Floyd Stillings, 1987 Inductee into the Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy Museum, was a saddle bronc competitor for 21 years who won at Cheyenne, Chicago, Madison Square Garden, and Pendleton. Shown here in Sheridan, Wyoming, circa 1935, he became an RHS Director in June 1967.

Once word of the new organization spread, memberships began to pour in.

By March 1967 there were 68 members, and by the end of 1967, RHS had 111 members and eight Lifetime members.

to preserve the history of the rodeo cowboy,” Woods said regarding his RHS affiliation, “and I will consider it an honor to do my bit.”

Around this time, Fletcher began producing the first official RHS

Elections for RHS officers and Directors were held in June 1967.

Burmister remained President and Fletcher remained Secretary-Treasurer.

Krakel was elected Vice President, while Andy Jauregui, Jim Eskew, Jr., Tad Lucas, Floyd Stillings, George Williams, and Eddie Woods were chosen as Directors.

newsletter, Extra, which shared pertinent news, increased membership, and encouraged one of the major thrusts of the RHS: acquiring donations of rodeo memorabilia including photos, programs, trophies, buckles, tack, and more.

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81.023.27858-09.

“I’m in full accord that everything reasonably possible should be done

Inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1979, Andy Jauregui became an RHS Director in June 1967.

Eddie Woods — shown here posing with two rodeo queens in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1966 — excelled in all roughstock events, though saddle bronc riding was his specialty. Woods became an RHS Director in June 1967.

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Lorena Trickey was inducted into the National Cowboy Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in the year 2000.

As accomplished at trick roping as he was at calf and steer roping, Chester Byers participated in the most well-known North American rodeos along with traveling shows that toured South America and Europe. Considered the most knowledgeable roper in the world by Will Rogers, Byers was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1969.

Indeed, one of the earliest donations to RHS was the official “Program for Festival of Mountain & Plain, October 7, 8, & 9, 1902,” held in Denver, Colorado. It listed 64 riders and 89 horses, and M. T. “Thad” Sowder was the champion.

a roughstock cowboy and stock contractor with Verne Elliott; Chester Byers, World Champion trick roper and contestant; and Hugh Strickland, All-Around rodeo competitor. The Trustees’ choice for Hall of Fame that year was Strickland.

Other early donations include Lorena Trickey’s silver-mounted saddles won at the Pendleton Round-Up in 1919 and 1923, plus six silver trophies she had won as early as 1921; panoramic photographs of rodeo contestants from Chester Byers’ collection; and trophies won by Homer Holcomb, a well-known rodeo clown and early bullfighter who himself was an RHS member. “I’m very proud to carry this [RHS] card,” Holcomb once said.

Strickland, who grew up in Idaho, competed from 1918 to 1928, winning saddle bronc and steer roping championships at the Pendleton Round-Up and Cheyenne Frontier Days, the acknowledged world championships of that era. He competed in steer wrestling, calf

In 1967, the RHS’ first President — “Hippy” Burmister — was also named the inaugural RHS “Man of the Year.”

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The 1968 RHS “Man of the Year” was rodeo historian Phil Meadows.

In 1969, the RHS nominated for Rodeo Hall of Fame consideration Chester Byers, Ed McCarty, and bulldogging legend Bill Pickett; Byers was selected by the Board of Trustees. “Chet knows more about roping than any man in the world,” Will Rogers once said of Byers.

“I only have two things that I will always die proud of — one of them is that I used to teach Chet Byers tricks with a rope.”

Byers was also a good steer roper and top calf roper. At age 15 he traveled with Lucille Mulhall’s “Congress of Rough Riders.” His first contest was in 1911, and his first championship in trick roping was at Sheepshead Bay, New York, in 1916. He remained the champion in this event through 1933, the last year trick roping was a contest.

He died in 1945.

1999.025.1369.05A.

The Rodeo Hall of Fame, housed at the National Cowboy Museum, originated in 1955. In 1968 the RHS was asked to submit to the Museum’s Board of Trustees the names of three nominees, deceased for five years, one of which would be inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame. Their recommendations were: Ed McCarty,

roping, and could trick rope and ride.

After he retired he became an Arena Director. He died in 1941.

A.H. “Hippy” Burmister was RHS’ first President and first “Man of the Year.”

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Having previously memorialized the

1988.19.07.

81.023.17232.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Hells Angels, shown here being ridden by Clint Roberts in Ellensburg, Washington, September 5, 1960, was voted the Greatest Bucking Horse by the RHS Board of Directors in 1969.

great bucking horses Midnight and Five Minutes to Midnight, in 1969 the Museum established a Great Bucking Horse Trail and Trail of Great Cow Ponies on its grounds. The RHS Board of Directors nominated the horses, with membership voting on the final decision.

When the votes were counted, the Great Bucking Horse choice was Hells Angels (Steamboat was second; Come Apart third). Hells Angels was born in Montana in 1927. He was ridden only a handful of times, most notably by Fritz Truan who rode him five times after drawing him seven times. Hells Angels died in 1942.

In 1969 the RHS Board of Directors also voted for the Greatest Cow Pony, choosing Baldy as the winner. Here, Troy Fort ropes from Baldy for the last time, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1951.

Further amendments to the bylaws stated that after 1970 there would only be five Directors, not six as previously required. The RCA President and the Canadian Rodeo Cowboys Association President would be ex-officio members of the RHS Board. The bookkeeping accounts of RHS would be part of the Museum’s records and audited regularly by a reputable auditing firm.

The annual meeting of members and the Board of Directors meeting

The Great Cow Pony was Baldy (Stranger was second; Baby Doll was third). Baldy, foaled in Oklahoma in 1932, was ridden to world roping championships in 1941, ’42, ’44, ’47, and ’49, and earned riders in excess of $300,000. He died in 1961.

In December 1969 a larger-than-lifesize bronze statue of rodeo legend Bill Linderman, commissioned by the RCA and executed by Montana sculptor Bob Scriver, was unveiled at the National Cowboy Museum during the RHS Luncheon. Linderman, who died in a plane crash in 1965, was considered the epitome of a rodeo cowboy.

By 1970, RHS became the primary place for individuals to donate rodeo memorabilia, tack, cowboys’ and cowgirls’ personal histories, trophies, honors, and so much more. And with officers and members alike totally dedicated to RHS, membership flourished.

The RHS chose as its 1969 “Man of the Year” rodeo journalist Chuck King.

To be continued next issue, exploring RHS’ growth through the 1970s and ‘80s.

81.023.28881.

By December 1969 the bylaws for RHS were amended: Membership dues doubled to $10 per year, or $15 per year for a Joint membership (husband and wife). A Lifetime membership increased from $50 to $75 for a Single membership and $100 for a Joint membership. Names of applicants for membership had to be proposed by a member in good standing and unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.

would be held once a year.

During the early years of RHS the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) was held in Oklahoma City. Members flocked to the NFR and also attended the annual RHS Membership Meeting and Luncheon. Both attracted large crowds.

A study for Bob Scriver’s monumental statue of Bill Linderman that was unveiled by the RHS in 1969.

Gail Woerner, a rodeo historian and RHS member for 30 years, has written five books on the history of rodeo. Also Chairman of the Oral History Project since its inception in 2003, she lives with her husband, Cliff, in Austin, Texas.

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More Memories from the 2016 Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend

ALL IMAGES BY HYMER PHOTOGRAPHY

Rodeo Historical Society

Emcees Dave Appleton and Pam Minick turn the microphone over to Rep. Don Armes acting as auctioneer for the spirited live auction during the Champions’ Dinner.

R

odeo Hall of Fame Weekend, September 30October 1, 2016, at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, allowed the Rodeo Historical Society to once again honor and celebrate the men and women whose efforts have built the sport of rodeo.

Ote Berry answers the questions put to him by the moderator and audience during the inductee panel discussion.

Danny and Sherry Fulmer (left) reminisce with Jimmie Gibbs Munroe and Bud Munroe, 2016 Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductees.

Past inductee Martha Josey at the Rope ‘N’ Ride Reunion held in Prosperity Junction.

Amberley Snyder, recipient of the Tad Lucas Memorial Award, visits with RHS President Sharon Shoulders during the Tad Lucas reception held for past recipients on Saturday morning.

Rodeo Weekend culminates with the yearly induction of a new class of individuals into the prestigious Rodeo Hall of Fame at the Museum.

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Emmy and Jerry Gustafson enjoy the ambiance during Saturday evening’s Hall of Fame Champions’ Dinner and Awards Ceremony held inside the dramatically lit Sam Noble Special Events Center.

RHS Board member Doug Clark and his wife Linda take a break from shopping the auction tables before the start of the Champions’ Dinner.

Liza Bott celebrates the honor bestowed on her father, bullfighter and 2016 Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductee, Wick Peth.

Sharon Shoulders catches up with Museum Board members Bobby Norris and John Wroten during the Rope ‘N’ Ride Reunion held in Prosperity Junction.

All-Around Champion Dave Appleton moderates the panel discussion, keeping the questions coming and microphone moving between inductees.

Don’t Forget!

Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend Sharon and Lori Shoulders, along with Koell Primrose and Donna McSpadden, gather inside Prosperity Junction for Friday evening’s meet and greet.

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Rodeo Historical Society

Sharon Camarillo, past recipient of the Tad Lucas Memorial Award, is joined by former RHS President and current RHS Board member Kelly Riley.

RHS Board members John McBeth (left) and Bryan Painter (center) take a moment to speak with past inductee Clyde Frost (right) prior to the Live Auction during the Saturday evening Rodeo Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Past Ben Johnson Memorial Award recipients Mel Potter (left) and Cotton Rosser (right) talk with RHS Board member Doug Clark.

Enjoying the Rope ‘N Ride Reunion are (front row, from left) Sue Lytle, Jackie McEntire, and Pat Emerson, along with (back row, from left) Donna McSpadden, Brenda Michael, Chris Bradley, and Sherri Combs Johnson.

Items from both the Silent Auction — like this leather jacket — as well as the Live Auction created quite a buzz during Saturday night’s dinner.

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Delmar Smith, longtime gateman at the Lazy E Arena’s Timed Event Championships, enjoys Friday evening’s Rope ‘N’ Ride Reunion in Prosperity Junction with Museum Curator Don Reeves.

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Past Tad Lucas Memorial Award recipient Pam Minick and her husband Billy Minick, past Ben Johnson Memorial Award recipient, enjoy the old-town setting of Prosperity Junction.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

TM

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Rodeo Historical Society

Shop our Western boutique for accessories and apparel for men and women.

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Discover one of the largest selections of Native Americanmade jewelry in Oklahoma at The Museum Store. store.nationalcowboymuseum.org

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Rodeo Historical Society

Hila Machado trick roping, Springfield, Missouri, 1978, by Bern Gregory. Image courtesy of Dickinson Research Center, 1999.025.1430.17.

Preserving Rodeo History

By Holly Hasenfratz

T

hanks to the generous support of an anonymous donor, the Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center staff completed a major preservation project for two rodeo photograph collections. The Bern Gregory Rodeo Photographs and DeVere Helfrich Rodeo Photographs were meticulously transferred from inadequate housing into the highest quality archival storage systems for photographic negatives.

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The new accommodations will preserve the negatives’ integrity for the foreseeable future.

The combined 123,000 negatives show rodeo history from 1941–1988, and span locations from the northwest to the southeastern United States. The photographs primarily focus on rodeo events, but Helfrich also captured portraits of rodeo contestants and personalities. While they shot the same subject matter, the photographers differed in style — Gregory preferred to photograph from outside the arena

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floor, and Helfrich positioned himself as close to the action as possible. This difference means the crowd is featured in many Gregory photographs while Helfrich’s show tighter shots of the contestants.

The Gregory and Helfrich collections were digitized and are accessible on the Dickinson Research Center’s website.

Holly Hasenfratz is the Digital & Institutional Archivist at the Museum’s Dickinson Research Center. As a native Oklahoman, she is passionate about telling the stories of the American West.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Jim Houston on Frisky King, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1965, by Bern Gregory. Image courtesy of Dickinson Research Center, 1999.025.0082.17A.

Bill Feddersen on Jesse James, Denver, Colorado, 1962, by DeVere Helfrich. Image courtesy of Dickinson Research Center, 1981.023.19804-16.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLYN SEELEN

Rodeo Historical Society

ABOVE: Casey Tibbs, World Champion Cowboy, circa 1954. Ralph Russell Doubleday, photographer. Image courtesy of Dickinson Research Center, R.R. Doubleday Collection, 79.026.1971.

Lee Riders advertising bandanna promoting the sport of rodeo and endorsed by Casey Tibbs, World Champion Cowboy.

Cotton bandanna, c. 1955. Gift of Delbert Hanson, in memory of Gertie Hanson, 2016.12.

A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna

By Don Reeves

C

Many 19th-century cowboys bought a square yard of Turkey red cloth at the local mercantile and proudly tied it around their necks. Such flamboyant neckwear came to identify the colorful cowboys and buckaroos of the West, and provided evidence, along with boots and hat, that they were not “sodbusters.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLYN SEELEN

owboys have various names for the cloth oftentimes found around their necks — bandanna, neckerchief, tie, wild rag, or wipe. The practical uses for this square of material are varied, too, and include wash cloth, towel, dust filter, water filter, earmuffs, head scarf, arm sling, tourniquet, pot holder, flag, saddle bag, blindfold for an unruly bronc, and a cloth over the face at burial.

John H. Thillmann and Don Reeves at the opening of A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna, an exhibition on view at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum through May 2017. The Thillmann Collection of rare bandannas and photographs was donated to the Museum in 2015 and is also featured in the exhibition.

These bold and patterned bandannas were later popularized in Western fiction, becoming another portion of the iconic cowboy attire emblazoned on dime novel covers and Wild West show posters and worn in bronc-riding competitions.

Colorful bandannas were common among the men and women at early rodeo performances. By the era of Casey Tibbs and Jim Shoulders, competitors usually wore neckties for publicity poses or silk pocket neckerchiefs rolled and worn inside the shirt collar, tied close to the neck. Jim’s wife, Sharon, remarked that he always called this neckwear his “tie” and was rarely without one.

ALL BANDANNA PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARLA C. CAIN

National National Cowboy Cowboy & & Western Western Heritage Heritage Museum Museum

The word “bandanna” was derived from the word bāndhnū, the term used in India for tie-and-dyed trade cloth popular among Europeans since the 17th century. This favorite tool of the horseman has often revealed regional necessities or cultural fashion. For instance, to this day some working cowhands tie their bandannas with simple knots while others carefully create slipknots to ensure the cloth comes loose if entangled in a branch or hooked by the horn of a steer.

On the southern ranges, bandannas have long been draped loosely on the chest as a handy filter for dust or worn wet to comfort a rider from the heat. A fancy red wipe was saved for the occasion of a dance or trip to town.

Bandannas worn closely about the neck in the northern regions continue to reflect the need for protection from a chill wind. The choice of cloth often remains a thin silk, usually worn doubled and tied in front. Silk is warmer than cotton, as it more efficiently holds body heat and will not retain moisture like cotton. California vaqueros traditionally wore a cloth atop their heads, tied in the back and barely visible under their flat-crowned hats. This practical application was traditionally worn in Spain and often seen as the only headgear of 18th-century sailors.

For centuries, red — the color of blood and fire — was the most desired color on earth. It was the color of high status in the Roman Empire, and throughout Europe the sign of kings and cardinals. A reddish-orange was easily made from iron-rich ores and other vegetable dyes, but it was difficult to achieve a bright red that did not quickly fade. While certain rare insects called cochineal yielded a vibrant red This remnant from a bolt of fabric, c. 1855, is a sample of the cloth possibly available to cowboys at a local mercantile. True to the characteristics of Turkey red oil-dyed fabric, one label reads, “We guarantee the color to withstand the severest washing …”

Simon H. Greene operated a large textile print works in Rhode Island marketed under S.H. Greene from 1842 until 1865, when it became S.H. Greene & Sons. The pattern’s dense arrangement and the motif’s symmetry indicate a period of manufacture in the 1850s.

Cotton, c. 1855. Gift of John H. Thillmann, 2015.10.70.

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Rodeo Historical Society

the rich, red-dyed fabric obtained from the Ottoman Empire and India as “Turkey red.” This striking red cotton cloth derived its name from the Middle Eastern multistep process of dying fabrics with madder root, producing a cloth that resisted fading in the sun and harsh washing.

After 1800, handkerchiefs dyed with Turkey red or indigo blue were produced in England to compete with similar cloth produced in India by the tie-and-dye method. Such cloth became affordable to the working classes in the mid-1800s, and British and European markets manufactured it in volume. The discharge method employed by English mills pressed several kerchiefs at a time under a perforated plate through which a liquid dye poured, discharging the color in the pattern created by the perforations.

Indigo vegetable dyes were used to produce blue cloth for thousands of years. India was the main source for blue-dyed fabrics in the ancient markets of Rome, and that is reflected in the common term for the blue dye: indigo. By the 19th century it was the most important vat dye used by the British clothing industry.

American production of indigo dye began in the mid-1700s and became a profitable colonial export, second only to rice. Bandannas created with this colorfast dye have long been popular in the American West.

Most of the inexpensive red or

TOP: Silk bandannas were popular souvenirs from the 1936 Texas Centennial Central Exposition in Dallas. This neckerchief with a teepee border is similar to many silk bandannas sold at major rodeos throughout the American West in the early 20th century.

Silk bandanna, 1936. Gift of John H. Thillmann, 2015.10.33.

BOTTOM: A bandanna bordered by caricatures of Rough Rider Teddy was distributed to promote Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 presidential campaign. It alludes to Roosevelt’s effort to throw his “hat in the ring” as a candidate from the Bull Moose Party.

Cotton bandanna, 1912. Gift of John H. Thillmann, 2015.10.73.

blue “farmer” bandannas purchased these days are patterned with a droplet-shaped motif. This pattern originated in Persia as a stylized floral design having religious significance pertaining to both everyday life and eternity. Known in Persia as boteh (shrub or bush) or buta (almond or bud), it was used on fine fabrics.

These expensive shawls, brought back to Europe by travelers in the 1700s, became very fashionable. By 1808 the swirling arabesque pattern was being woven in Paisley, Scotland, just outside of Glasgow. It is from these weavers, and far from the Persian source, that we derived the English term “paisley.”

Black and white photographs might not reveal the colors of many 19th-century bandannas, but they do reveal their patterns. In this way it can be seen that these young men were not bashful in the selection of fanciful patterns which contrasted strongly with their common work attire. Of course, the bandannas worn during day-to-day work may have been simple, inexpensive fabric. When cowboys had photographs taken it tended to be quite an occasion and would have called for their best bandanna.

Such colorful bandannas may have been carefully selected by these young men hoping to cut a dashing figure at the next dance. For several generations the bright red color or cloth quality indicated social status, yet these items were now available to the 19th-century working classes of rural America.

The first souvenir bandanna may have been created in 1775

by Martha Washington to celebrate George Washington’s military victories and boost morale among the colonists.

Patriotic bandannas became popular for political campaigns, especially with the “cowboy president,” Theodore Roosevelt.

The popularity of rodeos in the 1920s generated silk scarves decorated with broncs, teepees, and roping events. They were purchased as mementoes for rodeo fans and gifts for those at home who could not attend these most Western of annual celebrations.

Even today, riders from various parts of the West are seen with bandannas hanging loose in front, off the shoulder, wrapped about the neck, or worn adorned with fancy silver tie-slides. The Don Reeves is the McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture/Rodeo Curator.

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

This indigo-dyed bandanna was “collected from a Civil War-period house in Falls Church, Virginia.” It is marked “1866” in faded ink along with the initials “A.W.” and both date and initials remain a mystery.

Cotton, c. 1865. Gift of John H. Thillmann, 2015.10.035.

The indigo blue fabric with white dots has a classic cowboy feel.

The color of clothing is not evident in 19th-century photography, but bandanna patterns like this are often seen.

Cotton bandanna, c. 1895. Gift of John H. Thillmann, 2015.10.48.

The pattern’s arrangement in the bandanna background and the additional tiny dots strongly resemble men’s shirting from the 1890s through 1910.

Cotton bandanna, c. 1900. Gift of John H. Thillmann, 2015.10.77.

This silk bandanna is an example of resist-printed fabric, possibly manufactured in Manchester, England, in the fashion of cloth imported from southern India.

The diamond spots were left undyed when pressure was applied, in the tieand-dye method, preventing the diamonds from receiving the red dye.

Silk yardage, c. 1845, Gift of John H. Thillmann, 2015.10.028.

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Rodeo Historical Society

ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE DICKINSON RESEARCH CENTER

HADLEY BARRETT Hadley Barrett, the legendary rodeo announcer among the first to announce from the saddle, died March 2, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. He was 87.

Born September 18, 1929, in North Platte, Nebraska, Barrett started out competing in rodeo, but when he started losing more than winning, he

TATER DECKER Tater Decker, a 1992 inductee into the Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy Museum, died March 31, 2017, at his home in Talihina, Oklahoma. He was 93.

A two-time qualifier for the NFR 28

NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM®

once said, he embarked on a career that eventually found him being named PRCA Announcer of the Year four times (1983, 1985, 1989, 2002). He also played guitar and led a band, “Hadley Barrett and the Westerners,” that was inducted into the Nebraska Country Music Hall of Fame.

After becoming a PRCA member in 1965, Barrett went on to become the voice of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo; the Greeley, Colorado, Stampede; the North Platte Buffalo Bill Rodeo; the Sidney, Iowa, Championship Rodeo; and Cheyenne Frontier Days.

He announced the NFR five times (1968, 1976, 1979, 1983, 2008); the NFSR three times (1967, 2007, 2010); was the NFR TV announcer for 22 years (1980–1990, 1994–2004); and was a Canadian Finals Rodeo announcer seven times. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1999.

In describing his job, Barrett once said, “I guess you are a cross section between a sports reporter, master of ceremonies, and in some cases, a standup comedian and entertainer.”

He is survived by his wife, Leeana (Lee); children, Trent (Rebecca) Barrett, Michelle (Randy) Corley, Kimberly Jurgens, Travas (Alaina) Brenner, Katie Brenner, Taleah Barrett; brother, Bob Barrett; 17 grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren.

in steer wrestling, Decker was a longtime rodeo cowboy who competed in all rodeo events. He most enjoyed bulldogging and saddle bronc riding, however. Born in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1924, he began rodeoing in the early 1940s. “I can’t ever remember a time when I ever wanted to be anything else,” Decker once said. “I love every minute of it.” He finished 1959 ranked 13th in the world standings in steer wrestling; he finished eighth in the 1961 steer wrestling world standings. During his career he won most every major rodeo, including Madison Square Garden, Cheyenne, Fort Worth, Houston, and Denver.

A National Senior Pro Rodeo Association Hall of Fame inductee in 1996, Decker was preceded in death in 2010 by his wife of 60 years, ProRodeo Hall of Fame rodeo secretary Jo Decker.

Decker is survived by his son, Dirk, a PRCA calf roper, team roper, and steer wrestler; his daughter-in-law, Misty; and his granddaughter, Harley.

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum



The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum®



is supported through memberships, and private



and corporate donations.

Thank you to these donors and honorarium gifts to the Rodeo Historical Society.

BOB ROMER Bob Romer, who was known in the rodeo world as the “Bull Dancer,” died October 21, 2016, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, at age 71.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 4, 1945, as a toddler Romer moved with his family to the Southeast Colorado town of Holly. At Holly Public Schools he participated in FFA, football, and wrestling. His junior year in high school he won the state wrestling championship, and his senior year he won fourth place, resulting in a wrestling scholarship to Oklahoma State University.

While attending OSU, Romer’s interests turned toward rodeo — so much so that he joined the PRCA and pursued rodeo full time in 1971.

Though he first rodeoed as a bull rider, happenstance found Romer filling in for a missing barrelman at a rodeo in which he was competing. When a rider got hung up on a bull, Romer exited the barrel to help free the bull rider. Just like that, Romer found a new career.

Although the name “Bull Dancer” started as a CB handle, Romer’s skill in the arena ensured that the name stuck.

At rodeos across the country, large and small – Pendleton, Kissimmee, Cheyenne, Amarillo, etc. – Romer brought a skill and a love of his job that kept him going, if it did not always keep

In Memory of... him unscathed. Romer suffered broken legs three times, his collarbone and cheekbone each broken twice, a broken arm, broken ribs, hundreds of stitches, and eight lost teeth. “And I loved it,” he once said. “I worked Cheyenne two weeks after breaking a leg, [still] in a cast.”

Romer’s ability to protect riders resulted in him working the 1976 NFR in Oklahoma City; the NIRA Finals four years (1977–1980); the Canadian Rodeo Finals in 1978; the Wrangler Bullfight Tour two years (1981–1982); the Indian National Finals (1978–1982); and the National Oldtimers Rodeo Association Finals (1985–1986).

Romer is survived by his wife, Terrie; daughters, Christina Jimenez and husband Israel, and Velinda Gonzales and husband Joshua; sisters, Barb Duggan and husband Larry, Linda Todd-Washington and husband Buz, Susie McGee and husband Buck; brother, Don Romer and wife Holly; five grandchildren, and several nieces

Mr. Harry Vold Flying U Rodeo Co. Inc. Mr. Hadley Barrett Arlene Worley Mr. Charles Townsend Mr. Bud Townsend

Honorariums...

Cotton, Karen, and Cindy Rosser, and Flying U Rodeo Mr. Louie Galaz Cotton Rosser and Flying U Rodeo Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Gonzales

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Memorial Gifts & Honorariums   

who designate memorials

Rodeo Historical Society

DALE SMITH Dale D. Smith, the first person to qualify for three different NFR events in the same year, died January 15, 2017, in Stanfield, Arizona. He was 88.

Born in Safford, Arizona, in 1928, Smith was involved in junior rodeo and also played college football. He competed in all timed events, qualifying for the 1959 NFR in team roping, calf roping, and steer roping — the first individual to accomplish such a feat.

Smith won consecutive world team roping championships in 1956 and 1957; the following year he came up $13 short of winning it three years in a row.

Smith was also one of the first “flying cowboys” to pilot his own plane to various rodeos while team members hauled his horses.

Following his successful roping career, in the early 1950s Smith was elected team roping director on the RCA Board of Directors. He then served as RCA/PRCA president for 16 years — longer than any other president — during some of the organization’s most tumultuous years (1962–1969, 1971–1972, 1976–1981).

Smith was inducted into the National Cowboy Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1995. He received the Ben Johnson Memorial Award — an annual award presented by the Museum’s Rodeo Historical Society to an individual who, like Johnson, creates a positive image for rodeo and the Western lifestyle — in 2000.

Smith was also the owner of “one of the world’s greatest roping horses,” Poker Chip, who is buried on the Museum grounds, and who, like Smith, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979.

During his lifetime Smith owned four different ranches and also bred Quarter Horses. He is survived by his wife, Margaret; sons, Grady and wife Shannon, Mark, and Dale and wife Amanda; daughter, Dawn and husband PJ; stepchildren David and Misty Goddard; brothers, Lot and Roger; 14 grandchildren; and four greatgrandchildren.

Dale Smith on Poker Chip.

Additional Empty Saddles

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Donald Kent Bandy October 6, 1920 – December 3, 2016 Former Cowboys’ Turtle Association Member

Elliott “Tex” Flynn July 26, 1933 – December 16, 2016 Saddle Bronc Rider, Pickup Man

Edgar “Buster” Berry March 5, 1933 – September 21, 2016 PRCA Gold Card Member

Glenn A. Fritzler September 24, 1927 – December 23, 2016 Bullfighter, Saddle Bronc Rider, Steer Wrestler

Thomas “Tommy” Charters Jr. May 26, 1968 – October 23, 2016 Rodeo Clown, Steer Wrestler, Team Roper

David Allen Haddock August 27, 1940 – September 30, 2016 PRCA Gold Card Member

Tommy “Brook” Deerman May 30, 1970 – January 22, 2017 Team Roper

Les Johnson December 25, 1931 – August 31, 2016 Saddle Bronc Rider

Wayland Houston Evans January 6, 1933 – November 28, 2016 PRCA Gold Card Member

Alan R. MacRae March 1, 1959 – February 1, 2017 Calf Roper, Team Roper, Steer Wrestler, Steer Roper

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National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

HARRY VOLD Harry Vold, the legendary rodeo contractor who was one of only two individuals to provide stock for every NFR since its inception in 1959, died March 13, 2017, in Avondale, Colorado.

He was 93.

The founder of Harry Vold Rodeo Company, Vold was fondly known by his many friends as the “Duke of the Chutes.” He was named PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year 11 times (1982, 1987–1996), a record matched by only one other stock contractor. Over the years, numerous Vold broncs and bulls won PRCA bucking stock of the year honors.

Born January 29, 1924, on a ranch outside Ponoka, Alberta, Canada, as a young man Vold rode saddle and bareback broncs for a time. According to his PRCA biography, however, he “never had any ambition to be a fulltime rodeo cowboy.” But that does not mean he was without ambition. Vold already had an interest in horses and auctioneering; in the early 1950s when stock contracting opportunities came his way he capitalized on them.

In 1952, during an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease, Vold was stranded in Canada with a load of 20 rodeo broncs he was to deliver across the border, which was closed. With his options limited, Vold provided the bucking horses to the Ponoka, Alberta, rodeo free of charge. This drew the attention of another rodeo 75 miles away that asked Vold to provide bucking horses

for its rodeo. Vold took the 20 horses, added 20 of his own, and headed to Stettler, Alberta.

From that day on, Vold was in the stock contracting business. Having gained experience with contractors such as Leo Cremer, Lynn Beutler, and Harry Knight, as well as experience on his own, Vold began contracting to Canadian rodeos — first by trailing horses with wagons; then eventually transporting them via railroad; and, finally, by truck and trailer. In 1968 Vold made the move to the United States when he and his family moved to southern Colorado.

Eventually, Harry Vold Rodeo Company would provide stock to more than 100 rodeos each year, and even began to provide entertainment such as trick-riders and celebrity appearances.

Vold was inducted into the National Cowboy Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2009. He was inducted into

the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1994 and was named a Legend of ProRodeo in 2009. He was given a host of other awards including being named to the Halls of Fame of many different rodeos including Cheyenne, Pendleton, Pikes Peak, Dodge City, Fort Smith, and Ellensburg, Washington.

In recent years, his youngest daughter, Kirsten Vold — recipient of the RHS’ 2015 Tad Lucas Memorial Award — took over operations at Harry Vold Rodeo Company. Vold is survived by his wife, Karen; daughters, Dona Larsen and husband Bill, Darce Vold, and Kirsten Vold; sons, Wayne Vold and Doug Vold and wife Allison; his brother Ralph Vold; 12 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren.

Harry Vold with wife Karen Womack Vold, fomer trick rider and recipient of the RHS’ 1992 Tad Lucas Memorial Award.

Bob Feist, Vold, Lyle Sankey, Cotton Rosser, and Neal Gay at the 2009 Rodeo Hall of Fame inductions.

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Rodeo Historical Society

T.J. WALTER Thomas Joseph “T.J.” Walter, a 12time qualifier for the NFR in bareback riding and a former PRCA director and board member, died January 1, 2017, in Stephenville, Texas. He was 67.

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on February 27, 1949, Walter was one of 13 children. In 1967 he won the National High School Rodeo AllAround and Bareback titles. That same year, he also began his PRCA career.

Though at one time he also competed in steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding, Walter’s

specialty was bareback riding. Indeed, every year from 1970-1979, and again in 1981 and 1983, he qualified for the NFR in the bareback competition. In 1971 he finished fourth in the world.

In 1974 and 1981 he finished in the top five in the NFR average. In 1977 he finished third in the NFR average, third in the world standings, and he won the Texas Circuit year-end bareback riding championship.

During his pro rodeo career Walter won at Cody, Fort Worth, Greeley, Houston, Prescott, San Antonio — even in Washington, D.C., in 1983, when he won a rodeo held in President Reagan’s honor and attended a barbecue at the White House afterward.

Walter became a member of the PRCA Board of Directors from 1974-1975 and again from 19791987, serving in various capacities including vice president for five years, president for a short time in 1986, and as Bareback Riding Director on the Contestant Executive Council. In 1987, Walter became a full-time PRCA employee, serving as Director of Rodeo Administration until 2001.

A member of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Rodeo Hall of Fame, Walter received a gold medal for coaching the USA Rodeo Team at the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

He is survived by his daughters, Shawna Slaughter and husband Erik, and Julie Carrillo and husband Gilbert; son, Raymond Walter; sisters, Janet Kelly, Dorothy Franzenburg, and Mary Rita Kromminga and husband Steve; brothers, Dan Walter and wife Janice, Allen Walter and wife Jolene, Steve Walter and wife Nan, Roger Walter and wife Michelle, Kevin Walter and wife Cindy, Mark Walter and wife Kris; and grandchildren, Chase, Cheney, Bailey, and Paige.

Additional Empty Saddles (continued)

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Tim Merlin Munns May 7, 1958 – February 26, 2017 Team Roper

Duane Gray Stephens November 26, 1934 – October 26, 2016 Bullfighter

Ty Pozzobon November 9, 1991 – January 9, 2017 Bull Rider

James Emmett Stone October 5, 1934 – December 13, 2016 PRCA Gold Card Member

William A. “Bill” Ransom July 18, 1946 – January 5, 2017 Calf Roper, Judge

Doug Turner September 25, 1961 – September 8, 2016 Calf Roper

Stanley J. “Stan” Sanders April 3, 1943 – December 23, 2016 Team Roper

Albert Vandorn September 6, 1934 – October 12, 2016 All-Around Cowboy

William K. “Smokey” Smith December 20, 1935 – January 23, 2017 Former First Frontier Circuit President

Theodore “Doug” Wall December 4, 1942 – December 31, 2016 Bareback Rider, Steer Wrestler, Pickup Man

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLYN SEELEN

National Cowboy && Western Heritage Museum National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum

2017Ballot Issue

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Honor the Champions

reetings Rodeo Historical Society members!

My name is Andee Lamoreaux and I serve as the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS) Coordinator. I also work for the Norris family at the Tee Cross Ranch in Colorado Springs, Colorado. My dual duty is fun, exciting, and keeps me busy.

In April, the RHS Board of Directors and the National Cowboy Museum’s Rodeo Committee evaluated the 2017 applications for induction into the Rodeo Hall of Fame. The following pages contain the official nominees with their background.

The date for this year’s Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend has changed to November 9-11, 2017. The Museum’s annual Small Works, Great Wonders® Art Sale and the RHS’ Rodeo Hall of Fame festivities will share the same weekend at the Museum. This will help both events as it is more efficient on production and will increase attendance at both Small Works, Great Wonders and Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend.

Induction into the Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy Museum is the highest honor bestowed in the sport of professional rodeo, and voting is one of the greatest privileges of RHS membership. But, voting comes with responsibility. I encourage you to take time to read each candidate’s biography, review their accomplishments, and complete your ballot. Make your selection carefully, giving full consideration to the Rodeo Hall of Fame standards. The following criteria are championed for induction: affiliation with the top professional organizations (PRCA/RCA, WPRA/GRA, etc.) and significant participation at the national level; training of others; military service; and character, including respect by peers, giving back to rodeo, and living a Western lifestyle.

Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend is the largest fundraising event to support RHS. I encourage everyone to attend the 2017 Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, November 9-11, 2017. A Champions’ Dinner will be held on November 11 to celebrate the new inductees.

I look forward to working with each and every one of you. If I may ever be of assistance, do not hesitate to contact me at alamoreaux@nationalcowboymuseum.org or (719) 331-6893.

VOTING RULES: Within these pages is the 2017 slate of nominees for induction into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame. Induction to the Hall is one of the top honors that can be bestowed on a rodeo cowboy or cowgirl, and your vote determines who is inducted. The Museum has held inductions since 1955, five years before the building opened, and has honored more than 360 rodeo legends who helped shape the sport as it is known today.

After careful consideration of all applicants, the RHS Board of Directors and the Museum’s Rodeo Committee are pleased to present a biographical summary of each outstanding nominee for your consideration.

Summaries are presented by category in alphabetical order. RHS members may vote for one inductee from the deceased category and four inductees from the living category. Ballots must be postmarked on or before August 1, 2017, to be counted.

Handwritten or photocopied ballots, or ballots returned to the National Cowboy Museum, will NOT be accepted or counted. Only numbered, official ballots returned in the envelope provided will be counted. Results will be certified by an outside accounting firm at the close of voting.

All ballots MUST be mailed to the following address for consideration: The Rodeo Historical Society, Rodeo Hall of Fame Balloting 3126 South Blvd., PMB164 Edmond, OK 73013 SPRING/SUMMER/BALLOT SPRING/SUMMER/BALLOT2017 2017| THE | THEKETCHPEN KETCHPEN

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Living Nominees

Rodeo Historical Society Rodeo Historical Society

BUNKY BOGER (1930) Bullfighting, Rodeo Clown

Over time, Boger began training his own animals, and his bullfighting evolved into an animal and comedy act. He trained dogs, a miniature Brahman, a blanket appaloosa, and even a buffalo to perform tricks for his show. Traveling to rodeos throughout North America, Boger became a mainstay in the rodeo world, and was even chosen to work the barrel at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1975.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FERRELL BUTLER

Bunky Boger was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, May 28, 1930. At age 6 he began spending summers with family friends in Wyoming where a love of the West took hold of him. Wanting to be a cowboy, as a teenager Boger began riding bulls — and then steer wrestling — at local rodeos to earn money. Soon the bullfighters caught his eye; Boger figured he could make more money if he fought bulls every performance instead of competing.

In the late ‘70s, Boger began to travel with the circus and, in 1994, the fair business. Though Boger is no longer in rodeo, the world of rodeo is still with Boger, as his act has evolved to include an educational aspect that teaches children lessons about agriculture, farming, and the rural lifestyle.

Bunky Boger and Kajun Kid Rusk, Texas Rodeo, 1962 Dickinson Research Center PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY KENDRA SANTOS

STEVE DUHON (1962) Steer Wrestling

Steve Duhon was born May 27, 1962, in Opelousas, Louisiana. His father, Billy, trained racehorses, so Steve grew up learning to ride. He also grew up wanting to rodeo, and started competing while in high school. A skilled athlete, Duhon was a standout football player in high school and college, even playing on the Louisiana State University football team. When it came time to decide between rodeo and football, however, Duhon chose rodeo.

A 2003 inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Duhon retired from professional rodeo in 2000. Yet, he continues to train and mentor the next generation of steer wrestlers. He and his wife, Janet, live in Jasper, Texas.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY KENDRA SANTOS

Though he competed in all timed rodeo events, he was primarily a bulldogger – and a great one at that. Named 1985 PRCA Steer Wrestling Rookie of the Year, Duhon went on to win the world steer wrestling title in 1986, 1987, and 1993. He qualified for the NFR a total of eight times (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1998), winning the NFR average twice (1987 and 1993). In 1986 he set an NFR record with a run of 3 seconds flat – a time that was tied by Brian Fields in 2001, but has yet to be surpassed.

National Cowboy && Western Heritage Museum National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum

JUNIOR GARRISON (1938) Calf Roping

James “Junior” Garrison was born February 5, 1938, northeast of Duncan, Oklahoma.

Though rodeo was not part of his family’s life, as a young man Garrison traded a pig for a 3-year-old horse named Pluto and began roping goats. “That’s when roping became a passion,” he said. After graduating from Duncan High School, Garrison worked various jobs, spending his free time roping.

In 2014 Garrison was voted a Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo Living Legend. Today, he lives on a ranch northeast of Rush Springs, Oklahoma, with his wife, Ruth, a five-time Canadian barrel-racing champion.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEVERE HELFRICH

In 1963 Garrison became a full-time calf roper. The next year he qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in Los Angeles, California, his first of 11 total NFR qualifications. At the 1966 NFR in Oklahoma City, Garrison beat out seven-time tie-down champion Dean Oliver to win the average and the world championship. On August 5, 1967, at the Evergreen, Colorado, rodeo, Garrison roped a calf in 7.5 seconds, a record-breaking time that earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for more than a decade. In 1968, he won the NFR average in the calf roping, finishing with 128.6 seconds on nine head, and two years later, in 1970, he won his second calf-roping world championship.

JOHN W. JONES JR. (1960) Steer Wrestling

John W. “Johnny” Jones Jr. was born August 13, 1960, in Santa Maria, California. Growing up he played football, baseball, and basketball. Jones’ athleticism would eventually spur him, at the age of 15, to follow in the rodeo footsteps of his father, John W. Jones Sr., who was the 1956 Rookie of the Year and NFR Steer Wrestling Champion in 1970.

A two-time California high school state champion steer wrestler and tie-down roper in 1977 and 1978, Jones was the 1979 NIRA West Coast Region bulldogging champion. Named 1981 overall PRCA Rookie of the Year, Jones joined his father in becoming the first-ever father and son to both earn the honor. He qualified for the NFR 10 times in steer wrestling, winning the 10-head NFR average in 1998 and World Steer Wrestling Champion titles in 1984, 1988, and 1989.

Though bulldogging was Jones’ specialty, he competed in all timed events in every major rodeo and many of the small- and medium-sized rodeos, too, twice qualifying for the NFR in calf-roping. In 1996 Jones was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame next to his father, who was an inaugural member in 1979. Today, Jones farms and ranches in Morro Bay, California.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY KENDRA SANTOS

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY KENDRA SANTOS

Junior Garrison calf roping, 1966, Pendleton, Oregon, 81.023.28438-05.

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Rodeo Historical Society Rodeo Historical Society

TOM C. MILLER (1948) Saddle Bronc Riding

Tom C. Miller was born December 27, 1948, in Rapid City, South Dakota. He shares the record for most saddle bronc average titles after becoming the saddle bronc average winner at the NFR in 1975, 1979, and 1981.

A PRCA judge for more than 20 years, Miller served on the PRCA Rules Committee four years and the PRCA Humane Committee for two years. He was an NFR judge five years, being selected by saddle bronc contestants three times. A rancher since graduating from college, Miller was inducted into the Casey Tibbs Foundation in 1994 and the Black Hills State University Hall of Fame in 2011. For more than 30 years he instructed at saddle bronc schools, and continues to mentor young bronc riders.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BERN GREGORY

As a student at Black Hills State College in Spearfish, South Dakota, Miller led a rodeo team that dominated national collegiate rodeo competition in the early 1970s. He excelled at both ends of the arena, becoming the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association all-around champion in 1970 and 1971. The Badlands Circuit Saddle Bronc champion from 1977 to 1980, he qualified for the NFR six times, coming short of winning the world title in 1981 by just $5.28.

Tom C. Miller on Sorrel Top, Black Jack, Missouri, 1975, Dickinson Research Center

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLYN SEELEN

TED NUCE (1961) Bull Riding

Ted Nuce was born January 19, 1961, in French Camp, California. When he was 5 years old his parents bought him a pony that he rode bareback; when he was 10 he began working at a stable near his home. At the age of 15 Nuce attended Larry Mahan’s bull riding school, and soon after attended Gary Leffew’s.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FAIN

After joining the PRCA, Nuce was named 1980 Rookie of the Year. In 1985 — the NFR’s first year in Las Vegas — he was the World Bull Riding Champion. In 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1991 he was the Reserve World Champion. Nuce was also a two-time Gold Medalist at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, and winner of the 1994 Professional Bull Riders (PBR ) finals. He qualified for the NFR in bull riding an astonishing 14 consecutive times — a record he still holds to this day. He also had a record 18 go-round wins in bull riding from 1982–1995.

Outside of the arena, Nuce is as much a champion for bull riding as he is a champion within. In April 1992, he was one of the original 20 co-founders of the PBR. He is also a PBR Ring of Honor member and a 2009 inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. An advocate for underprivileged youth, Nuce and his wife, Stephanie, live in Stephenville, Texas.

Ted Nuce on Red Heat (Ivy) 2nd go-round of the 1989 National Finals Rodeo

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National Cowboy && Western Heritage Museum National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum

Deceased Nominees JOSEPH BARTLES (1875-1956) Rodeo Producer

Joseph Bartles was born December 15, 1875, near the Cherokee Nation settlement of Turkey Creek in Indian Territory. His father, Jacob H. Bartles, married Nancy Journeycake — the daughter of Delaware Chief Rev. Charles Journeycake — in Wyandotte County, Kansas, in 1868. In 1873 the Bartleses relocated to the Cherokee Nation, where they eventually established two present-day Oklahoma communities: Bartlesville and Dewey.

As his parents’ only surviving child (Charles, born in 1869, died soon after his first birthday), Bartles was educated at Bacone school (near present-day Muskogee) and Kirkwood Military Academy in Kirkwood, Missouri. He returned to Indian Territory, where he assumed responsibility for his father’s various interests including cattle, a general store, oil and gas operations, banking, farming, transportation, and established the state’s first commercial airplane manufacturing business.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES CATHEY

In 1908, Bartles organized the first Dewey Roundup — with local cowboys participating in roping and riding contests — as entertainment for a Civil War reunion his father hosted. From these humble beginnings, the Dewey Roundup became one of the largest rodeos in the world, rivaling Calgary, Cheyenne, and Pendleton. Under Bartles’ leadership, the rodeo became a Fourth of July mainstay until it ended in 1949. Bartles married Edith Ross on June 18, 1913. He passed away February 3, 1956, at age 80.

JAMES CATHEY (1917-1978) Rodeo Photographer

James Cathey was born February 16, 1917, in Childress County, Texas. The oldest of seven children, Cathey was forced to become the man of the house after his father left during the Great Depression. After graduating from Childress High School, he enrolled in Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University); the advent of World War II, however, cut short his college career. After joining the Army Air Corps and marrying his sweetheart, Margie Johnson, Cathey served as a top turret gunner on a B17 flying missions over Europe.

Following the war, the Catheys moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where James began working as a photojournalist. Soon, he had the idea to travel to various rodeos on weekends to photograph the action. He began to sell contestants photos of themselves competing. The rest, as they say, is history.

From the late 1940s to the early 1970s, Cathey amassed a photographic collection of more than 68,000 negatives covering American rodeos, stock shows, state fairs, and America Quarter Horse Association champions. This amazing photographic record of America’s mid-20th century Western culture — covering every major rodeo and rodeo contestant of Cathey’s time period — was recently donated by his four sons to the Dickinson Research Center at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Cathey died June 2, 1978, at age 61.

James Cathey photographing a bareback bronc rider at a rodeo in West Texas in 1956.

No other details are known. This is from a photo postcard that another photographer mailed to Cathey with no comment on the back.

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MARION MCLAIN (1889-1972) Rodeo Producer

Marion Francis “Mac” McLain was born in Nebraska on May 13, 1889. As a child, his family moved to Toronto, Kansas, and, later, Barber County, Kansas. On November 2, 1912, McLain married Ruth Massey. Together the couple established a ranch at Sun City, Kansas, and raised three children: Marjorie, Max, and Mark.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY DICKINSON RESEARCH CENTER

In 1921, McLain produced the first-annual McLain Roundup, which became recognized as the largest independently owned and produced rodeo.

McLain possessed a flair for showmanship that drew crowds to the Sun City Rodeo. His rodeo included a Grand Entrée by all participants; a Cheyenne encampment where tribal rituals were performed; and the inclusion of a carnival midway. The rodeo action, however, was the greatest attraction, and included bronc and steer riding, wild cow milking, buffalo riding, and chuck wagon racing. The McLain Roundup drew not only local contestants, but also world champions like Bob Crosby, Ike Rude, Everett Shaw, and Dick Truitt; female star Fox Hastings; rodeo clowns Pinky Gist and Charlie Shultz; and veteran rodeo photographer Homer Venters. The McLain Roundup was discontinued in 1939.

Involved in the formation of the Cowboys’ Turtle Association (CTA), McLain became a life member of its successor organization, the RCA. He passed away on August 21, 1972, in Greensburg, Kansas.

JAMES “HYDE” MERRITT (1922-1983)

Calf Roping, Team Roping, Steer Roping, Stock Contractor Hyde Merritt was born May 24, 1922, in Federal, Wyoming. Son of World Champion Steer Roper King Merritt, Hyde was exposed early to roping, rodeoing, and stock contracting.

While attending the University of Wyoming, in 1941 Merritt was instrumental in establishing the first University of Wyoming college rodeo, including writing the bylaws.

After service in World War II, Merritt returned to co-found and edit The Rodeo News from 1946-1948. From 1948-1949, he was editor and West Coast manager for Western Horseman magazine, and in 1950 became editor for Quarter Horse News magazine.

Remembered by many as the “godfather of steer roping,” Merritt helped secure a home for the National Finals Steer Roping in Laramie, Wyoming, from 1973-1983 when many thought the sport was facing collapse. Merritt passed away on his family’s ranch in January 1983.

Hyde Merritt steer roping Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1956 Dickinson Research Center

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PHOTOGRAPH BY DEVERE HELFRICH

Merritt stayed busy outside of publishing, too. He is a founder of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, became an RCA member in 1945, and founded or served various Quarter Horse associations. Merritt became an esteemed Quarter Horse judge and breeder as well as a rodeo stock contractor of high regard. He was also instrumental in bringing pari-mutual betting to Wyoming.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Directors’ Choice ED LETOURNEAU, DVM (1935) Bull Riding

Ed LeTourneau was born September 18, 1935, in San Francisco, California. He learned to ride and cowboy at the ranch of his uncle Norman Higgins who raised cutting steers.

Following in the footsteps of his older brother Ray, LeTourneau began riding calves and steers, competing in his first rodeo at age 13. He then tested his abilities on both bareback and saddle broncs. At the age of 16 he switched to riding bulls, beginning at an open rodeo in Clements, California.

LeTourneau qualified for the first National Finals Rodeo in 1959, finishing fifth in the world. He qualified again in 1961 and 1967, although he did not compete in 1967 due to a dislocated shoulder. He used his rodeo earnings to attend veterinary school at the University of California, Davis. While there, he won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association reserve championship in 1961 and was the college champion in 1962. He graduated with a doctorate in veterinary medicine from U.C. Davis in 1962, the same year he married his wife, Frankie. LeTourneau became a resident veterinarian for a thoroughbred operation in Madera, California, then accepted a position at a Quarter Horse ranch in Oakdale, California, before settling again in Madera to open his own veterinary practice in 1976.

Though LeTourneau won numerous bull riding titles across the country during his career — including Portland (1959), Salinas (1959), Calgary (1960), Los Angeles (1961), Cheyenne (1961), and Pendleton (1961) — by the time he established his own veterinary practice in 1976, he assumed his bull riding days were over, though he did occasionally team rope. Then, in the 1980s, LeTourneau returned to bull riding with the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association (NSPRA). He was a four-time NSPRA world champion bull rider (1991–1994) and won the NSPRA Finals in 1991 and 1992. He participated in NSPRA bull riding well into the late ‘90s, taking his final ride atop a bull in competition at age 64.

Now retired after 53 years as a veterinarian, LeTourneau is a member of the NSPRA Hall of Fame; the Oakdale, California, High School Athletic Hall of Fame; and the U.C. Davis Athletic Hall of Fame.

According to the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS) bylaws, the RHS Board of Directors may choose in any given year to induct into the Rodeo Hall of Fame an individual that it feels should be honored. This special RHS Board of Directors selection need not be presented every year. The only stipulation for the RHS Directors’ special nominee is that the honoree cannot currently be serving on the RHS Board of Directors at the time they are inducted.

(Members will not find this entry on their ballot form for voting; it is provided for their information only.)

Ed LeTourneau on Bull #8 Great Western Rodeo Los Angeles, California, 1959

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Rodeo Historical Society

2017 Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend Each year, the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS) hosts a truly unique Hall of Fame Weekend dedicated to honoring rodeo champions who have played a significant role in keeping the legacy of rodeo alive today and passing down time-honored traditions to the next generation.

The Hall of Fame Weekend Champions’ Dinner is a favorite among those who appreciate the opportunity to gather and celebrate their heroes’ inspiring messages.

RHS members select award recipients who demonstrate undying determination, a passion for excellence, and character.

Mark your calendar for November 9-11 Weekend events will include: Rope 'N' Ride Reunion Cocktail Reception Small Works, Great Wonders ® Art Sale Rodeo Champions’ Dinner and Awards Ceremony Live and Silent Auction RHS Membership Meeting

Watch for your invitation with full details, or check the website for updates.

For more information please contact Andee Lamoreaux RHS Coordinator alamoreaux@nationalcowboymuseum.org (719) 331-6893 1700 Northeast 63rd Street • Oklahoma City, OK 73111 • (405) 478-2250

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nationalcowboymuseum.org/rhs THE KETCHPEN | SPRING/SUMMER/BALLOT 2017