ProRodeo Hall of Fame

ProRodeo Hall of Fame

Established	1979
Location	101 Pro Rodeo Drive Colorado Springs, Colorado
Coordinates	38.9129°N 104.824°W / 38.9129; -104.824
Type	Hall of fame
Website	prorodeohalloffame

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, present and future." It is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and run by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's board. It is the "only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the sport of professional rodeo."

Inductees

Since the Hall’s opening in 1979, 250 people, 31 animals and 27 rodeo committees have been inducted. More than 100 individuals are nominated each year, but only a few are selected.

Humans

• Jim Shoulders, most successful contestant in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
• Chris LeDoux, 1970 professional rodeo cowboy, won world bareback riding championship.
• Ty Murray, 7 time all-around champion.
• Tuff Hedeman, 3 time PRCA Bull Riding Champion.
• Charles Sampson, first african-american world champion 1982.
• Larry Mahan, 6 time all around champion.
• Roy Cooper, calf roping champion.
• Slim Pickens, actor/rodeo clown.
• Ben Johnson, steer roper/Oscar-winning actor.
• Lane Frost, 1987 world champion bull rider.
• Casey Tibbs, saddle bronc rider/actor.
• Don Gay, 8 time bull riding champion.
• Lewis Feild, 3 time All-Around Champion, twice Bareback Champion.
• Fred Whitfield, 8-time calf roping champion

Horses

• Steamboat, a gelding bronco, inducted 1979; it is the model of the Wyoming state trademark, Bucking Horse and Rider, with the rider having been Clayton Danks, a Nebraska native who died in 1970 in Thermopolis Wyoming.
• Scamper, barrel racing, inducted in 1996.
• Midnight, saddle bronc, inducted in 1979.
• Gray Wolf, sire, many of the best bucking horses today descend from Gray Wolf, inducted in 2016.
• War Paint, saddle bronc, three time bucking horse of the year, inducted in 2011.
• Decent, saddle bronc, despite an injury at the beginning of the 70s he returned to win his 5th and 6th time bucking horse of the year, inducted in 1979.
• Scottie, steer wrestling, the chestnut gelding was able to take three cowboys to four world championships. Many liked him for the fact that he did not tire easily, enabling multiple cowboys to show him in quick succession.

Bulls

• Skoal Pacific Bell, bull riding, only being ridden 5 times in 150 outs he also was the only three time PRCA world champion bull in history, inducted in 2007.
• Bodacious, bull riding, the only PBR and PRCA world champion and the inaugural champion bull of the PBR, inducted in 1999.
• Crooked Nose (fighting bull), 1990, bull riding, only fighting bull inducted, loved by fans and dreaded by bullfighters, inducted in 1990.
• Red Rock, bull riding, unridden in 309 outs in his pro rodeo career (though he was ridden by Lane Frost in 1988 it was not actually an event), inducted in 1990.
• Old Spec, bull riding, ridden 7 times in 350 outs, inducted in 1979.
• Oscar, bull riding, in 300 only 8 riders rode him including Don Gay three times (twice he was ridden for 97pts), as well he then became a legend in breeding. In fact the renowned Bushwhacker and many other great bulls come from Oscar. He was also featured in disney documentary film The Great American Cowboy, inducted in 1979.
• Tornado, bull riding, bucking off 220 cowboys before being ridden by Freckles Brown, inducted in 1979.

Pioneer Award Recipient

• Earl W. Bascom, Pioneer Award 2016, rodeo equipment inventor, world record time holder, actor and artist/sculptor.

See also

• Rodeo bareback rigging
• Rodeo Hall of Fame