Prorodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy
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ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy 2018 Year In Review FROM THE DIRECTOR The year 2018 was rodeo champion as well as looking through The Class of 2019 selection will have an exciting and our museum via their computer. Over 21,689 improved processes and procedures. A capital successful one items have been imported into the program campaign is being organized to kick off this for the ProRodeo and are now available for viewing digitally. year to provide for major improvements Hall of Fame and and additions to the museum in the future. Museum of the We conducted a year-end holiday giving A redesign of the Hall’s website is planned. American Cowboy. campaign for the first time in several years. A quarterly newsletter to all Hall of Fame It started off with us welcoming a new President This resulted in $5,400 in donations as supporters will be produced. The Hall’s of the Hall of Fame, Mr. George Taylor, CEO of of January 7. Our fund-raising efforts also sponsor programs will be expanded. the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association included starting a Rodeo Committee in January. Membership that was launched in the last Special events being planned for 2019 include quarter of 2018 allowing PRCA sanctioned a Youth Rodeo Festival this summer and a 40th Admissions to the museum remained flat for events the opportunity to support the Hall of Anniversary Celebration to coincide with our 2018 compared to 2017, however, the month Fame and promote their rodeos. annual inductions in August. of July alone was up 16.7%. We had a very busy summer with events, guests and our annual The New Year of 2019 will see more projects I want to thank our Board of Trustees, Inductions with 10 new Inductees enshrined enhanced and new ones implemented. We sponsors, donors, patrons and guests for all August 3 and 4. have added two categories to the Hall of Fame they contributed to make 2018 so successful. I Membership program – Lifetime Member and especially want to thank the Hall of Fame and We acquired a new software program to house Student Member. We will advance a volunteer Facilities Staff for their hard work, dedication our collections data. This program allows us docent program for the museum. We will and commitment to the ProRodeo Hall of to present our entire collection digitally on welcome Hall of Fame Trustee Emeritus Fame. Without their contributions, work, its own website for all to view. People all over positions that will serve as honorary trustees support and talents, we could not reach our the world will be able to use our database for offering ideas, support and mentoring to the goals and continue to meet our mission. research, learning more about their favorite Hall. PRHOF Staff ProRodeo Hall of Fame Board of Trustees Kent Sturman - Director George Taylor, President Hal Littrell Sara Tadken - Marketing, Events, Aaron Enget, Secretary Keith Martin & Membership Coordinator Michael Gaughan Robert C. “Bob” Norris John Growney Dave Palenchar Megan Winterfeldt - Exhibits & Larry Mahan Daren Peterson Collections Coordinator Steve Beneto Butch Morgan Kyle Moore - Museum Attendant Ryer Hitchcock Jon Mattson Emily Krouskop - Museum Attendant Dale Knobbs James Miller CONTENTS 2 From the Director 9 The Cowboy Experience 3 Building Improvements 10 National Finals Rodeo 4 Museum Exhibits 12 In Remembrance 6 Special Events 13 PRHOF Inductee List 7 Induction Weekend 2 | ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy IMPROVEMENTS 2018 saw many improvements to the Hall of Fame building and grounds. A few of the major items include new museum doors to the main entrance of the building, the semi-permanent wall in collections was replaced with a new permanent wall, and lights were converted to LED throughout the whole museum. We also added a couple of new exhibit spaces. New display cases were added to display barrel racing inductees and we expanded our contract personnel displays. With the help of Priefert Rodeo and Ranch Equipment, Big Country Farm Toys, Resistol Hats, Cactus Ropes, Ryer & Victoria Hitchcock, Heel-O-Matic Training Systems, James and Nellie Miller, and Whaley Cattle Company a new children’s exhibit was added in Theater 2. The theater wasn’t being used and with the help of our sponsors, we were able to add an attraction for our young rodeo enthusiasts where they can touch and play. We still have a long road ahead of us for improving the home where so much rodeo history is displayed and cherished. The Hall of Fame staff is constantly trying to improve the experience each guest receives. We take great pride in housing the history and life of professional rodeo. We received a minor face lift in September with the installation of new front doors. The door pulls form a replica of a World Champion buckle when closed. A new permanent children’s exhibit opened August. Children can dress up as a cowboy or cowgirl and race barrels, rope steers, or buck on a bull or horse. The permanent wall in collections being constructed. New exhibit space was need for our barrel racing inductees. Display cases were built in our gift shop area along with expanded contract personal cases. 3 | ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy 101 GALLERY The 101 Gallery is used primarily to display Western art collections and other specially created exhibits that pertain to the sport of rodeo. Exhibits in this gallery are changed at least twice a year. In 2018, the gallery displayed two collections: The Artist and the Bucking Horse, and Captured Moments: Rodeo Photography Exhibit. THE ARTIST AND THE BUCKING HORSE Most of the artwork in this gallery was collected by Valona Varnum Crowell, which she donated to the Hall of Champions in 1983. The collection originally contained forty-four individual pieces. Over the years, other individuals have donated or loaned pieces to the Hall which have been added to the collection. The best introduction to this collection was written by Valona in her published guide: Every Western Artist has done his or her version of the bucking horse. Some artists, like Will James, who is known as “the bucking horse artist,” have made it a trademark. The following collection started with the interest of seeing each artist’s interpretation of the same subject. Some of the artists were working cowboys or rodeo riders. All were observers of the sport and knew the situation well. You will see the comic, as well as the serious side, when each artist gives his (or her) idea of the bucking horse. CAPTURED MOMENTS: RODEO PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT Rodeo photography has been around since almost the beginning of the sport. The early photos were of contestants posed for large panoramic photographs before the competitions began. As equipment evolved, action images of the events began to emerge. Photographers made money selling the images as postcards and other sized prints. Rodeo photographers became more daring by shooting from inside the arena with little or no protection, some received broken bones for their efforts. A few photographers loved the sport so much that they entered as contestants. Others hung up their contestant numbers and picked up a camera. Without these dedicated men and women, rodeo’s history would be a lackluster list of locations and participants. Instead, it is a rich, colorful tapestry, full of amazing moments captured on glass plates, film, and digital hard drives. This exhibit is a glimpse at the world of the rodeo photographers. 4 | ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy LIVESTOCK EXHIBIT The rodeo livestock exhibit returned to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame for the fifth year. Bucking horses Beaver Tail and Painted Fling from the Harry Vold Rodeo Company called the ProRodeo Hall of Fame home from May-August. This exhibit not only allows museum guests to see up close some great rodeo animal athletes, it also allows them to become educated on the PRCA’s animal welfare program and to learn about the care and treatment of rodeo livestock. Beaver Tail, 17, bucked at Prescott, Colorado Springs, and Cheyenne, was considered an eliminator horse during her career, but became such a good mom that she was semi-retired after her first foal. She is the mother of 6V Pillow Talk — a three-time NFR bucking horse. Painted Fling, 3, is an example of the advancing techniques that are taking place in the bucking horse industry. His mother is a cloned horse from Spring Fling. Painted Fling has been in the Vold breeding program since he was two. His sire, Painted Valley, was the 2009 NFR Saddle Bronc Horse and the 2010 Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year. Museum visitors had a special treat this year. Beaver Tail’s colt also spent the summer with us. He was two weeks old when he arrived. Each visitor that came during the summer had the opportunity to enter a contest to name the colt. The 2018 induction class were given a list of the top five names submitted and they picked the colts name. Below are some fun facts about the entries we received: Beaver Tail and Painted Fling arriving at the 507 - The number of entries ProRodeo Hall of Fame. 40 - The number of entries from Colorado Springs residents 39 - The number of states represented 20 - The number of people who entered the name “Painted Beaver” 11 - The number of names in the Top 25 that were suggested by more than one person 4 - The number of foreign countries represented in the entries 3 - The number of names suggested by more than 10 people 1 - The number of people suggesting the winning name Here is a sampling of some of the more unusual names suggested: - Painted Rhubarb Tart - Bunches of Grapes - Scratchy Butt - Apple Sauce - Painted Pancake - Chunky Monkey - Rank Frank - Johnny Cash - Potato - Castle Rock - Colt Mare - Chicken Nugget - Frosty Boots - Jimbo McNugget - Mr.