Bull Riding Hall of Fame facts for kids
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| Established | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cowtown Coliseum Fort Worth Stockyards Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Type | Hall of Fame |
The Bull Riding Hall of Fame is a special place in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is located at Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. This hall of fame celebrates the exciting sport of bull riding.
It is a non-profit group that aims to honor amazing bull riders. It also celebrates bullfighters, bulls, and stock contractors. They also recognize events and people who have made a big difference in bull riding history. Anyone who loves bull riding can become a member!
The Hall of Fame wants to honor all bull riding champions. It also works to keep the history of bull riding alive. You can see exhibits, photos, videos, and personal items from the inductees. The Bull Riding Hall of Fame has four main groups for induction: Bull Riders, Bull Fighters, Bulls, and Legends. The first group of honorees was chosen in 2015. The hall officially opened its doors to visitors in 2016.
Contents
History of the Hall of Fame
The Bull Riding Hall of Fame, Inc. was created for a clear reason. Its founders wanted to honor bull riders and bull fighters. They also wanted to recognize bulls, organizations, and stock contractors. These are all the people and animals who reached the highest level in bull riding.
The organization does many things. It shares history and teaches visitors about the sport. It also hosts events and is managed by different teams. The founders, Bill and Tammi Putnam, helped build the hall. They also helped run the museum at Cowtown Coliseum. Bill was the president, and Tammi was the treasurer. Their daughter, Amy Ellinger, was the secretary.
How the Hall of Fame Works
The Bull Riding Hall of Fame Museum is found at Cowtown Coliseum. This is in the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. Each year, a new group of nominees is chosen to join the hall.
Members of the Hall of Fame help pick the new honorees. This includes people who have already been inducted. You can become a member for a year or for life. Companies and groups can also become partners. Sponsors can be individuals, couples, or businesses.
From 2015 to 2019, the yearly induction ceremony was held at Cowtown Coliseum. Since 2020, it has taken place at Billy Bob's Texas.
Amazing Bull Riding Inductees
The Bull Riding Hall of Fame has honored many people and animals. They come from different bull riding groups. These include the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR). The inductees are some of the most famous people and animals in the sport.
Many of them are also in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. This includes bullfighter Wick Peth. Another famous inductee is Lane Frost. He was a PRCA bull rider known for his amazing rides. He even had a famous challenge against the bull Red Rock.
From the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), many stars are in the Hall of Fame. Chris Shivers holds many PBR records. He was honored in 2013. Another PBR star is Tuff Hedeman. He was one of the riders who conquered the famous bull Bodacious. Hedeman competed in both the PRCA and the PBR. He is also in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Several bulls have also been inducted. Tornado joined in 1979. Bodacious was inducted in 1999. Bodacious was the only bull to win both the PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year and the PBR World Champion Bull titles in 1995. Later, Bruiser also achieved this in 2017.
First Inductees: Class of 2015
The first group of amazing bull riding legends was inducted in 2015.
| Inductee | Birthdate | Deathdate | Induction Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Gay | September 8, 1953 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Jim Shoulders | May 13, 1928 | June 20, 2007 | Bull Rider |
| Warren G. Brown | January 18, 1921 | March 20, 1987 | Bull Rider |
| Harry Tompkins | October 5, 1927 | June 29, 2018 | Bull Rider |
| George Paul | March 3, 1947 | July 30, 1970 | Bull Rider |
| Larry Mahan | November 21, 1943 | May 7, 2023 | Bull Rider |
| Skipper Voss | March 15, 1944 | Living | Bull Fighter |
| Wick Peth | April 15, 1930 | December 27, 2019 | Bull Fighter |
| George Paul Memorial Bull Riding | N/A | N/A | Legend |
| Mesquite Rodeo - Neal Gay | June 25, 1926 | August 11, 2022 | Legend |
| V-61 | Circa 1962 | 1974 | Bull |
Source:
Honorees from 2016
Another group of talented individuals and bulls joined the Hall of Fame in 2016.
| Inductee | Birthdate | Deathdate | Induction Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtis Dightman | May 7, 1935 | Living | Bull Rider |
| John Quintana | December 3, 1947 | March 25, 2013 | Bull Rider |
| Gary Leffew | September 23, 1944 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Jim "Razor" Sharp | October 6, 1965 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Terry Don West | October 7, 1965 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Jack Wiseman | November 5, 1943 | December 1, 2015 | Bull Rider |
| Tuff Hedeman | March 2, 1963 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Kajun Kidd (D. J. Gaudin) | October 28, 1929 | June 11, 2015 | Bull Fighter |
| Harry Vold | January 29, 1924 | March 13, 2017 | Legend |
| Steiner Rodeo Co. | N/A | N/A | Legend |
| Tornado | 1957 | 1972 | Bull |
Source:
Inductees from 2017
The Hall of Fame continued to grow with its 2017 class of inductees.
| Inductee | Birthdate | Deathdate | Induction Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Flynn | April 21, 1951 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Bill Kornell | March 13, 1944 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Dick Griffith | September 13, 1913 | August 10, 1984 | Bull Rider |
| Chris Shivers | December 30, 1978 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Randy Magers | May 5, 1945 | Living | Bull Rider |
| Lane Frost | October 12, 1963 | July 30, 1989 | Bull Rider |
| Rob Smets | September 11, 1959 | Living | Bull Fighter |
| Clem McSpadden | November 9, 1925 | July 7, 2008 | Legend |
| Bob Tallman | October 25, 1947 | Living | Legend |
| Bodacious | 1988 | May 16, 2000 | Bull |
Source:
Many more amazing bull riders, bullfighters, bulls, and legends have been inducted in the years since 2017. Each year, new heroes of the sport are added to this special hall.
See also
- Lists of rodeo performers
- List of ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees
- Professional Bull Riders
- Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
- ProRodeo Hall of Fame
- Rodeo Hall of Fame
