2021 Rodeo Hall of Fame ‘Greats’ Inducted
courtesy of Linda Clark
photos by Jerry Hymer
The hallowed halls of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (NCWHM) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were once again a memorable recognition of rodeo greats, who were ushered into the Rodeo Historical Society’s Hall of Fame November 15-16 with 400 friends, family and rodeo fans in attendance. A non-profit organization, the Rodeo Historical Society has been part of the NCWHM since 1967 with the mission of working jointly with the NCWHM to preserve the heritage and legacy of rodeo.
The following are the class of 2021 Inductees
Bobby ‘Hooter’ Brown
Bobby found his niche in the saddle bronc riding as a more enjoyable challenge for him than following in the rodeo footsteps of his father, Earl, an RCA calf roper and horse trainer. He qualified for and competed in ten National Finals Rodeos in saddle bronc riding. As a youngster growing up in Adrian, Texas he became friends with some crop duster pilots who taught him to fly. The skill set served him well. He has worked as a corporate pilot, including 300 flights in the medical industry transporting physicians and nurses in the organ transplant field.
Jerome Robinson
As a farm kid from Nebraska, Jerome read a Sports Illustrated article on Jim Shoulders and became fascinated by the sport that would set a career course in the rodeo arena and, later, the rodeo management industry. He competed in bull riding at the NFR in 1970-1975. In 1976 the RCA (Rodeo Cowboys Association-now PRCA) hired him part time in developing a revolutionary way to enter rodeos, PROCOM, or the central entry system, while competing on a limited basis. Jerome would, once again compete at the NFR in 1977-1981. After retirement from rodeo competition Jerome formed his own event management business, Western Trails Rodeo. This entity has taken him all over the world producing rodeos in Japan, Finland, France, and Italy. Thanks to Jerome’s background in coordinating events, he has been in charge of PBR event logistics since 1994.
Jim Snively
deceased.
Growing up as the kid of sharecropper parents, Jim Snively left home and went to work breaking horses for $60/month for the famed Chapman/Barnard ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Jim began his rodeo career in 1929 in calf roping and became a world’s champion steer roper and Cheyenne all-around champion. A noted rope horse trainer Jim mounted several traveling partners on his horses. Famous ropers Everett Shaw, Clyde Burk, and Toots Mansfield all benefitted financially from riding his horses. Jim won worlds’ championships in steer roping in the IRA in 1954 and 1956.
Ricky Bolin
Ricky was born and raised near the Mesquite, Texas rodeo arena. He enjoyed riding dirt bikes as a youngster, but when he went to the Mesquite Rodeo his life changed forever. Jim Shoulders and Neal Gay took him under their wings. Ricky will say about his life ‘I had the best mentors and traveling partners a guy could ever have.’ He was also fortunate in 1981 to have the first corporate sponsorship for an individual cowboy from a local Coors distributorship. He received a monthly stipend and a ‘tricked out’ van, complete with red shag carpet. With four NFR qualifications in bull riding, Ricky wanted to semi-retire when he was about 30. As luck would have it, he took a job at a western store shaping hats. That was 32 years ago, and now he sits at the helm of HatCo, as the President/General Manager. HatCo is the parent company of Resistol and several other western hat and clothing brands. Ricky is very focused on ‘giving back’. He has set fund-raising records for his philanthropic endeavors and charitable causes.
Bobby & Sid Steiner
Rodeo is more than what goes on in the arena. For many it is a lifestyle that is handed down from generation to generation. So is the case in the Steiner family. Buck Steiner would start the rodeo dynasty at the age of 12 competing in rodeo. When his rodeo career was ending, he started his own rodeo production company and for the next several decades he and son Tommy raised some of the best bucking stock and produced some of the top rodeos in the country. These four Steiner men represent an unprecedented four generations of inductees into the NCWHM’s Hall of Fame. Bobby and Sid are both world’s champions in bull riding and steer wrestling, respectively. Both men earned championships early in their careers and chose to retire and raise families. Sid has two children charting their course as the fifth generation in rodeo in bareback riding and barrel racing. Bobby summed up what the induction meant to him, “four generations of inductees in the most historic rodeo hall is just an amazing thing for our family. It’s twice as cool since Sid and I are going into the hall at the same time.”
Cody Lambert
This shy, unassuming family man is a brilliant rodeo mind. Cody grew up in the racehorse industry; his dad was a jockey and trainer and his mom was a seamstress who made racehorse gear. As a kid, Cody was fortunate to attend the 1974 NFR in Oklahoma City and visit the NCWHM. That has been a standout memory for him so to be inducted into the museum is very special. Cody qualified for three NFR’s in saddle bronc riding and seven times in bull riding. While he had determination to win, his top priority was not the usual family sacrifice involved in becoming a world’s champion. Uppermost in his mind, was the impact his winning would have on providing for his family. A $1,000 investment Cody made along with 21 other bull riders in a bull riding association they formed, would morph into what is now the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). Cody remains as the only one of original investors on the payroll of the PBR and calls himself the ‘bull picker’ or livestock director, charged with the duties of putting together the best bucking bulls for PBR events.
John Tewskbury Rhodes & Thomas Rhodes
These two deceased inductees were a well-known father/son duo in team roping and team tying, and earned steer roping championships in the 1930’s. A Hatfield and McCoy type range war has been famously written called The Pleasant Valley Wars about the Graham and Tewksbury families. Sadly, the family infighting over their vast Arizona ranch holdings resulted in many killings. John took his stepfather’s name Rhodes to get away from the stigma of his warring family and began roping as a release from the stress of managing the family’s 300,000 acre ranch. John and Thomas were not able to travel extensively because of their ranching responsibilities but that did not deter their winning, primarily traveling to rodeos from Texas to the west coast.
Richard “Tuff” Hedeman – As his nickname implies, Richard grew up with the name ‘Tuff Nut’ after having his hand slammed into the door of a pickup as a kid and never flinching or crying. Those internal strengths would serve him well as one of a few cowboys whose first name is synonymous with greatness. Tuff grew up in the horse racing industry as the youngest of seven children. Tuff and childhood friend, Cody Lambert, would create an indominable force in the high school, college, and professional ranks of rodeo as all around hands in rough stock and roping events. The first million dollar bull rider in earnings, Tuff won three PRCA world’s championships-1986, 1989, and 1991. He won the NFR bull riding average in 1987 and 1989. After retirement in 1998, he became a color commentator for the PBR. He now produces his own bull riding events throughout the United States.
Carl Nafzger
Ben Johnson Memorial Award
This award is bestowed upon a living person who was prominent in the rodeo arena, but more importantly excels in the ‘arena of life’ as a positive role model. Carl competed in two NFR’s in bull riding- 1963 and 1965. Retiring in 1970 to go into the thoroughbred racing industry, he found success in that field and trained the 1990 Kentucky Derby winner, Unbridled, and the Eclipse racing winner the same year. He won his second Kentucky Derby in 2007 with Street Sense. The soft-spoken man has written books about positive life skills, Traits of a Winner, and Why, which is about living in truth and honesty.
Pat Ommert
Tad Lucas Memorial Award
The petite, 92-year-old ‘ball of fire’ has had a storied life and became a renowned horse woman and daredevil. She is a lifelong resident of California and has a love of horses and the western way of life. Coming from a loving and close-knit family, Pat’s father, an ex-Marine encouraged physical fitness which was important when her career demanded muscle strength for trick riding and Roman riding. Her father also taught her to be an independent thinker and always provided her with good horses. She was a stunt double for many westerns and still loves to ride horses. Pat’s husband of 54 years, Willard Ommert, DVM, and Pat were involved in community activities relating to the horse industry. They were founding members of the Rancho California Horsemen’s Association.
