Posts Tagged ‘Hall of Fame inductee’

Oct 1 2010

In the Early Years category, which is contributing prior to 1940 is KING MERRITT.

Merritt was born in 1894 at Calhoun, Georgia.  In his late teens, he moved to Wyoming where he raised his family on a quarter horse and cattle ranch.  Many of the horses he raised became famous rodeo horses.  He and his wife, Marie, raised a large rodeo family.  All three sons, Hyde, Dean & Cotton were super ropers and won many titles.  His daughters, Sis, Ramona & Ginger competed in the events of roping and racing their horses.  King became a rodeo contestant in 1920 and continued until right before his death in 1952.  He was one of the greatest of all ropers.

King traveled by train to his first Pendleton Round Up in 1925.  He attended every Round Up thereafter until 1951.  He won the Steer Roping Championship in 1925 and 1935.  In 1936 he won the Calf Roping Championship.  His family said the Pendleton Round Up was his favorite rodeo.

The 2010 Inductee to the Round Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Rodeo Contestant category is ROY “SUPER LOOPER” COOPER.

Cooper was born November 13, 1955 at Hobbs, New Mexico.  He leads a rodeo roping family of three sons, Clint, Clif & Tuf and step-daughter, Shada, who is married to the World All Around Champion, Trevor Brazile.

Roy is regarded as one of the greatest ropers in history.  In three decades, he broke every roping record in the books.  He claimed eight world titles in calf roping, steer roping and All Around categories.  In 1983 Cooper claimed the sport’s “Triple Crown” by winning World Titles in the All Around, Steer Roping and the Calf Roping events.

Roy roped at Pendleton his entire roping career.  He liked Pendleton because he could rope calves and steers the same day.  While competing in the Pendleton Round Up, he won the Calf Roping Championship in 1978 and then in 1982 & 1984 he won All Around Championship.

The 2010 Inductee to the Pendleton Round Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Round Up Volunteer category is TOM CURRIN.

Currin was born in 1940 to George & Helen Currin at Pendleton, Oregon.  He resided most of his life on the family owned ranch on Little Butter Creek.  There he ranched with his brother, Ron, raising cattle, wheat and hay.  He also flew several airplanes on the side, doing crop dusting and counting & tracking collared animals.  He has been very active in the Community of Heppner, serving on boards & committees.  His family consists of wife, Marlene, son, Jeff, and his stepson, Ryan and his wife Julie.  He retired from the ranch in 2007, but not from his volunteering.

Tom has been an active volunteer at the Happy Canyon Show and the Pendleton Round Up since 1962.  This year he is being honored for his 47 years as a volunteer for the Pendleton Round Up.  He has worked on the stretcher crew, fence crew, untying crew and for 31 years has worked on the bucking chute crew.  Tom is a valuable volunteer.  With his experience, he knows what to do and does it.  His contribution helps make the Round Up run smoothly.

A Special Honoree in 2010 inducted into The Hall of Fame is V.W. “MAC” McCORMACK.

Mac was born in 1895 in Buffalo, New York.  He and his wife, Edith had one daughter, Dorothy.  He came to Pendleton in 1939 and established McCormack Construction Company.  He was very active in the Community.  He built many famous sites, but also served on the City Council, President of the Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Round Up Board of Directors.

Mac and his Company saved the Pendleton Round Up in 1940.  On August 15, 1940, during a baseball game in the Round Up Stadium, a huge fire broke out and destroyed the grandstands and valuable equipment stored under them.  Mac pledged his Company would replace the grandstand with no profit to his Company and started immediately without knowing if he would receive any funds for materials and workers.  A crew of 70 men worked night and day for 23 days to build a 3,000 seat concrete grandstand.  The 30th Pendleton Round Up went on as scheduled thanks to the efforts of Mac McCormack and his crew.

Category: Features, News & Updates, People & Volunteers

Jul 6 2009

Willie Wocatsie

Willie Wocatsie

Willie Wocatsie was born at Wallula in 1881. He was of the Walla Walla Tribe. His name Wo-Cat-Sie in the Indian language means, “My Foot”. He was the son of Wispoos Nd Iyatoyik, husband of Ahatinch, father to one son Charlie, three daughters Inez Wocatsie Pond, May Wocatsie, Elizabeth Wocatsie Jones and one stepdaughter Susie Colalas Williams.

He was involved in the Round-Up since 1910 and served with his cousin, the late Clarence Burke, as Round-Up Co-Chief from 1936 until his death in 1950.

Willie Wocatsie, Clarence Burke and George Spino plus other men at various times are remembered by leading the Indian participants through the parades and arena on horses singing with hand drums. He was always dressed in full Indian regalia with eagle feather was bonnet. He participated in the “North Hill” raiding party and was recognized Indian Religion and Continue reading…

Category: People & Volunteers

Jul 1 2009

Ollie Osborn

Ollie Osborn

Ollie Osborn was born July 24, 1896 in Union, Oregon to George and Mary Ellen (Hall) Osborn.

At the age of 16, she began going to rodeos with her brother and soon started riding bucking horses. She enjoyed it so much that she traveled to several rodeos including Madison Square Garden in New York City. At one time she worked for a man that had a wild west how. She received several awards for her bronc riding, one which includes membership in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

Ollie was the first woman to pursue the sport of rodeo full-time and be a constant champion. Born to Oregon homestead ranchers, she began competing in the early relay races when she was a teenager, but she discovered bronc riding and made a name for herself by riding “slick” without hobbles, like the men. Remembered for her daring rides and extravagant tailor-mode clothes.

Her first taste of big time rodeo was at the 1914 Frontier Days in Walla Walla. Ollie Continue reading…

Category: People & Volunteers

Jun 29 2009

Deb Copenhaver

Deb Copenhaver

Deb Copenhaver was born Jan. 21, 1925 in Wilbur, WA. Copenhaver’s first competition was at a Keller Salmon Days Rodeo in 1940. After serving in the Navy Seabees during World War II, he came home to compete in all of the big North American rodeos.  He won the bronc riding two or three times each at Cheyenne, Calgary, Denver, Ft. Worth, Houston, Kansas City, Salinas and Madison Square Garden. Deb won the Pendleton Round-Up in 1955.

Copenhaver and his wife Cheryl and family had a dream, “I rode often and fast,” Copenhaver said. “I wanted acreage, it would be our future.” Copenhaver achieved his dream, buying land near Creston, where he bred and raised quality Quarter Horses and operated Copenhaver’s Cafe in town. During the heyday of Copenhaver’s Cafe, Hank Thompson, Bonnie Guitar, Ernest Tubb and other music greats all played.  Copenhavers raised their family in the wheat country of Creston.

Deb Copenhaver was World Champion Bronc Rider in 1955 & 1956. He started his rodeo career after being discharged from Uncle Sam’s service in 1946. He entered Continue reading…

Category: People & Volunteers

May 15 2008

Christian Sonny Davis

Christian "Sonny" Davis

Sonny Davis was born on January 2, 1935 in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The family finally moved to Kenna, New Mexico where Sonny spent the rest of his life. He was a student of his dad Red Davis who was a former rodeo rider and roper. Sonny also copied the ground work style of Toots Mansfield.

In 1966 the Rodeo Sports News Annual Edition called Sonny Davis, “The most explosive roper of the last decade. Some evidence of Sonny’s calf roping ability is the fact he’s never been out of the top 15 since 1956.” At 6’3” and 225 lbs. he possessed strength, catlike quickness and superb coordination, which is unusual for such a big man.

Continue reading…

Category: People & Volunteers

May 14 2008

Bonnie Tucker Blankship

Bonnie Tucker Blankinship

Bonnie Tucker Blankinship was born July 24, 1914 in Joseph, Oregon to Ben and Anna Knapper. Bonnie’s mother passed away giving birth to Bonnie, so her grandparents, Dudley and Jennie Richards in Joseph, raised her. There, she attended school and graduated from Joseph High School in 1932. After graduation, she moved to Portland to live with Earl and Faye Riley. Earl was the mayor of Portland and many politicians remembered Bonnie as the most charming stenographer for several years in Portland’s City Hall.

In 1939, she traded in her high heels and city life for life on the ranch in Joseph, when she met and married Harley Tucker. There, she learned about raising sheep, cattle, swine and then started a family. Harley, who was always a cowboy at heart had already begun putting on rodeo-type events, entertaining the Civilian Conservation Corps camps at Wallowa Lake. Continue reading…

Category: People & Volunteers

May 13 2008

Fred Hill

Fred Hill

Fred was born on Feb. 15, 1913 at Helix to James and Beulah Hill. The family moved to Pendleton in 1918.

Fred played basketball and was a member of the 1931 Pendleton High School team that won the State Championship. He received a basketball scholarship to Oregon State College at Corvallis and played on the first Oregon State team to win the West Coast Championship.

After graduation, he worked as a county agent in Baker where he met his wife, Jean Silven. They moved back to the family ranch in Juniper Canyon.

Fred was involved in the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon for many years. He was on the Round-Up Board and was especially fond of his tenure as Native-American Director. He and Clarence Burke and Jesse Jones, Sr. were great friends. Continue reading…

Category: People & Volunteers

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