OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Since 1955, the National Rodeo Hall of Fame has been dedicated to honoring and memorializing the legacy of great competitors in rodeo and its related professions. That tradition will continue as rodeo icons are recognized at the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS) and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend presented by The Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris Foundation, November 10 – 11, 2023, with induction into the renowned National Rodeo Hall of Fame. The Ben Johnson Memorial Award, Directors’ Choice Award and Tad Lucas Memorial Award recipients will also be honored. The celebration will take place at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
“We are honored and thrilled to welcome the outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to world of rodeo and Western culture,” said Museum President and CEO Pat Fitzgerald. “Their dedication and remarkable achievements have shaped the rodeo industry, and we look forward to commemorating their stories over the historic weekend.”
The National Rodeo Hall of Fame Class of 2023 in both the Living and Deceased categories includes: LIVING * Jerry Beagley * Bennie Beutler * LaTonne Sewalt Enright * Rusty Riddle * J.C. Trujillo * Skipper Voss DECEASED * Don Endsley (1948 – 2019) * Raymond “R.E.” Josey (1930 – 2022) Each year, the family of trick-riding legend Tad Lucas bestows the Tad Lucas Memorial Award upon a living female whose actions promote the values represented by Tad Lucas. The Ben Johnson Memorial Award winner is chosen by committee each year to honor a living individual who represents the Western lifestyle as exemplified by screen and rodeo legend Ben Johnson. The Tad Lucas Memorial Award honoree of 2023 is Jennifer Welch Nicholson, and the Ben Johnson Memorial Award honoree is Michael Gaughan. The Directors’ Choice Award, which is only given out under exceptional circumstances and with careful deliberation, is being awarded to Jim Rodriguez, Jr.
National Rodeo Hall of Fame inductions and awards are sponsored and selected by the Rodeo Historical Society, an organization under the auspices of the National Cowboy Museum whose worldwide members share an interest in preserving both rodeo history and the sport itself. The selection process begins with the Rodeo Historical Society committee and is then voted on by the Rodeo Historical Society members. Membership supports the Museum’s rodeo programs, including research, an oral history project, acquisition of materials for the American Rodeo Gallery and the distinguished National Rodeo Hall of Fame.
National Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees, along with the Tad Lucas Memorial Award and Ben Johnson Memorial Award honorees, are recognized each fall during Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend, which includes an Induction Ceremony and Champions’ Dinner, Inductee Panel Discussion, Rope ‘N’ Ride Cocktail Reception, live and silent auctions to benefit RHS and other festivities. For reservations, visit nationalcowboymuseum. org/rodeo.
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, the Museum collects, preserves and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum. org. About the Rodeo Historical Society The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Historical Society (RHS) helps preserve and interpret the history of rodeo in the North American West for the education and enrichment of its diverse audiences. RHS membership supports the rodeo programs of the Museum, including the prestigious Rodeo Hall of Fame, an ongoing oral history project and acquisition of collection materials for the American Rodeo Gallery.