ProRodeo Hall of Fame announces 2024 inductees

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Kaycee Feild, who set the gold standard for PRCA bareback riders, winning an event record six PRCA World Championships, headlines the 2024 ProRodeo Hall of Fame class announced on Monday.

Feild, who won PRCA World Championships in (2011-14, 2020-21), is joined in the class by contestants – team roper Art Arnold, a 1968 RCA World Champion; bull rider, the late Blue Stone, a PRCA World Champion in 2001 and 2002; stock contractor Sammy Andrews; bullfighter Darrell Diefenbach, who was selected to work the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 12 times (2001-12), notable J.D. Yates, who made the NFR as a team roping header and heeler; standout bull Mr. T of Burns Rodeo Company (1986 PRCA Bull of the Year, and Bull of the NFR in 1986 and 1989); the rodeo committee from the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort, Madison, Iowa; and barrel racers Marlene (Eddleman) McRae, the 1983 WPRA World Champion and Jeana Day, the 1974 WPRA World Champion.

The 2024 Ken Stemler Pioneer Award, which recognizes those who have provided groundbreaking, innovative ideas and forward thinking that help the development, advancement, and success of the PRCA and or the Hall of Fame and their missions is being awarded to Bob Feist, who was a contestant, announcer at the 1979 National Finals Steer Roping and 1980 National Finals Rodeo and founder of the immensely popular Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping.

They will be enshrined July 13 during ceremonies at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I’m kind of surprised this came so fast,” said Feild, who retired following the 2023 PRCA regular season. “What an amazing honor. I think of my display next to my late father Lewis Feild (a ProRodeo Hall of Famer), a guy who was my hero. To look back on my career and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame it is goal you don’t really have control of, but at the same time if you accomplish your goals, you can cross that goal off someday. This is a big win for me.”

Feild obtained his PRCA card in 2007 and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 13 times – (2008-15, 2018-22) tied for fifth most ever for bareback riders. The Genola, Utah, cowboy won the average four times in 2011-14.

Lewis, a five-time PRCA World Champion in the all-around 1987-89; and bareback riding 1985 and ’86, and Kaycee are believed to be the first father-son duo to be inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame as contestants.

Kaycee also has a bareback riding record 29 NFR round wins.

“I was blessed with a durable body and blessed with my dad as long as I had him (before he passed),” Feild said. “My resiliency, grit, determination all those things played into what I did. I’m kind of at a loss for words because I’m so surprised. I thought I would have five or six years to prepare for this speech.”

Arnold, who competed at the NFR in (1959-63 and 1965-68 and 1970) – all as a header except for 1962 – was thrilled to get the call from the Hall.

“This means a lot because there are not a lot of people who get to be (inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame),” said Arnold, who was a reserve world champion in 1967. “It took a lot of practice and trying to perfect techniques and just watching guys and learning from guys who did it well.”

Stone, who passed away March 13, 2022, at the age of 43, earned his first world championship by earning $174,772 to edge Cody Hancock by less than $10,000. He followed that up in 2002 by earning $157,707 and defeated Myron Duarte by less than $9,000.

Those were the only two appearances Stone made at the NFR. Stone was the first cowboy to win back-to-back PRCA Bull Riding World Championships since Don Gay won three world titles in a row from 1979-81.

Stone shares the NFR Round 1 bull riding record with Gay. Gay had a 94-point ride in 1974 and Stone equaled that score in 2001 on Gilbert Diamond G Rodeos’ Mr. Skoal’s USA.

Stone also won the NFR average in 2001 and 2002. In his two NFR appearances, Stone rode 14 of his bulls and earned a combined $205,851 – $112,322 in 2001 and $93,529 in 2002.

“This is one thing that I know he always wanted to have done and it’s a huge honor,” said Chris Willard, Stone’s cousin. “I just wish he was here for it. His try and will is what really set him apart. He never quit, not until his head hit the ground. He was always going at ’em.”

Andrews is a third-generation stock contractor. The late B.D. Andrews sold his rodeo company to Elra Beutler & Sons when Sammy was a teen-ager. Sammy formed Andrews Rodeo Company in 1980.

Andrews has had countless great bulls over the years – and horses for that matter – but he’s best known for his ProRodeo Hall of Fame bull Bodacious.

“I’m kind of at a loss for words right now, rodeo is all we’ve ever done. I started out as a youngster, and this is all I ever wanted to do,” Andrews said. “The good Lord blessed me and allowed me to keep doing it. So, with this honor it feels like you’ve finally done something right in your career and somebody out there recognized that.”

In addition to the big stage of the NFR, Diefenbach, a native Australian, also worked the National Circuit Finals Rodeo, the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Finals, and several marquee rodeos including Houston and Tucson (Ariz.).

“A person can hope that if you put in dedication and enough hard work that hopefully it pays off someday. This proves that” Diefenbach said. “I just remember being a 17-year-old kid in Australia getting up every day and going to work. I had my list of goals in my bedroom at home and they were each small steps, one at a time. I had the goal to the make the NFR and I got that done at 27. Then my very last goal was to get put in the Hall of Fame. Now, here we are.”

J.D. Yates competed at the NFR in team roping from (1975-1993, 1996 and 2002). He also qualified for the NFSR in 1988-89, 1991, 1994, 1996-98, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010. He is also the youngest contestant to qualify for the NFR at 15 years, four months in 1975.

“When I started rodeoing, I didn’t wake up that morning and say, ‘I wanted to have a Hall of Fame of career,” Yates said. “I was blessed to do what I got to do. Anybody that says it isn’t a dream come true to get into that (ProRodeo Hall of Fame) are not telling the truth. For me to be put in with the people who are in there is an amazing honor.”

In 1984, J.D. was a part of the only father-son-daughter trio compete at the NFR in the same year. His dad, Dick also qualified in team roping, while his sister Kelly qualified in barrel racing.

Mr. T was a rank bull that left his mark in the PRCA by bucking off his share of ProRodeo Hall of Famers, including Jim Sharp in Round 10 of the 1989 NFR, propelling TuffHedeman to a PRCA World Championship.

“Having Mr. T brought us from just being a small Wyoming outfit to being a small Wyoming outfit with a famous bull,” laughed Hal Burns, the owner of Mr. T. “He was just extremely athletic. He went to the NFR six years in a row, and it takes a special type of bull to have that sort of longevity in the sport of rodeo.”

On the rodeo committee side, this honor for Fort Madison means a lot.

“For a city of just over 10,000 people we draw a crowd from across the Midwest and the country for that matter. We are awfully proud of that,” said Chuck Kempker, the President of the Board of Directors at the Tri-State Rodeo. “The volunteers, the sponsors and the community of Fort Madison are a huge asset to our rodeo every single year. We wouldn’t have this honor without them.”

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame started inducting WPRA members in 2017, and McRae and Day are thrilled to join that elite group.

“It was great to hear it from Jimmie (Munroe), that was outstanding in itself,” stated McRae about receiving the call on her induction from WPRA President Jimmie Munroe. “This is a dream come true. Rodeo has made so many of my dreams come true and I would have to say this tops the cake. This was probably the final dream that I have dreamed of for my rodeo career. Being from Colorado, I am really glad WPRA members are now part of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. It means a lot to me because I have been around the Hall the majority of my life. I wish both my parents were still alive to see it, but they will see it happen from heaven.”

Day echoed McRae.

“I was just blown away when I got the news from Jimmie (Munroe),” stated Day upon learning of her induction. “I was overwhelmed and speechless and for those that know me it takes a lot for me to be speechless. I feel so honored and blessed to be receiving this news today. I am just all smiles.”

Feist, who is renowned in rodeo circles, is thrilled to get the prestigious Ken Stemler Pioneer Award.

“What an honor, my goodness, I will have to get myself together here,” Feist. “This means a lot.”

Western Art

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame’s latest exhibit in the 101 Gallery opens October 11^th. It features various pieces of western art from the Hall’s permanent collections. The exhibit was spurred by an acquisition of four watercolor paintings by local artist Jo Gaston. These four pieces are close-up studies of saddles and bridles painted using layers of colors to create the warmth and depth of tooled leather. These paintings appear with artwork from the Artist and the Bucking Horse Collection. This collection came to the Hall in 1983 and features many different studies of the bucking horse in action. Bronze statues from J.P. Kelley, Edd Hayes, and Fredric Remington also appear in the exhibit. The exhibition will remain on display through the Spring of 2024.