2007
Alex Laye - Contestant Inducted - 2007
Alex Laye
Alex Laye at one time or another worked every event in rodeo. He was the 1964 Canadian Steer Wrestling Champion and is known for his calm demeanour and talent for making music.
Alex claimed three Canadian Cow Milking Championships, and finished in the top three in the Canadian All Round on four occasions. He was fourth in the Bull and Steer Riding standings in 1953 and a top five finisher in the calf roping six times.
Alex lives in Consort and is Life Member of the CPRA.
Norman and Shirley Edge - Builders Inducted - 2007
Norman & Shirley Edge
This is the first “couple” inducted into the Hall of Fame together. Norman and Shirley were inducted as “Builders”.
Norman and Shirley were married in 1955 and have contributed to the sport of rodeo and the western way of life ever since. Dogpound Alberta was the starting point for Norman’s rodeo career. He rode steers at the rodeo at age 15, graduating to saddle bronc, bareback and bulls, settling for the bull riding event for the rest of his riding career. Norman continued to judge rodeo’s for a number of years. He served as President of the CPRA for 2 years.
Shirley was the first secretary of the CRHA and served as its President for a couple of years. She spent countless hours getting the Western Heritage Centre up and running. She was a timer at many rodeos and was involved in designing the Central Entry System that rodeo uses today. An accomplished artist, her paintings have been displayed at many galleries, and Shirley has received many awards for her work.
Norman and Shirley have never missed a CFR performance and Shirley looked after many of the CFR banquet and fashion shows for years. The Edges have given their time and energies to the sport of rodeo their whole life and we honor them for it.
Nathan Woldum - Contestant
Inducted - 2007
Nathan Woldum
Nathan was born March 10, 1912 on a farm northwest of Strathmore. Woldum started off as a chuckwagon outrider in 1931. To qualify as an outrider at the Calgary Stampede he had to enter an event, choosing Bareback.
He won the World Title in Bareback in 1933, and is the only Canadian to have won that title to date.
Nate passed away March 21, 1998.
Ken Brower - Contestant Inducted - 2007
Ken Brower
Ken entered his first rodeo at a very young age, competing in all the events. In 1947 Ken was crowned as Canada’s All Round Champion, and finished third in the Saddle Bronc.
Between 1947 and 1960 Ken finished in the top five in the saddle bronc and bareback events a total of five times – 3 times in saddle bronc – twice as a bareback rider.
Although Ken retired from the arena in 1960 he stayed connected to rodeo.
Ken is credited with importing many of the first registered quarter horses in Canada; several of his bloodlines are still used in rodeo today. Ken also traded bucking horses and raised bucking bulls. In 1978, Black Bart was named Canadian Bull of the Year.
Bower married Bernice Gilchrist in 1948 and they had 5 children, all of whom are involved with rodeo. Ken passed away June 17, 1982.
JH Necklace - Animal Inducted - 2007
JH Necklace
Necklace was described as “one of the rankest and consistent bareback horses that Canada and the US has ever seen” and was owned by Harry and Wayne Vold.
Most bucking horses have a number brand on their hip, but not Necklace. She carried the B.C.’s Gang Ranch brand where she was born and spent the first year of her life.
The beautiful mare known by writers and announcers as “The Great Necklace” was named Champion Bareback at the NFR in 1964, the first of four times of achieving that title.
Necklace was never declared the “World Champion”, only because the award never existed until 1974, long after Necklace had retired. She will always be thought of as a “World Champion”, and deservedly so.
Clark Schlosser - Legend, Inducted October 2007
Clark Schlosser
Clark retired from the rodeo arena in 1983 after more than 20 years of competition. He competed in the Steer Wrestling event, Wild Horse Race (Canadian Champion in 1965), Wild Cow Milking (Canadian Champion in 1968) and the Calf Roping, and attended the first CFR in 1974 as a contestant then came back to judge there for 22 years. Clark, better known to his friends on the rodeo circuit as Grumpy, sat on the Judging Commission Board for CFR, and was known for his honesty, integrity and dry sense of humor. Clark accepted his Ranchman’s
Silver Buckle at the Ponoka Stampede for his Legendary Achievements throughout his rodeo career. Sadly Clark passed away January 31, 2024 at the age of 81.
Pat McHugh - Legend, Inducted October 2007
Pat McHugh
Pat turned Pro in 1961 and competed very successfully in the Tie Down Roping event where he was in the top 5 of Canada for a couple of seasons. He was the Canadian Champion 3 times in the Wild Horse Race, and Canadian Champion 7 times in the Wild Cow Milking and the cowboys threatened to rename the Wild Cow Milking event the McHugh Benefit Event. Pat was a master at catching and extracting the milk. He was a great supporter of the All Girls Rodeo Association long after he had retired from competition. Pat’s family accepted his Silver Buckle for his Legendary Achievement Award at the All Girls Rodeo in Claresholm.
Maxine Girletz - Legend, Inducted October 2007
Maxine Girletz
Maxine is the matriarch of the Girletz Rodeo Family. Her husband Wilf got her going on the rodeo trail in 1948 and she has remained involved with the sport ever since. Maxine was very sought after as a timer at the rodeos and retired from that job in 2006. She is a great supporter of her son’s rodeo contracting business as well as following the circuit cheering on her grandchildren as they follow in the footsteps of Grandpa Wilf. Maxine was surrounded by all her family and close friends at the Strathmore Heritage Days Rodeo as she accepted her Ranchmans Silver Buckle as a Legend in Rodeo.