2008
Wayne Vold – Contestant Inducted 2008
Wayne Vold
As a son of the legendary Harry Vold, Wayne Vold didn’t take long to begin his own journey into the spotlight and a similar highly regarded place in rodeo’s history books.
At 13 years, his first title came at the Calgary Stampede in the boys steer-riding event. Two years later he was a Canadian Champion in the novice saddle bronc. At 22 and 23 Vold would earn back-to-back Canadian Saddle Bronc Riding Championships.
Shortly after the Saddle Bronc titles, Wayne launched the Wayne Vold Rodeo Co., which has gone on to win nearly every major stock contracting championship in North America. Vold’s All-star team has included the likes of Try Me, American Express, Hagar, Rambo, Sugar Ray, Awesome, Pedro, True Grit, Mucho Dinero and Cooper’s Comet. Several of these animals are recognized in the Hall of Fame, themselves.
Wayne picked up for 25 years at stops such as the Calgary Stampede, Pendleton Round Up, Ponoka, and 11 times (the record at one time) at the Canadian Finals Rodeo, and twice at the National Finals Rodeo.
The nationally syndicated Wayne Vold Show aired for three years on CTV featuring musical talent from around the world, all during Vold’s illustrious stock contracting career.
Today, Vold hangs his hat west of High River, AB. Working with nephew and bull man Nansen Vold, Wayne Vold Rodeo provides stock for and produces a number of Canada’s top rodeos from Grande Prairie and Wainwright, AB to Morris, MB and the Ponoka Stampede. Vold can also be found each December at the NFR proudly singing the National anthem on Canadian night.
Wayne is quoted recently as saying “The success of my rodeos is summed up in these simple words: Organization and Team Vold”.
Ellis Lewis – Contestant Inducted - 2008
Ellis Lewis
Born in 1929 in British Columbia, “Ellie” grew up to win the Canadian Saddle Bronc Championship in 1953. Four years later in 1957, he was crowned Canadian Champion Bareback Rider.
He was an all-round cowboy, and he won that title, Canadian All-Around Champion in 1959. Lewis won many bareback and saddle bronc titles on both sides of the border, and in 1960 and 1961 he qualified for the World Championship as well.
Ellis moved to the US in 1962 and retired from rodeo in 1983 at the age of 54.
Blue Bill – Animal Inducted 2008
Blue Bill
Jerry Meyers got Blue Bill form Bill Gommersall of May Berry, Sask. In the late 1940’s trading a Gene Autry silver mounted saddle for a load of five or six horses. Bill had broke Blue Bill and used him as his saddle horse, but the day Jerry showed up he watched as Blue Bill exploded, and insisted he be part of the load.
Jerry sent the horses down to Harry Knight in the US in the early 1950’s. Blue Bill bucked at many great rodeos in Saskatchewan and the US, with the likes of Dwayne Howard, the Terrier brothers, Dick Nash and Johnny Sinclair trying to stay aboard.
The first Canadian to make a qualified ride on Blue Bill was Winston Bruce.
Jerry Sinclair - Contestant
Inducted - 2008
Jerry Sinclair
Jerry Sinclair made 1970 a year for the history books in the world of rodeo. That year he was the North American Saddle Bronc Champion at Calgary Stampede, Rookie of the Year, and the Canadian Champion Saddle Bronc rider. No other cowboy has won those awards all in one year! And currently, that record still stands.
He went on to qualify for the CFR in 1974, 1981 and 1982 and the Calgary Stampede in 11 out of 13 years he competed. Sinclair served on the CPRA Board as Saddle Bronc director in 1983 and 1984. Jerry has judged rodeos, worked as a pick-up man, flanked, and hauled stock from BC to PEI.
After retiring from the rodeo arena, Jerry sat on the Board of the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame for many years. Sadly, after a battle with Cancer, Jerry passed away on April 28, 2020.
Lawrence Hutchison – Contestant Inducted - 2008
Lawrence Hutchison
This Cremona, Alberta bull rider was born in 1938.
Lawrence Hutchison is one of the youngest Canadians to win a championship at the age of 17. In 1957 he won the Canadian Bull Riding Championship and won it again in 1962.
He placed in the top ten at the NFR in 1963 and 1966 and was a four time circuit champion in the central and southern Alberta circuits.
In 1963, Hutchinson won $2,500.00 at the Denver Rodeo, one of Lawrence’s highlights in his rodeo career.
Verne Franklin - Builder - Inducted 2008
Verne Franklin
Verne Franklin was born in 1931 at Marwayne Alberta and passed away in 1999 at the age of 68. V
erne competed in rodeo events at the amateur level, entering into the pro rodeo arena as a stock contractor in 1968 at the rodeo in Meadow Lake, Sask. In 1974 he earned his pro card and had 19 head of stock qualify for the first CFR.
His stock earned top stock awards as far back as 1974 with great bareback horses like Transport, Air Wolf, Blue Ridge, and bulls Wilfred and Charles Manson, and an unmatched six awards for Kingsway Skoal. He was awarded the CPRA Bucking Stock of the Year 15 times.
Dale Johansen - Contestant
Inducted - 2008
Dale Johansen
Dale is from Strathmore, Alberta. In 1977 he was the Alberta High School champion bull rider and turned pro in 1980.
Some of Dale’s career highlights include winning the Calgary Stampede’s bull riding in 1982, qualifying for the NFR In 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987. He was the back-to-back Canadian Champion Bull Rider in 1983 and 1984.
Retiring in 1988, Johansen has continued to hold bull riding and steer riding schools.
Pete Bruised Head - Legend, Inducted 2008
Pete Bruised Head
Pete fits the profile of a Legend better than anyone in the history of rodeo! Pete competed in the arena in the Bareback, Saddle Bronc, Bull Riding, Steer Wrestling and Calf Roping events, and at the age of 72 in 2008, he is still competing in the Senior Pro Circuit and the Indian Rodeo's in the Team Roping and Breakaway Roping events, both in Canada and the United States. Pete is billed as the most versatile cowboy in rodeo, and when his competitive days in the 5 major events in the CPRA rodeos were over, he joined up with other notable cowboys to work the Wild Horse Race and Wild Cow Milking events. He has also worked behind the chutes with various clown acts (remember Buddy Heaton?) and with many of the Rodeo Contractors. Pete has helped many a young cowboy get started on the road of competition and truly loves the sport of Rodeo. Pete and his wife Margaret divided their time between their home in Standoff, Alberta and Montana, until Pete’s passing.
Albert Laye - Legend, Inducted 2008
Albert Laye
Albert started in the amateur ranks in 1943 and turned pro in 1946. Albert was always in the top five of Canada in the Bull Riding, Steer Riding and the All Round standings from 1949 to 1951. He was a real hand in the Bareback event, winning many rodeo's in that event. In 1952, while competing at the Stony Plain Rodeo, a bareback horse reared over backwards, pinning Albert and breaking the young cowboy's leg. He gave up the riding event and turned to the timed events, calf roping and steer wrestling where he showed up in the standings until his retirement from the arena. Albert ranched with his family in the Consort, Alberta area until his passing on December 4, 2016 at the age of 91.
Dale Rose - Legend, Inducted 2008
Dale Rose
Dale, better known to the rodeo world as "Hoot", is a Legend in more ways than one. Dale competed in the unusual combination of Bull Riding and Calf Roping. He entered his first rodeo in Medicine Hat in 1955, turning pro in 1961. Dale competed at the first CFR, won the Guy Weadick Award in Calgary, and scored the highest marked ride on the Hall of Fame bull Stubby, all in 1974. "Hoot" got his nickname from wearing a hat shaped like the western movie star Hoot Gibson. Dale always wore a dress shirt and tie, and smoked a cigar while bull riding, saying that he wanted to add a bit of color to an otherwise frightening event. (The judges would give him an extra point if he was still puffing on the cigar at the end of the ride). "Hoot" will always be remembered as a great bull rider and one of rodeo's most colorful and entertaining cowboys. He always thought that the only thing better than a little humor was a "lot" of humor. Dale passed away in 2005.