Seconds Suspended in Time: Preserving Rodeo History

Four seconds. Eight seconds. Thirteen seconds. Depending on the event, the winning time varies, but there’s no denying that the rodeo world offers glory in small seconds. There is no hour-long display of athleticism from horse and rider. Instead, all the hours of training and practicing culminate in a few short seconds on a grand stage within the rodeo arena.

    From local open rodeos to big-name events sanctioned by national organizations like the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association, rodeo is a sport that holds thousands of moments that feel too fleeting to be real and yet are so powerful they have lived on for generations in the lore and stories of the local communities that raised these heroes.

These are the stories that families, friends, and admirers tell as they sit around tables and saddle horses.

   But after the horses are out to pasture, the belt buckles are placed on a shelf, and the truck is parked back by the barn, where do these moments live?

     These moments are gently held at the central destination for all things rodeo: the Rodeo Historical Society. This membership organization is supported by the famed National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is dedicated to preserving the heritage of rodeo. The Society leads oral history projects, maintains photographs and records, supports the museum and develops exhibits, oversees the Rodeo Hall of Fame, and hosts several events throughout the year including the Champions’ Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, at which time they present the annual Ben Johnson Memorial Award and Tad Lucas Memorial Award. At the 2025 banquet, the Tad Lucas Memorial Award was presented to breakaway roper Lari Dee Guy and the Ben Johnson Memorial Award presented to Mike “Hud” Hudson. Also recognized were eight new inductees to the National Rodeo Hall of Fame (Chad Berger, Larry Allen Clayman, Joel Edmondson, Monty “HP” Evetts, Neal Gay, Bobby Godspeed, Charlie Throckmorton,  and Wiley McCray. Lastly, Jon Taylor was given the 2025 Directors’ Choice Award.

    While many members flock to Oklahoma City for that special weekend, the majority of members are spread far and wide across the nation, so the society’s advisory board keeps everyone in the loop with the mailing of their internal publication known as The Ketchpen. The stories in The Ketchpen demonstrate the balance that the society strives for between history and modern news updates on the rodeo world. Not only are words and photos being preserved to tell stories, but they also maintain a wide variety of artifacts that are on display in the museum. Their passion for preserving culture is apparent in their treatment of the intricate details about each person or animal they honor. They work especially hard to ensure the voices of women, Native Americans, and minority cowboys are included as well. 

    Although the Rodeo Historical Society has been around since 1955, and yet it remains a subtle presence on the scene. It’s the secret everyone hopes exists, but nobody thinks too much about until they look back and try to learn about that larger-than-life cowboy or cowgirl. Then, the Society is the one who shows them, even if it was many years ago, the stories from the rodeos are still alive and well.