Hadley Barrett (1929) Rodeo Announcer
PRCA Announcer of the Year: 1983, 1985, 1989 and 2002. He worked four National Finals Rodeos: 1968, 1976, 1979 and 1983, the 1967 National Finals Steer Roping, and the Canadian National Finals seven times. He has been an NFR television announcer since 1980.

Lane Frost (1963-1989) Bull Riding
Oklahoma Youth Rodeo Association bull riding champion in 1980, 1981, and 1982; and the 1982 National High School bull riding champion. At age 19 he turned professional, finishing his rookie 16th in the world standings. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo five consecutive years, 1984-1988. In 1985, Frost finished third in the world standings riding eight out of 10 bulls. In 1986, he placed third, riding nine out of 10 bulls. At the 1987 NFR he rode eight out of 10 bulls and earned the world champion bull riding title. Frost’s match rides on the famous Red Rock are legendary.

Don Gay (1953) Bull Riding
Turning professional after high school graduation in 1972, Gay quickly made a name for himself when he qualified to compete in that year’s National Finals Rodeo. In 1973, he was runner-up to the world champion and in 1974 he earned his first world championship. He qualified for the NFR 13 times in bull riding (11 consecutive years) 1972-1982, and 1984-1985. He went on to win a total of eight world bull riding titles 1974-1977, 1979-1981 and 1984. He broke the PRCA’s single-season earning record eight consecutive years, 1974-1981.

Chuck Parkison (1918-1988) Rodeo Announcer
Chuck Parkinson started his rodeo career as a bareback rider, bull rider and occasional chute boss. His announcing career began in 1947 at the Los Angeles, California rodeo when the regular announcer failed to show. He was known as the voice of Cheyenne Frontier Days for 26 years. He announced the Houston Rodeo for 24 years; Gladewater, Texas, for 36 years; and the National Finals Rodeo six times; 1967, 1968, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981.

Charles Sampson (1957) Bull Riding
After attending Central Arizona State College on a rodeo scholarship, Sampson turned professional picking up his first earnings as a bull rider in El Cajon, California. In a career plagued with injury, Sampson’s competitive spirit and tenacity placed him fourth in the 1981 standings. In 1982, he earned top honors as the world champion bull rider becoming the first African American to win the title.

Claire Belcher Thompson (1902-1971) Women’s Bulldogging, Bronc Riding, Trick Riding
Born Gladys Emmons in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Claire Belcher Thompson was taught to bulldog steers and by 1925, she was working for the 101 Wild West Show, competing in rodeos and appearing as a contract performer. She won the 1934 ladies’ bronc riding at Tex Austin’s Rodeo in London, England. At 58, she returned to competition and in 1952, won the bronc riding at the San Antonio All Girl Rodeo. Thompson was an international star and a dynamic competitor and performer.

C.E. “Feek” Tooke (1909-1968) Stock Contractor
In the early 1940s, Tooke began producing rodeos and laying the groundwork for his breeding program. Tooke is known for his unparalleled success in pioneering the “born to buck” breeding program. Tooke-bred horses have been recognized as the top bucking stock since the 1940s. Thirteen bucking horses from the “born to buck” program have claimed 23 bucking horse of the year titles. The breeding program has produced more than 6,000 rodeo broncs and the bloodlines have passed to every top stock producer in North America.

Marty Wood (1933) Saddle Bronc Riding
A native of Bowness, Alberta, Canada, Marty Wood’s first love was baseball, but an early shoulder injury took a career in baseball out of the picture. At age 20, he turned professional and hit the rodeo trail, competing in saddle bronc riding, winning at every major rodeo in the United States and Canada. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 14 times. He won three world champion saddle bronc titles in 1958, 1964 and 1966, was named RCA saddle bronc runner-up four times and won the Canadian saddle bronc championship three times. In 1974, he was saddle bronc riding’s biggest money winner.

George Williams (1932)
With a varied background from rodeo contestant to cartoonist for the Rodeo Sports News, George Williams is definitely an all-around rodeo man. At age 14, he started entering amateur rodeos ending up with a broken arm and leg before he turned 15. He purchased his RCA card in 1949 and started rodeoing full time by age 16. He traveled the world as a competitor, winning numerous titles along the way. Williams was instrumental in the establishment of the Rodeo Historical Society, serving as editor of The Wild Bunch predesscor to today’s RHS magazine, The Ketchpen. During his career he judged the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, served two terms as a PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding Director and was the editor of Rodeo Sports News in 1965-1966.

Shirley Lucas Jauregui (1924)
Learning to ride while exercising horses for a local stable, Shirley Jauregui developed a great desire to participate in rodeo. Working for an oil company in Oklahoma following high school, Shirley and her sister Sharon watched in awe of Tad Lucas (no relation) and Vivian White trick riding at a local rodeo. They made their decision, the sisters wanted to trick ride. Her riding ability, devotion to rodeo and wholesome lifestyle warranted recognition from Blue Bell Wrangler, Resistol Hats, Collier’s magazine and many more. She was featured at the top rodeos throughout the country, taking time for a benefit performance, a visit to a children’s or veterans hospital, as well as many other causes. Jauregui became a highly regarded Hollywood stunt double and her unwavering support for agriculture and youth has been recognized with numerous honors. She was an ambassador the sport of rodeo, a role model for many young riders and has lived her life truly as a Western woman.

Billy Minick (1939)
After a high school rodeo career that included Texas High School bull riding and all-around championships, Billy Minick received his RCA card in 1959 and that year worked as a score keeper at the first National Finals in Dallas, Texas. He competed in bareback and bull riding in the RCA and was a member of the McNeese State College Rodeo Team. In 1966, he qualified for the National Finals in bull riding. In 1968, he purchased the legendary Harry Knight Rodeo Company producing such rodeos as Fort Worth, San Antonio, San Angelo, Houston, Cheyenne, Fort Madison and many others. Minick had four horses named NFR Horse of the Year including Streamer and Payload and three bulls named Bull of the Year: V61; Tiger; and Mr. Bubbles. Minick promotes western heritage and rodeo on a daily basis. He is the CEO of Billy Bob’s Texas and the Executive Director of the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, which operates the Stockyard Championship Rodeo. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show; The Armed Forces Bowl; Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame; and the Stockyards Business Association. He is a founding member of the Bustin’ Diabetes Rodeo and adviser for Roundup for Autism. He is involved in many other charitable events including Speedway Children’s Charity; Women’s Safe Haven; Lena Pope Home; March of Dimes; Fort Worth Police Mounted Patrol and Boy Scouts Longhorn Council. He and his wife, Pam, currently are organizing a fundraiser for M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Hospital, where his son is being treated.

The Ben Johnson and Tad Lucas Memorial Awards are chosen by committees independent of the Rodeo Historical Society’s Board of Directors.