Honorees

Joe Leathers is the general manager of the legendary 6666 Ranch and one of the most respected ranch leaders in the West.

Jim Jennings has spent a lifetime telling the stories of the American cowboy.

A lifelong cowboy and visionary entrepreneur, David Isham is the founder of National Roper’s Supply (NRS), one of the largest and most respected brands in the Western and rodeo world.

Pete Carr stands at the pinnacle of professional rodeo, renowned for his world-class livestock and unwavering commitment to the sport.

Neal McCoy is a Texas-born country music legend whose energy, charisma, and patriotism have made him one of the most beloved entertainers in America.

Russell Irvin deCordova of Paris, Texas, was a champion bull rider, successful cattleman, and respected industry leader.

Josh Edwards, Award Winning Pro Rodeo Pick Up Man.

Jo Ellard grew up in a small town in Mississippi, the oldest of identical twins, both were born with a love of horses and a drive to...

Billy Klapper left a lasting legacy in Western craftsmanship, cowboy culture, and the equine industry.

As a unique and accomplished couple, Byron and Mary are among only four married in the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.

R.W. Hampton’s journey as a Western entertainer is rooted in a lifetime of cowboy experiences and unwavering dedication to his craft.

2024 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee Tomas Garcilazo.

2024 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee Skeeter Hagler.

2024 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Scott III.

2024 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Spirit of Texas Inductee Ray Benson.

2024 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee Fallon Taylor.

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is a volunteer organization that emphasizes Agriculture and Education to develop the Youth of Texas.

Cleo Hearn - Founder, Cowboys of Color Rodeo Tour and Former Zone Manager Ford Motor Company.

Country music legend Moe Bandy has come a long way from his bull riding days in Texas.

Boots O'Neal has spent more than 75 years in the saddle working for some of the largest ranches in West Texas.

In 2023, the world-renowned Texas Rangers, will mark their 200th anniversary of service to the great state of Texas.

Ranchers Induction Year: 2022 Founded: 1887 Midland, Texas Primary Discipline: Ranching Profession / Role: Multi-Generational Ranching Operation Primary Skills: Cattle Breeding, Land Stewardship, Genetic Improvement Known For: Building one of the largest ranching operations in Texas and Southeast New Mexico. Developing high-quality Hereford and Angus cattle and pioneering a ranch-to-retail beef model through Midland Meat Company. Early Life and Background The Scharbauer

Musician / Songwriter & Rodeo Induction Year: 2022 Born: May 21, 1987, Sebastopol, Texas Primary Discipline: Entertainment / Rodeo Profession / Role: Country Musician, Songwriter, Former Bull Rider Primary Skills: Songwriting, Live performance, Rodeo competition (bull riding) Known For: Platinum-recording country artist whose music reflects rodeo and Western values Transition from competitive bull riding to a nationally recognized music career. Early Life and Background

Businessman Wilson Franklin was born in San Angelo, Texas on July 29, 1952 to Joyce Leddy Franklin and Jim Franklin. Growing up in a retail family, he was encouraged to not only do well in school, but as time permitted, accompany his father to work at the family business, M.L. Leddy's in San Angelo. Considering this started for Wilson around age five, he had a unique opportunity to truly grow up in the business. This early in-house training equipped him with the skills and co

Cowgirl Born in the suburbs of St. Louis, Patti Colbert’s connection to the western lifestyle came through watching Roy and Dale,...

Rodeo Announcer Induction Year: 2022 Birth – Death Born November 5, 1929 – Nocona, Texas Died January 21, 2023 Primary Discipline: Rodeo Announcer Profession / Role: Professional Rodeo Announcer, Historian, Author, Educator Primary Skills: Rodeo Announcing, Public Speaking, History, Western Music Scholarship Known For: 50-year rodeo announcing career, Grammy Award winner, author of San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music of Bob Wills, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee Ear

Horseman In the Quarter Horse racing world, Bobby Cox is a household name. The Fort Worth, Texas, resident has been running—and...

Businessman & Rodeo Competitor Induction Year: 2021 Birth – Death: Born: June 1, 1945, Weiser, Idaho Died: September 4, 2019, Fort Worth, TX Primary Discipline: Business and Rodeo Profession / Role: Businessman; Rodeo Competitor; Western Industry Leader Primary Skills: Rodeo Competition; Sales and Marketing; Western Hat Manufacturing; Brand Leadership Known For: Founding The Best Hat Store and saving the American Hat Company earning the nickname “The Hat King” through in

Horseman & Western Television Producer Induction Year: 2021 Born: July 17, 1969, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Primary Discipline: Entertainment Profession / Role: Western Television Producer, Screenwriter, Director, and Horseman Primary Skills: Screenwriting and Television ProductionWestern StorytellingPerformance Horse Industry Promotion Known For: Co-creator of the television series Yellowstone and producer of Western-themed programming highlighting ranching and perfor

Entertainer - Spirit of Texas Award Induction Year: 2021 Born – Death March 6, 1905, Near Kosse, Limestone County, Texas May 13, 1975, Fort Worth, Texas Primary Discipline: Entertainment Profession / Role: Bandleader, Fiddler, Singer, Songwriter Primary Skills: Fiddle performance, band leadership, musical arrangement Known For: Founder of the Texas Playboys and principal architect of Western swing music. Early Life and Background James Robert “Bob” Wills was born March 6

Entrepreneur & Horseman Induction Year: 2021 Birth – Death: Born October 31, 1957, Ontario, Canada Died September 5, 2025, Hico, Texas Primary Discipline: Rodeo Profession / Role: Horseman, Specialty Act Performer, and Founder of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Primary Skills: Mustang Training; Specialty Act Performance; Horsemanship Known For: Founding the Texas Cowboy Hall of FameAward-winning specialty acts featuring trained mustangs Early Life and Background Robert Dav

Calf Roping & Miss Rodeo America Induction Year: 2021 Stran Smith Born: July 14, 1970 Ranching & Rodeo Family Background Primary Discipline: Rodeo Profession / Role: Professional Calf Roper Primary Skills: Tie-Down/Calf Roping, National Finals Rodeo Competitor, Horsemanship Known For: 2008 PRCA World Champion Tie-Down Roper, Eleven-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, Three-time Texas Circuit Champion, Resilience and overcoming severe injuries, including strok

Kit and Charlie Moncrief are dedicated servants to the community of Fort Worth and their philanthropy to education, the arts and...

Lari Dee Guy is an eight-time Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) World Champion with more than $1.5 million in career...

What started out as a family business in a one room, dirt floor shop in the backyard has become one of the largest farm, ranch and rodeo...

To say that R.H. Steve Stevens, Jr., former Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Chairman of the Board and American Quarter Horse Association...

Musician - Spirit of Texas Induction Year: 2020 Born: August 20, 1977, Amarillo, Texas, Primary Discipline: Entertainment Profession / Role: Singer-Songwriter, Musician Primary Skills: Songwriting, Performance, Touring Known For: Independent country music career; multiple chart-topping albums and international touring Early Life and Background Aaron Watson was born on August 20, 1977, in Amarillo, Texas. Growing up in the Texas Panhandle, he was immersed in the culture a

"The road goes on forever ..." It's not always easy to sum up a career - let alone a life's ambition - so succinctly, but those five words from Robert Earl Keen's calling-card anthem just about do it. You can complete the lyric ("and the party never ends!") - just to punctuate the point with a flourish, but it's the part about the journey that gets right to the heart of what makes Keen tick. Some people take up a life of playing music with the goal of someday reaching a desti

Richard King, along with his indispensable Kineños, tamed the land and revolutionized the ranching business. By the time of his death in...

The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, known commonly as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, is the oldest continuously running...

Dr. Glenn Blodgett began working for the Burnett Ranches which includes the famed 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas in 1982, and under his...

Induction Year: 2019 Founders: James Robert Cavender (1931–2018) & Patricia “Pat” Cavender (1932-2019) Headquarters: Tyler, Texas Industry: Western Wear Retail Primary Role: Entrepreneurs, Business Owners Known For: Founding and expanding Cavender’s Western Wear to over 130 stores across 19 states; preserving Texas culture; family-run business model Early Life of James Cavender James Robert Cavender was born in 1931 in Idabel, Oklahoma. Raised during the post-Depression

Western Artist – 2018 RSSoT recipient Bruce Greene is one of the legitimate heirs to a cowboy kind of legacy that traces its beginnings...

Entrepreneurs In 1982 the Luskeys merged with Ryon’s Saddle Shop to create Luskey’s-Ryon’s Western Wear, a two-story building that the...

3X PBR World Champion Bull Rider Adriano began his bull riding career at small rodeos in Brazil winning two national titles in that...

Cattle Rancher, Santa Rosa Ranches The Sullivan Family from Galveston, Texas has been in the beef cattle industry for over 100 years. Cattle were grazed in salt grass pastures along the Coastal Bend of Texas and then loaded onto cattle boats at the Port of Galveston, bound for Caribbean nations such as Haiti and Cuba. Their commercial operation was the predecessor for the Gerald and Susanne Sullivan Family, who established Santa Rosa Ranch in 2003 when they purchased the for

Cutting horse trainers & ranchers. John Carter is a National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall Of Fame member and the father of two...

Singer Songwriter and philanthropist – 2017 RSSoT Induction Year: 2017 Birth: April 5, 1972, San Antonio, Texas Primary Discipline: Entertainment Profession / Role: Singer-Songwriter and Philanthropist Primary Skills: Songwriting, live performance, music production Known For: Leading figure in modern Texas country music; Grammy-nominated artist with more than two million albums sold and significant philanthropic work in Texas communities Early Life and Background Pat Gr

Equine professor, trainer, and current AQHA Vice President With a doctorate in Animal Behavior from Texas Tech University, Dr. Heird has a wealth of experience in the equine industry and academics. He has trained champion horses and horse handlers, and spent many years judging and working with the AQHA. He started the Equine Initiative in 2009 at Texas A&M University and was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2017.

NFR qualifier and former General Manager of HatCo – makers of Resistol, Stetson & Charlie 1 Horse. Induction Year: 2017 Born: Mesquite, Texas Primary Discipline: Rodeo Profession / Role: Professional Bull Rider; Western Industry Executive Primary Skills: Bull Riding; Western Brand Leadership Known For: Four-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier; longtime General Manager of HatCo, maker of Resistol, Stetson, and Charlie 1 Horse hats. Early Life and Background Ricky B