2018 PRCA Media Guide - PRCA Awards

The PRCA award honors contract personnel (such as announcers, bullfighters, clowns, specialty acts, secretaries and timers) who have been PRCA members for at least 15 years and have committed their lives to the rodeo industry, yet received little recognition for their commitment and contributions. The nomination process was open; an external selection committee chose five finalists, and PRCA contract personnel members voted among those five. The posthumous recipient of the inaugural Contract Personnel Lifetime Achievement Award was long-time PRCA secretary Donita Barnes, wife of ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee and PRCA stock contractor Bob Barnes, and mentor to thousands of contestants and others involved with Barnes rodeos. The PRCA renamed the award in her honor in 2012. The 2017 recipients of the Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award were Jim and Julie Sutton, who run a six-generation family operation, Sutton Rodeo, based in Onida, S.D. “We’ve been doing this since we got married – it has been a long time – but it’s been a great adventure,” Julie Sutton said. “I was completely surprised when I found out we received this honor, and it is very exciting.” Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award

Recipients of the Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award are: 2011 Donita Barnes 2012 Art and Linda Alsbaugh 2013 Fred and Norma Dorenkamp 2014 Quail Dobbs 2015 Cotton Rosser 2016 Karen Vold 2017 Jim and Julie Sutton

The history of the Suttons’ being involved in the rodeo business traces back to 1926, when Edwin Sutton, Jim’s grandfather, began producing rodeos on the home ranch in Sully County, S.D. Jim and Julie have been married for 64 years and took the company to the next level with a focus on production and innovation. Jim began the Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo in 1978, a rodeo nominated 15 times for PRCA“Indoor Rodeo of the Year,”winning the award in 2002 and 2003.“This is terrific to be recognized for an award like this at this stage of the game,”Jim Sutton said.“The best part of the whole thing is our entire family is involved in our farming and ranch operation.”Sutton Rodeo has received three PRCA Horse of the Year awards; its stock has been selected to perform at 57 of the 59 National Finals Rodeos.

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Greg Westfall

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PRORODEO AWARDS