ProRodeo Sports News - March 19, 2021

James Fain photos Above: ProRodeo Hall of Famer Shawn Davis greets the USSR Olympics gymnastics team before the 1987 exhibition rodeo. Below: J.C. Trujillo signs autographs for the visiting Soviet gymnasts.

1987, put together by the PRCA in Cedar City, Utah, as part of the city’s Western Royale Celebration – a three-day event that was the first stop on the GoodWill Tour of America. “I can remember visiting with some of those gymnasts from Russia,” Trujillo said. “They didn’t speak English, but all of themwere in really good shape and looked very dedicated. It was a cool deal. “It’s been so long ago that I can’t remember the details, but we signed autographs and they signed autographs for us, too. They were really impressed and amazed about riding bucking horses and roping off horses.” Trujillo was the 1981 Bareback Riding World Champion and a 12-time qualifier for the National Finals Rodeo (1973-83, 1985). He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1994. “When you think about rodeo, it is a unique and different sport,” Trujillo said. “It’s important, especially for people who are leaders in the rodeo world and winners, to be able to exhibit your sport or show your sport. The time and effort it takes to become a winner in the rodeo business is pretty parallel to any other athlete – gymnast or not. The time, effort and work it takes to be a world champion or in the Top 15 in the world is very comparable to any Olympic sport.” Other contestants at the exhibition rodeo included Lewis Feild, Monty Henson, Charles Sampson, Shayne Mason, Eric Viers and Jerry Jones. PRCA administrators Shawn Davis and Gene Oliver were also in attendance. “It was a really interesting rodeo, and we got to go to their exhibition gymnastics tournament that night,” Trujillo said. “They were all very impressed with ropers and riders and what we do on horseback.” According to an article in the May 13, 1987, edition of ProRodeo Sports News , most of the visiting Soviets said the rodeo was the thing they wanted to see the most. The gymnasts went on to visit Oakland, Calif., and Seattle after Cedar City. “I’ll always remember it,” Trujillo said. “It was pretty unique since I had never seen anything like that with the sport of rodeo, and I was really honored and grateful to be a part of it.”

ProRodeo Sports News 3/19/2021

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