PRORODEO Sports - April 24, 2026 Digital Edition

ed).” Medders took a moment to explain his journey that has led him to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “As a kid growing up in southeast Oklahoma, I went to the NFR ev ery year,” Medders said. “It was the highlight of December, and you know growing up on a ranch, one of the first athletes I wanted to be like was Larry Mahan. I kind of got into the stick and ball sports and became a sportscast er. Then, when I got the chance to go to the NFR in 1991, that was my first actual live television show that I did nationwide, and I just appreciate who those rodeo cowboys are. They are not LeBron James or those guys who are making millions of dollars and have agents. Cowboys treat you like you are one of them. “So, growing up a cowboy and ap preciating that they are the toughest athletes on the planet it was pretty easy for me to get into rodeo and not really want to do any other kind of TV.” BUTCH MYERS : Myers, the 1980 PRCA Steer Wrestling World Champi on and 12-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, passed away July 24, 2024, in Athens, Texas. He was 78. Myers qualified for the NFR in steer wrestling from 1980-87, 1989, 1995 and 1997, and once in tie-down roping in 1989. Myers has quite the rodeo family tree. His late wife, Fanchone, was a barrel racer and former Miss Rodeo Kansas

qualified for the National Finals Steer Roping eight times in 2002, 2005 2009 and 2021-22. “Oh, praise the Lord. I tried to get that done for so long. I’m so grateful. Thank you so much,” Rope said about his father’s ProRodeo Hall of Fame induction. “Dad really did care about legacy and not legacy as in the Hall of Fame. His legacy was the people who he interacted with, that he helped, that he taught, that he coached, that he instructed in their sport, that he rodeoed with, that he lived with. That was the legacy he wanted to leave. And it’s nice then to have something like the Hall of Fame come along behind and recognize that legacy and kind of put a stamp that says that, ‘Hey, you did leave a legacy.’” Butch’s nephew is legendary Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer Ty Murray, and his grandsons are tie-down roper Quade Hiatt, who qualified for the 2024 NFR, and Holden Myers, a top ranked bulldogger. Butch won his first trophy saddle in Little Britches competition at age 11. He was also a champion steer wres tler, calf roper and bareback rider throughout high school and college. Myers obtained a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University in Fort Collins and then obtained a master’s degree in agricultural educa tion from Kansas State University in Manhattan. Myers obtained his PRCA card in 1968, but he couldn’t compete hard,

so he turned in his card. For years, Myers’ priorities were finishing his education, raising a family, while competing in local and open compe tition. Myers returned to the PRCA in 1980 and proceeded to win the world title with $44,708. He also won the steer wrestling average championship at the NFR in 1986 and 1997. During the ‘97 NFR in Vegas, Myers set the average record on 10 head at 43.3 seconds at 52 years old. Myers broke the average record he set in 1986 at 44.3 seconds on 10 head. In 2001, Rope joined his father as an NFR steer roping average record holder with a 37.4-second time on 10 head. JEROME DAVIS : In 1995, Davis became the first cowboy from east of the Mississippi River to win a world bull riding championship, according to PRCA records. Davis, 23, at the time, from Arch dale, N.C., not only finished the regular season leading the world standings, but he also successfully rode nine of 10 bulls at the 1995 NFR to win the average. Davis joined the PRCA in 1992 and qualified for the NFR every year from 1993-1997. In 1995, Davis won two rounds and placed in five more to earn $72,732 at the NFR to win the world title with $135,280. Jerome Davis is a name synony mous with strength,

courage and an unbreak able spirit. His great est challenge came on March 14, 1998. At the Tuff Hedeman Championship Chal lenge, the annual Bud Light Cup event in Fort Worth, Texas, Davis drew the bull named Knock ‘em Out John during the first round. Five seconds into the ride, the bull made a big lunge forward and Davis was jerked down, causing his head to col lide with the bull’s head, knocking him out.

and his sons, Rope and Cash, were PRCA stand outs as well. His daugh ter, Tygh, was also an all-around rodeo hand. Rope was a steer wres tler and nine-time NFR qualifier (1995-2001 and 2003-2004), highlighted by him winning the 2001 PRCA World Champi onship. Cash is a seven-time NFR qualifier – six in steer wrestling (2000 2003, 2005 and 2008) and once in tie-down roping in 2001. He also

BUTCH MYERS

PRCA file by Jim Fain

APRIL 24, 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 5