ProRodeo Sports News - July 27, 2018

PRORODEO HALL OF FAME

Legendary announcer Hadley Barrett interviewed the dynamic team ropers during their championship run. PRCA ProRodeo file photo Williams & Skelton

BY TRACY RENCK W hen team roping header Ken “Speed” Williams and heeler Rich Skelton paired up they were truly a dynamic duo. Team ropers were 8-time champs

heading and started roping fast and I just tried to be consistent.” Williams, who qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 15 times (1988, 1994, 1996-2008), is one of six team ropers to make it to the NFR as both a header and a heeler. Skelton has 22 NFR qualifications on his résumé (1990-2006, 2009-10, 2013-15). “I don’t think there was any secret to our success,” Williams said. “We came together at the same time, we had the same desires and we wanted to rodeo, and that’s what we did every day. But I never

Williams

Skelton

even dreamed that we would win eight gold buckles in a row.” Williams bought his PRCA card in 1988 and competed in the Southeastern Circuit calf roping and team roping as a heeler. He won the 1995 Dodge National Circuit Finals All-Around title. Williams made his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 1988 heeling for Casey Cox. After that experience, Williams went home and switched to heading. He believed there were more improvements to make to that side of the event. Williams is credited with starting a new style of swinging the rope in the box, and his style of catching lowered times and won money. Williams has spent his time off the circuit helping other ropers with schools and online educational videos that number in the thousands. Skelton bought his PRCA card in 1986 and made his first Wrangler NFR appearance in 1990 heeling for Tee Woolman. WhenWoolman decided to slow down in late 1997, Skelton joinedWilliams. Skelton also acknowledged his horses were a huge part of his success – four-time PRCA/AQHAHeel Horse of the Year “Roany” and 2004 PRCA/ AQHAHeel Horse of the Year Chili Dog.

And dominant. From 1997-2004, they won eight consecutive PRCA world championships. Now, the duo will be immortalized in rodeo history. Williams and Skelton headlined the 10-member 2018 induction class for the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., whick took place Aug. 4. “I remember going to the high school finals and stopping in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and I was blown away with the history of ProRodeo,” Williams said. “It’s a great honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Rich and I had a fairy-tale career, and words don’t really describe how I’m feeling.” Skelton, who is still competing, also was humbled by the prestigious honor. “This is cool, and I don’t know when this will sink in,” Skelton said. “I wanted to make the NFR and I wanted to win the world, and then things just kept going our way. When you look back at it, we had good horses and everything was set up at that time. That’s all we thought about and that’s all we did, was rope. To me, we had so much success because Speed changed the

ProRodeo Sports News 7/27/2018

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