ProRodeo Sports News - June 23, 2022

CONTRACT PERSONNEL

Rick Young Award-winning rodeo clown & bullfighter leaves his mark BY TANNER BARTH R ick Young dedicated nearly 60 years of his life to ProRodeo as an award winning rodeo clown and bullfighter. His love and passion for rodeo

hasn’t gone unnoticed as he’ll be inducted into the 2022 Class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. He was at a loss for words when asked to describe the feeling of joining the Hall. “I tell you what, I don’t think it’s truly set in yet,” said Young, 88. “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the Hall of Fame. It’s really gotten to me. I’ve had more phone calls than I ever would’ve imagined. “Not only rodeo people that I haven’t seen in 20 or 30 years, but fans who found out I was being inducted. It’s truly an honor. I have so many friends in the Hall that have passed away and I just wish they could be here to enjoy this moment with me.” Young’s career spanned from the mid 1960s until he retired just three years ago at the age of 85. Over that span he was selected to work the NFR in Oklahoma City in 1974 and in 1980 he was named PRCA’s Clown of the Year. He was named Coors Man in the Can at the NFR in 1991, 1994 and 1996-97. He said he never grasped the impact he made on people’s lives until it was time for him to step away from the sport. “You don’t realize how many lives that you touched with all those years of rodeoing until you step away,” he said. “A lot of people know me, but I don’t know them because they see you out there with your makeup on and clowning. “Then they walk up to you like they’ve known you your whole life. The people are really what I miss more than anything and seeing all my friends in rodeo. I made friends all over the United States.” Now, he’ll have the opportunity to look back on and celebrate those moments with his friends and family when he’s enshrined July 16 in Colorado Springs, Colo. It’s an event he’s been looking forward too ever since he received the call back in April. “I can’t hardly wait to be out there in Colorado Springs,” he said. “Several of my family members and friends are coming for the ceremony. My daughter is coming, I’ve got grandkids coming, I can’t wait it’s going to be great.”

PRCA ProRodeo file photo

“A lot of people know me, but I don’t know them because they see you out there with your makeup on and clowning. Then they walk up to you like they’ve known you your whole life. The people are really what I miss more than anything.” – RICK YOUNG

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