ProRodeo Sports News - May 1, 2020

RANDY WITTE Notable Witte hasn’t been one to be at a loss for words. He spent a career putting them down on paper. But when he was notified he was going into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2020 as a notable, he wasn’t sure what to say. “That was the farthest thing on my mind,” Witte said. “I’m pretty much speechless. … It’s hard to sink in. I just told the rest of my immediate family. What a tremendous honor. It brings back a flood of memories.” Witte worked on the RCA news bureau and wrote for ProRodeo Sports New s for seven years before transitioning to “When I started out, I was going to be a bull rider,” Witte said. “I made some rides I was proud of. I had help from (Hall of Famer) Jerome Robinson. He taught me and other guys. But he was a lot more dedicated. In my case, it didn’t take me long to find my real course of life was rodeo writing not rodeo riding.” Witte, who lives in Peyton, Colo., worked in the RCA office in Denver leading the RCA news bureau. His job was to produce the weekly news release. He would also contribute to PSN , taking over as editor from 1976-77. Working at Western Horseman added to a career he thoroughly enjoyed. “I thought I had to go to where I could to tell the rodeo story,” he said. “It felt like I was doing good publicizing it the way I could. I got to meet past and present cowboys who were so interesting to talk to.” ELLENSBURG RODEO Committee Western Horseman , where he worked for 29 years – the last 17 as the publisher. His career revolved around rodeo, even if he didn’t make it as a bull rider.

PRCA ProRodeo file photo Randy Witte made a career of covering rodeo for more than 35 years.

$101,520 in prize money for an overall total of $469,974 – a staggering amount considering the population of Ellensburg is about 21,000. “Ellensburg is a small town, relatively speaking,” Morgan said. “The Ellensburg Rodeo is the biggest event in our town. It brings in a lot of revenue, and for a lot of businesses, that’s their big boom, Labor Day weekend.” Since 1998, three Ellensburg Rodeo directors have been awarded the prestigious John Justin Committeeman of the Year Award – Ken MacRae (1998), Joel Smith (2007) and Steve Adler (2013). “Our rodeo is 100% put on by volunteers, and our volunteers

With its centennial year on the horizon, the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo has another cause for celebration as a 2020 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee. “This is great news, we feel very honored,” said

Dan Morgan, Director for the Ellensburg Rodeo. “With everything going on lately, you know there’s been a lot of not-so-happy news out there right now, and it felt really good to get a call like this and brighten the day.” Since 1923 the Ellensburg Rodeo has grown into one of the largest ProRodeo competitions of the regular season. “The fact we have been around for almost 100 years is

are more important than anything to us,” Morgan said. “We have our board of directors, our top hands and then there’s hundreds of volunteers. You don’t really think about just how many people it takes until you go to the rodeo and see the same people year after year. I’ve seen the same people volunteer for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been here my whole life.”

special, and we’re trying to continue on the sport of rodeo for the contestants, the fans and for the stock, and to support the Western heritage of our county, our state and our country,” Morgan said. While the Ellensburg Rodeo boasted a $368,274 payout in 2019, it’s also home to the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale, which presented an additional

MARTHA JOSEY Barrel Racer

Josey was not only a world champion barrel racer but also competed in rodeo during the 1988Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, winning an individual bronze medal and helping TeamUSA capture the team title. Josey, who resides in Karnack, Texas, qualified for the NFR 11 times on four different horses across a span of four decades. She won her world title in 1980 on Sonny Bit O’ Both, the same year the duo also won the AQHAWorld Championship, a feat that hasn’t been matched. “I am so excited and just don’t know what to say, I am in shock,” the 82-year-old said. “I have received some great honors in the past, but this is among the very highest. It is a true honor to be included in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in the WPRA category alongside so many great athletes and personnel. “I thought when the WPRA inducted its first class (in 2017) it was just magnificent, and to get the call today is just wonderful. I am so honored.” Not only did she make a name for herself in the arena but also has given back to the sport through her clinics. She and husband, R.E., started conducting barrel racing clinics in 1967 at their ranch in Texas. Many of today’s world champions credit Martha Josey with helping them achieve their goals. Her clinics have grown to average more than 1,500 students annually. In addition, the Joseys have been involved in creating new and innovative barrel racing saddles, pads, protective boots, knot reins, and combination bits. The result has been increased safety and increased barrel racing skills. She can add ProRodeo Hall of Fame to the list of halls she has been inducted to, including the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the National Cowboy andWestern Heritage Museum, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Ark-La-Tex Hall of Fame. The WPRA contributed to this report.

PRCA ProRodeo file photo Martha Josey competed in the Calgary Games and won the 1980 barrel racing world title.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/1/2020

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