Hall of Fame Presentation for Mike Vanzant

Mike Vanzant was born in Tulsa Oklahoma in 1943. He was raised on a Cherokee allotment by his grandfather who was a rancher himself, training horses and working cattle. It was here Mike found his love of horses and his skill for reading and working cattle.

When Mike was just 16 years old, with dreams of being cowboys on the open range, he and some of his buddies left Oklahoma, venturing out to travel to Wyoming. Soon running out of money Mike ended up in Logan, Kansas. In Logan Mike found employment at the Logan Republican weekly newspaper setting type with a line and type machine. As part of his employment, he received room and board and was able to attend and finish High School. With charisma and as a natural leader, Mike was elected class president of the student body. After graduating high school Mike went back to Oklahoma and began working colts and started a breeding program for horses and cattle.

Mike was instrumental in developing the Oklahoma Association of Limosin Cattle. Limosin cattle are the state’s most popular breed, with the Angus a close second. He served on the board and was president in the 70’s.

Mike has six children. One of Mike’s children, Michael Shane won the 1988 Des Moines, Iowa Herdsman North America Competition. It was a great celebration and important win.

Mike’s last child graduated in 1989 leaving Mike the time and energy for team penning. All of Mike’s horses were ranch/working horses. He organized the Oklahoma Team Penning Association and served on the board for 6 years.

In 1989 or 1990 Mike sat down at the Lazy E with Marie Scoval, Don Fullerton, Steve Tellham and Willie Tellham to discuss the future of team penning. It was at this meeting that the USTPA was conceived, and Mike was the ninth member. He kicked in $1000 along with his ideas and time and energy to help get the United States Team Penning Association started. Mike’s first involvement as a USTPA producer was hauling cattle for the shows.

As team penning grew and the USTPA gained momentum, California team penners came up to Oklahoma for a little competition. Mike’s teams got beat and learned quickly that the key to team penning was teamwork. In ’91 the Texans were winning all the shows, then Oklahoma became competitive as a group.

All in all, Mike won his share of checks and titles. His winnings include 18 saddles, hundreds of belt buckles, breast collars and various tack, as well as several AQHA world titles. Mike was competitive in team penning until around 2000. He has great memories of this sport and contributes his success to good partners and teamwork.

In 1993 Mike started sorting in the open arena. He enjoyed this sport but saw a need for better horsemanship and cattle savvy. He promoted skill over roughness. The sorting arena eventually shortened to half arena, then a square pen and then round pens to enable speed. Mike participated in the Oklahoma state fair competition for 19 years. Other accomplishments in the sorting arena include Southwest Sorting promotion and participation, High point horse of the year in AQHA, and reserve on a junior horse. In collaboration with Gary Fletcher, Mike was instrumental in helping get sorting included in the AQHA World Competitions around the year 2000.

Mike retired from the sorting arena in 2010. He adopted another daughter, Izzy in 2011. Mike stays busy with his involvement and work with cattle and horses 2 to 3 days a week, selling stock on Monday, bulls and cows on Tuesday, and goes to Auctions in Oklahoma national stockyards where he takes young horses and runs thousands of cattle through each week.

Mike Vanzant Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Larry Pancost

Larry Pancost was born in Boulder, Colorado in 1961. He has been a rancher his entire life. Larry’s father Chuck owned a drywall and cattle business. Early on Larry decided he preferred working with the cattle over the drywall business. He soon learned his passion and skill was in the field with the cattle working the ranch. Along with instilling a hard work ethic and competitive spirit in his young son, Chuck taught Larry everything he knew about cattle and ranching. Larry’s competitive spirit took him to the rodeos where he enjoyed competing in roping, preparing him for the pull of the team penning which was to come a little later.

Larry and his three beautiful daughters lived in Brush, Colorado. He worked at the Brush Sale Barn as a ring man for many years. Working cattle on foot gave Larry the ability to read cattle which would eventually help him with his Team Penning.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s Chuck discovered team penning and told Larry he needed a partner. The Rocky Mountain Team Penning Association was formed around this time. Chuck bought a lifetime family membership. Larry’s involvement and love for the sport of Team Penning led him to hold offices in the RMTPA as well as holding the director position for Region 6 in the USTPA.

Larry, Chuck, brother Dave and nephew LJ traveled across Colorado and Wyoming team penning. They then decided to venture out to Oklahoma where they competed in team penning competitions with compet¬itors from California, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas and beyond. It was here they found some tough compe¬tition, learned new techniques and strategies and the importance of being mounted on good horses. They quickly realized these competitors were who they wanted to watch and learn from.

As Larry continued his team penning career he teamed up with Donnie Wynne, Jodi Hall, David Hall and eventually Jared Lesh. Donnie, David and the Underwoods took care of Larry and Jodi’s horses making it possible for them to compete in Team Pennings where they had to fly to in order to compete.

This allowed them to travel across many states and win numerous titles. There was one win that eluded Larry. The Coors Challenge, formerly The Justin Challenge remained just that for Larry; a challenge that he couldn’t win. But after practice and perse¬verance Larry captured that title as well as many others.

After many years competing Larry acquired some great team penning partners. His bunch consisted of LJ (nephew), Jake (nephew), Jackie (niece), Carol Berger, Roger Lorenzi, Dick and Sharron Jarrard, Bob and Connie Carnes, the Siebert’s, Kelly’s and the Hill Family. Finally, he realized he needed a Rodeo rig. That’s when the Toter home came about, where lots of food and drinks were consumed and many more card games were played. Everyone was welcome, lots of laughs were had and great memories created. If only the Toter home could speak, the stories it could tell!

Larry gives Carol credit for him having good horses. Larry rode Carols horse “Cowboy” to top ten events on numerous occasions. The duo made the cover of team penning USA magazine when they won the Denver Stock Show.

Larry and Carol were married in 2007. Larry has three beautiful daughters: Katie, Janie and Angie. Carol has three handsome sons: Kirby, Kyle and Hadley. Larry and Carol feel fortunate to have their children marry such wonderful spouses and bless them with 9 wonderful grandchildren.

Larry and Carol live in Stoneham, Colorado where they run a cow calf operation. Larry’s daughter Janie and Keith help a lot on the ranch. Larry stays busy with cows, grandkids and roping. Larry loves what he does every day and has a good time no matter the task. The years Larry spent team penning has created wonderful memories and the best friendships.

Larry Pancost Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Pete Loftin

Pete B. Loftin was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on May 3, 1949. His Dad, Joe B. Loftin, had been sent down there by the U.S. government to help with the hoof-and-mouth disease epidemic that broke out in 1948 and 1949. When done, the family returned to Texas. His Dad went back to managing cattle ranches, and his mom went back as a camp cook and straw boss of four boys, later adding a sister. They moved around a lot. By the time Pete was 18, he had lived in 20 different houses! “My Dad was a nomad,” he would tell people.

Pete was brought up in a ranch family, through and through. His Dad was raised in the Big Bend country before it was a National Park.  At age 13, Pete was riding colts in New Mexico on a 75-section ranch. They moved to California in 1963, and over the next 21 years he worked in feed lots and ran cattle with his Dad and brothers.  Pete would say: “Dad retired in 1976, I ran 3000-5000 head of pasture cattle on grass and beet fields. I learned to handle livestock by working in feed lots, there’s a lot of footwork done there.  I think it really helped in making me a good penner.” To see the world, in 1967, he enlisted in the Army, and the world, well, it consisted of a tour in Vietnam, Fort Ord and Oakland CA.  After 3 years he went back to the Valley and to the cattle and hay business.

Pete was running pasture cattle in El Centro, CA when a friend said to meet up with him at an arena the next day.  It was 1983 and he was introduced to his first team penning. He had 3 goes and 2½ minutes EACH GO to pen em’.   After that one penning, he was hooked! In 1985, as a single parent, he moved his family to Escondido, CA, starting Cloverdale Stables in the San Pasqual Valley, a boarding stable and penning arena. The move worked out for him. Cloverdale was down the hill from Hall of Famers (Willie and Steve Tellam’s place), 60 miles from Don Fullerton, and 40 miles from Marie Scovel. Then later, meeting Val, his wife of 33 years (30 of them good, they both say!) at a penning.

He hauled about every weekend to events. He produced numerous pennings, gave clinics, and they were able to raise up 3 great kids in the sport. Pete traveled up and down California, and over to Nevada and Arizona for 25 years. The 90’s took him farther to the USTPA and AQHA events in Texas, Louisiana, Montana, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Canada with his California partners and friends in tow.  His partners and the penners who he rode against is its own Hall of Fame, both for penning and their contributions to the sport in its early stages.  Atwoods, Joseph, VanZant, Moses, Mitchell, Snell, DeLude, Fitzgerald, Lloyd, Rainey, Pancost and Hills. And that’s only a few!

In 2001, Pete did his first of 4 penning clinics in Italy.  He is a lifetime member of both the USTPA and AQHA. A USTPA past Vice President, WCTPA past President and for many years, and a Director in both of those Associations.  In USTPA he concentrated on sanctioning, rules, and ratings committees. He also produced the first California USPTA sanctioned penning at Cloverdale Stables in March 1994.

Since 1989, the Loftins have sold penning and sorting numbers, and are happy to say the sport is very much alive!  In 1999 they bought a small ranch in Cisco TX, then getting moved out there permanently in 2003.  Here they run some cattle, and of course, sell numbers. According to Pete, “This life has been an adventure and quite a ride with lasting friendships, so many blessings, memories and a bunch a stories. Pete won his last Open Buckle in 2008, which was 25 years after his first buckle at that El Centro penning in 1983. He thought it was “beginners luck” back then. They were the only team to pen all 9! ““It feels good to be here tonight and to be recognized.”

Pete Loftin Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Mike Flynn

Mike Flynn was born on January 13, 1949 to Emmett and Kathryn Flynn in Missoula, Montana. He grew up on the family ranch that his great-grandparents homesteaded in 1872. His love for horses, and the western lifestyle started at an early age when he would help his father and grandfather put up hay and feed cattle with their team of horses. Mike and his horse, Queenie, spent many hours covering the countryside around Missoula hunting and fishing.

Mike graduated in 1967 from Sentinel High School, and the day after graduation he went to work at White Pine Mill. Later, he went on to work in logging and construction along with helping his parents on the ranch. In 1970, Mike married his first wife, and in 1972, their son Mike Jr. was born in Missoula. Two years later they moved to Okanogan, Washington to ranch with his brother-in-law, and in 1975, their daughter Lisa was born. While in Washington, Mike rodeoed competing in calf roping and team roping. In 1980, Mike moved back to Missoula to work with his brother-in-law at Missoula Concrete, and to help his parents farm and raise cattle on the ranch. Four years later, he met his future wife Sue, and together they worked on his parent’s ranch. In 1986, their daughter Liz joined the family.

With the little spare time they had, Mike and Sue were introduced to team penning through their friend, Joe Benner. When they started, team penning for Western Montana was a hobby, not yet an official sport. In the early 90s, Mike, Sue, and their many penning friends, helped start the Western Montana Team Penning Association, and Mike helped produce many pennings in the area. Soon thereafter, they traveled to Spokane, Washington to the first big team penning, co-sanctioned by the Professional Team Penning Association of California. There, (thinking they were “hot shit”) they were fine tuned on how to pen correctly, thanks to their mentors the Hailes, Tellams, Hills, and numerous other people they met along the way. Mike’s motto was “you are never any better than the people you competed against” and they competed with the best!

Mike and Sue joined the Cascade Team Penning Association (CTPA) and the fun began— traveling all hours to compete in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. In those days, there was not a novice class to start out in and be able to grow to the next level. Originally, you penned in the open only and learned as you went. They put a lot of miles on many pick-ups traveling to California, Canada, Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas and everywhere in the Northwest. In the mid- 90’s, Mike, Sue, and their two partners expanded their cattle business running yearlings in Idaho, Oregon, and California. This later allowed them to provide cattle for pennings in Red Bluff, California and Fort Klamath, Oregon for Paddy McAuliffe.

In the late 90’s Mike and Sue started producing pennings at their home, sanctioned by Cascade Team Penning Association, and then co-sanctioned with USTPA. Thanks to the many businesses in Missoula, their penning grew to be a great success, and they graciously welcomed penners from Canada, California, Idaho, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, just to name a few.

Mike was later a director for Region 5 and spent many hours promoting and working with people at USTPA and CTPA. At this time, Mike and Roger Braa began holding clinics to share their knowledge and helped welcome many newcomers to the sport of team penning.

Mike’s greatest accomplishment in his team penning career, was winning the USTPA finals in 1998, with Dave Lewis and Roger Braa. He tips his hat to all who taught and rode with him to succeed in this accomplishment. In 2003, he won another saddle at the Region 5 finals with help from his wife Sue, his daughter Liz, and his many other great partners.
Today, while Mike may not be able to pen, he continues to help Liz and son-in-law James, on their ranch in Eastern Montana. James will help him on a tractor, and he is happy all day doing what he used to do. Mike also manages his family interests in Missoula, including several rental homes, and a trailer court. Mike and Sue have 4 grandchildren, and another one on the way in January 2021.In 2009, Mike suffered a severe stroke that limits the function of his left side, and because of this, Mike and Sue are not able to attend the induction to the Hall of Fame. Mike is truly honored to be nominated into the Hall of Fame and is grateful to all the people he has met through the years of penning, the friendships, and the memories that were made. Mike and Sue will miss seeing everyone, and they thank everyone for the opportunity at this very special achievement.

Mike Flynn Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Larry Kling

I was born on December 10, 1945 in Western North Dakota. I tell my friends and family that still live there that you have to be tough to stay.
My father was a pure rancher cowboy, and as a result I lived in cow camps was trained as a ranch hand. Since we were always isolated, I learned how to entertain myself riding stick horses, and exploring the hilts and coulees nearby. I had the experience of attending one-room schoolhouses and having my own mother teach me all eight years. We lived in the country, so I rode my horse or walked several miles to school. There was more than one-time we students were stranded at the school when there were blizzards. One time, we were there until rescued by the National Guard! I remember we had a big sack of potatoes, so mom had us bake them by the wood burning stove.

I lived in town so that I could attend high school graduating in 1963 and then onto college for two years. It was during that time I met Colleen, my wife of nearly 53 years. Our Dad’s both ran cattle on reservation leases, and it was because of that connection we met in 1964. We married in December three years later. We have two children. A son Shawn who lives in Franklin, Tennessee and a daughter Heather from Anaheim, CA. One grandson Carson, and three granddaughters, Moorea, Mercedes, and Madison, and two great-grandchildren Cash and Emerson. The Bible tells us a man is blessed with his children’s children. I am indeed!

I began a career in trucking. First hauling livestock, then transitioning to hauling mobile homes. Colleen encouraged me to get into management, so soon I began what turned out to be years as a dispatcher, regional manager and eventually became president of a nationwide company. We longed for Idaho, so in 1983 we started our own company which eventually became a nationwide company. We got bought out in 1996 and I couldn’t have been happier, because now we were free to basically retire.
Both Colleen and I came from Ranch and rodeo families, and we always had horses around and at the urging of my brother-in-law Hal Johnsrud. We tried the new sport called team penning. We were pretty well hooked right off. We tried our luck locally then started traveling on a national level. We had every kind of traveling rig from living quarter horse trailers, buses, motorhomes, and over the road tractors. We were pretty serious about it as we hit the circuit from Illinois to Mississippi and all points west. It was during those times we forged many relationships that we hold dear to this day.

I always believed in putting back into the sport, so I was always involved in boards locally and then on a national basis. It wasn’t long before we got into producing penning, sorting, as well as other cow horse events. Old smooth-talking Dick Rosell talked me into running for president of USTPA in 1997. Prior to this time, I served as VP and west coast director for three years I was instrumental in starting the contestant number rating system, which was quite a task in and of itself. We also worked really hard on the regional finals as well as the national finals, and I always enjoyed promoting it. To me, it was more rewarding to put on a good show than it was to win it as a contestant. I tell people every buckle I won cost me at least $10,000 and every saddle $30,000. A couple of highlights were when Hal Johnsrud, Ed Machado, and I won the 1995 ATPC open finals at Guthrie. As amateurs, Colleen and I teamed up with Hal winning Mediflight, which was a great win because we competed with the greats of the game. You get lucky once in a while. We continued going up and down the road competing on a national level. We quit and went cutting for a few years until sorting came into its own and are competing in as many shows as we can.

I know I can speak for Colleen to say we count ourselves blessed to have been associated with USTPA and I want to thank you for the honor of being recognized by you all. It has been a privilege to have known you and worked with you to improve our sport. The fact that you recognize us old duffers is very, very special. Thank you.

Larry Kling Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Hoss Frank

Reba…Vince….Garth….Blake…Super Stars! Just say their first names…one word…and we know who you are talking about. Say Hoss and if you are from Morrison, Oklahoma, or the Team Penning world you know who we are talking about! You might find him still out swathing or baling hay or maybe delivering a load of rock, 87 years young and still going at it.

Loyal Dean “Hoss” Frank was born during the worst year of the Great Depression, 1933. Horse & Mule teams were still used for much of the farming. The majority of Hoss’s childhood days were spent on the back of a horse. He was better known in his early years as “Horsey” and it was apparent at an early age that he loved horses. On nice days, he would ride his horse to the one-room schoolhouse that he attended about a mile down the road. He would tie old ‘Star’ up to the hitching post under the shade tree. The story has it, that Horsey got his nickname from the kids at school. Star would “knicker” when he heard Loyal’s voice through the window of the schoolhouse, the kids would laugh and giggle and soon started calling him Horsey…the name stuck!

In 1953, shortly after graduation he was drafted into the Army, spending 2 years of active duty during the Korean War. On his return to Oklahoma, he spent one year in the Army Reserves and another five years in the National Guard. His college career then began at Stillwater, Oklahoma, A&M becoming an Aggie. Oklahoma A&M soon became Oklahoma State University and so evolved the Cowboys and his love for Cowboy football! He graduated in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in Ag Education. He loves to tell people he started at a college as an Aggie, and graduated from a University as a Cowboy.

While attending OSU he met a young city gal from Tulsa, OK, the love of his life, Carolyn Duke who he married in 1958. ‘Hoss and Duke’ as they affectionately became known, have 4 children. Jeff, Jan Lesh, Joe & Becky Jo. All of his children rode horses growing up, but 1 son, Jeff became extremely active in team roping. An oilfield injury to the right shoulder prevented Hoss from throwing a loop anymore. Despite the injury, Hoss remained an avid horseman. He was the one that all the Ranchers in the community called to gather cattle, sort, and work them, taking his grandchildren along to help.

Fast forward a few years…… about 1988, Hoss learned of Team Penning from a local Rodeo Clown who had seen it in California, they found a Western Horseman magazine with rules and after roping numbered the steers and put on the first local Team Penning, he was hooked!!!! He could do with a busted-up shoulder, his horse, and his grandkids! Jeff had 2 and Jan had 5 at the time (Jordan hadn’t made his appearance yet!).

Hoss put on a few practices and then a few shows and got several local horse people and relatives interested. A few guys near OKC started the Oklahoma Team Penning Association about 1991, not long after Sooner State TPA appeared. Members of both he and his daughter Jan hauled kids all over the state of Oklahoma every weekend, they also produced shows once a month. He was blessed to be in the Great State of Oklahoma, where at the time, some of the greats of Team Penning came from: Shelley Fitzgerald, David Hall Mike Vanzant, Mark Morris, and Donnie Wynne.

He may have started with some of the great names in the sport, but he definitely feels like he has ended with some of the greatest names in the sport. He is also ever so proud of all his grandkids, and feeling extremely honored to be called Grandpa by Jared, Jamin, Joel, and Jordan Lesh who are or have been top riders in this great sport along with their spouses: Megan, Colette, and Katie Lesh. And now a whole new generation, the 3rd generation, great grandkids: McKenzie, Jackson, and Preston. Several year USPTA members, and now Carson Lesh, Jenna’s son have joined and have already put a few wins under his new belt buckles! 3-year-old, Jake Lesh, son of Jamin and Megan, just made his sorting debut in September.

Always an avid supporter of the USTPA, Hoss rode and helped produce along with daughter Jan the first shows held in Oklahoma. Now, his grandchildren produce those same shows to the present day. AQHA has also been a big part of Hoss’s Team Penning history, riding and qualifying for the World show for 21 years, accumulating over 1,900-lifetime points, and riding in over 680 AQHA shows. Bringing home 4 Bronze Globes, 3 top 5 wins, 7 top 10 wins and making it to the finals 25 more times! Many of those world show trips were alongside his son Jeff. He also participated at the Palomino World Show where he took home the coveted GOLD globe and placing in the top 3 for many years.

Huge prestigious shows were popping up everywhere! He and his favorite partners, the Lesh Brothers, traveled all over the United States more making memories that will last a lifetime. He has been Team Penning and Ranch Sorting for than 31 years, and has accumulated too many buckles, prizes, ribbons, jackets and awards to recall. If there were ever an award given for “loving the sport more than anyone else” it would have been awarded to Hoss Frank! There wasn’t a person attending that he wouldn’t ride with. Promoting this great family sport by sharing with so many friends and relatives and developing friendships that have lasted his lifetime.

Hoss debuted one last time at the famous Lazy E Arena last year, 2019, where his favorite ‘greats’ of the sport rode with him: Jared, Jordan, and wife Katie. Jamin, Megan, and other grandchildren were there to help him on his horse and to cheer him on!

Just say oe bae, Hoss, in this Team Penning World and if you’ve been around awhile you know who we are talking about. What a ride this Cowboy has had! One fantastic wife, four children, eight and children, fifteen great grandchildren, a slew of relatives that have loved the sport, and a whole USTPA Family. What more does a man need!

Hoss Frank Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Don Fullerton

Don Fullerton was born in Stuart, Nebraska on June 5, 1936. He grew up on a cattle ranch in Amelia, Nebraska, and rode a Shetland pony to school in his elementary school years. Don then owned a Quarter Horse and his sister took over riding the Shetland. He used the Shetland pony to pull his hay wagon he built from scratch. The pony was Don’s main source of transportation to the local fishing hole, which was about a ¼ mile from the family ranch. One afternoon, the pony was tied to a fence post and rubbed his bridle right off, and he just took off, leaving Don stranded at the fishing hole with his worms and cane pole, and no transportation to get home.

Beginning in the 7th grade, Don drove a Model A Ford with his brother and sister until the 10th grade. He also learned to drive an old Farmall tractor with direct gear steering. Luckily, Don didn’t break his wrist driving the tractor. He had to hold on tight – just in case he hit a frozen cow turd – the steering wheel could spin right out of his hand!

Don’s first job was a water boy in a “Blue Grass” yard, serving water where the bigger kids were turning the grass seeds. He was paid handsomely at 10 cents an hour. Graduating from High School at age 16, Don continued on to summer school at Wayne State Teachers College where he taught in rural schools for 3 years. In 956 Don moved to his Aunt and Uncle’s home in Lancaster, CA where he worked in the aircraft industry for a couple of years. In 1958 Don re-enrolled in college and graduated three years later with a B.S. in Engineering. Following his graduation Don spent the next 4 years in engineering and sales engineering.

Don married Carolyn in 1960 and had three wonderful children, Dale, Randy and Shari. In 1964, Don started working for State Farm Insurance until he retired in 1992. The family moved to Tustin, CA in 1971 where Don again became involved with horses. This time Don had to learn to ride with a saddle, because when he was in grade school, he rode bare back and couldn’t afford a saddle.

In 1973 the family moved to Corona, CA where Don became more involved in cattle and then switched to Quarter Horses. In 1982, Don attended his first World Team Penning in Hemet, CA, and a year later brother-in-law, Gene Skalo and Don started Team Penning practices at Riverside Ranchero Roping Club. They held practices every Tuesday and Thursday evening for many years. Don entered his first World Team Penning in 1983. From then on, he traveled all over California attending Team Pennings at least 1-2 times per month.

In 1985 Don went to the Cow Palace and won 3rd Place. In 1988 he won a World Penning in Las Vegas, and then in 1991 won the World Year-In Team Penning competition, which was held in Rancho Mission Viejo, CA. Don competed in the Pennings at the Lazy E. Guthrie, OK that were usually won by the Tellhams, David Hall, Donnie Winn, Shelly Fitzgerald, Johnnie Joseph, Larry Pencost, Jodi Hill, Bobby Atwood, and many other great Team Penners. Don won the Celebrity Challenge in 1993 at the Lazy E., and competed at Calgary, Canada in the early 90’s where he won 3rd place overall.

Don became the President of the World Championship Team Penning Association and was the United States Team Penning Western Regional Director for several years. In 1995, he won the Fort Worth Stock Show, and attended the Johnny Joseph Team Penning in Louisiana. Unfortunately, due to “adult beverages” and great food, Don failed to win anything significant at the Johnny Joseph event. Don now lives on his Apple Valley, California ranch and does his best to stay out of trouble. His last significant event was winning the 2015 San Bernardino County Team Sorting with 97 teams competing. Don still enjoys the cattle business, which is just enough to keep him out of the “pool hall”.  Don stated “It has been a great ride, and the most important are the great friendships I have made over the years. Getting installed into the Hall of Fame makes it all just perfect. I am a very lucky guy”.

Don Fullerton Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Jodi Hill

Jodi Clay Hill was born and raised in Kremmling, Colorado. His family is a 5th generation of ranchers. All his life he “cowboyed” on the ranch and team roped. In 1985 he married Sandy, who is also a 5th generation rancher from Kremmling. They have 4 kids and now 10 grand kids. Jodi and Sandy together run Troublesome Creek Ranch (a cow/calf operation), do wildlife habitat and custom haying.

In the 80’s, his mom became interested in “team penning” and did some investigating.We all know where that led! She organized an event in Kremmling and Jodi was soon traveling around the United States with family and friends from all over. Those were some great memories that he will always cherish. Family, from Grandpas and grandmas to grand kids, Uncles and Aunts, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, cousins all traveling and riding together. In the 90’s Jodi formed a box with David Hall, Larry Pancost and Donnie Wynne. Many lifetime friendships were made.

Jodi and Sandy also produced team pennings in Colorado. They drew people from all over the United States. Jodi was great at putting on events with great prizes and big added money. He participated in many

AQHA events and world shows with many titles under his belt.He won the AQHA World Grand Champion from 1997-2002 every year except 1998 and he was also Reserve Champion in 2000. Jodi and his family belonged to several team penning association over the years and competed successfully in all of them. They ran the local team roping for over 20 years. Jodi and Sandy were also superintendents of the team penning for several years at the Denver National Western Stock Show. In 2001 Jodi had High Money and High Point National Champion Futurity horses in team penning.

Their kids were active in 4-H and school events and in junior high they took up rodeo more seriously and Jodi slowed down traveling and penning to haul the kids to their events.Now that the kids are grown and have kids of their own (10 as of now + his sister’s 3 who call him “papa”, too), Jodi is back to team roping and traveling mostly to the World Series Team Ropings in Colorado and Vegas. He has recently started going to Arizona in the winter to rope. The grand kids are active in 4-H, school sports and rodeo. He loves roping and riding with them and going to their games. They are becoming the best help on the ranch.

One of Jodi’s highlights every year is the spring branding. He goes to his Uncle Gary’s to help several times as well as our own and neighbors. He loves the roping and dragging calves to the fire.

Jodi has switched horses from penning to roping, as most of the penning horses have gone to greener pastures. He teases Sandy that he’s thinking of adding some penning horses back into the herd and who knows! He certainly loved his traveling days and maybe he will do it again with the younger generation of family. They are becoming great little cowboys and cowgirls and read cattle pretty good! Sandy says Jodi is a magnet for kids and people in general. He has a big heart and fun to be around. Over the years, we have been blessed with many friends we have met along the way.

It has been mentioned several times “family” and “lifelong friends”.  Sorry to be repetitive, but that is one of the best things about the team penning and rodeo world. No matter where you find yourself there is a friend and place to stay over with your horses. The invitation is two way.

Jodi Hill Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for John May

John May was born on August 14, 1961 to Howard and Elaine May in Erie, PA on the family dairy farm milking cows and doing farm chores. At the age of five he became interested in horses and begged his parents for a pony. His great aunt sold ponies to put her kids through school and that’s where he purchased his first two ponies for ten dollars. Neither pony was broke, and as a five-year-old that was a fun challenge. Teaching himself and the ponies along the way is where it all began.

Throughout high school John had different horses and was quite the lady’s man so they say. During his school’s football games he’d ride to the school to give pony rides. John also pulled buggies and carriages with his team of horses and was a 4-H member showing everything from gaming to English.

Finishing high school at age 17, John left for the Oklahoma farrier college to become a blacksmith. When he returned home, he got in his old Hot Shot truck and started shoeing horses. John continued to help the family with the beef farm and traveled on the weekends to team pennings. A year later the Great Lakes Team Penning Association started, and John bought a 4-horse living quarters trailer. The person in his traveling group that had the nicest truck at the time would hook onto it, stuff five horses and ten people in it and hit the road.

John began training and giving riding lessons at age 21. At age 28 he found Team Penning. John was fortunate to know JR Attea from trail riding. One day JR called John and said, “We’re going team penning out west”. Little did John know how many miles, trucks and trailers he would eventually wear out. JR and John were the last two charter members of USTPA and got to ride with the best of the best like Bobby and Billy Atwood, Mike Varsant, Shelly Fitzgerald, David Hall, Jodi Hill, Larry Pancost, and many more. They even rode with the Lesh boys as early as when Jared was only 14.

In 1997 John married followed by two great kids Casey and Kristine. John has promoted USTPA shows in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and several local associations shows as well. Casey plays soccer and the saxophone and is an Eagle Scout. Kristine grew up doing gymnastics and cheer and softball, but what she really loves are the horses. As a family the Mays have competed in USTPA and AQHA shows in almost every region, seen many beautiful places and made some lifelong friends.

John suffered a severe back injury in a Team Penning accident on May 7, 2018 that was life-changing. He is very thankful for all the support from his many friends and of course his family. John plans to be back Team Penning by 2020. Both of his kids will be graduating from college, and he hopes to get back riding with them and his many other great partners.

John has attended all but one USTPA Finals which was 2018 when he broke his back. He has served under all but one USTPA president and has been on the board of Executive Committee for 20+ years. USTPA has given John the opportunity to be an AQHA specialty judge along with the opportunity to go to Venezuela and Italy to give judging tests, clinics, and help others learn to promote shows.

In the 5th grade John wrote “ The Life Time of Cowboy John” with his goal of showing horses all over the United States. After showing in 3 foreign countries, John has won AQHA and USTPA World titles and numerous prizes, but the best part remains the memories and the friendships made along the way.

John May Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Donnie Wynne

Donnie Wynne owns and operates a Feed Store in Newcastle, OK where he was born. His parents farmed and had a Dairy and Beef Cattle Operation.

Donnie’s main job from a very early age was to gather the milk cows, pen them for milking and then ride through the beef cattle to check for problems. As soon as he would get out of school he would saddle up and ride, some say (his brothers) to get out of farming or milking. But his passion for riding and checking cattle continued to grow over the years.

He married his High School sweetheart Darline. She was by his side in all his endeavors, whether it was buying another load of cattle, training a race horse, and even team penning. She was actually the one who encouraged him to get started team penning. Donnie and some other men started a local club to promote and produce some Team Pennings.

As the sport continued to grow Darline is the one who encouraged him to travel and try it on a larger scale. So like a good husband he obeyed. He enjoyed penning no matter the size of the penning or where it was held. Donnie stated, “I was blessed to pen with the best”. Two of the top shows he won were the National Challenge and the AQHA World Championship. He won the Challenge 4 times, but it took longer to finally get the AQHA under his belt. He penned at the first AQHA World Championship Team Penning and qualified every year until he finally took the elusive Title in 2002.

After taking the world he started slowing down to spend more time at home with his family, and just like everything else he and Darline enjoyed that too. Now Donnie loves to spend time with his 4 grand- children and 7 great-grandchildren, while still running Wynne’s Feed and Seed, taking care of his horses, and checking his grandchildren’s herd.

Throughout all of his team penning adventures, horses, pickups, places, shows, wins or losses, the greatest of all was the camaraderie and friendships made along the way. Donnie would like to thank the USTPA for not only their recognition, but also their work for continuing a sport that has brought so much joy to so many.

Donnie Wynne Hall of Fame Brochure

Hall of Fame Presentation for Richard Dick Rosell

“Dick” Rosell Richard Arnold Rosell was born on October 5th, 1937 to parents Richard Julian and Viola Mae Rosell in Salamanca, NY.Dick grew up in Cattaraugus, NY on a dairy farm. He attended a 1 room school house and started driving a team of horses in 3rd grade. With the team, he hauled field crops and manure and logged timber with his father. As a teenager, Dick worked for neighbors farming and collecting syrup from the maple trees for $1 per day plus all he could eat.

At the age of 17 Dick joined the US Air force. He served in Korea, Okinawa and the United States. After being honorably discharged in 1958, Dick began working as an X-ray technician for Indus- trial X-ray Engineers in Woodbridge, NJ and Dallas, TX.

In 1960, work took him to Chester, PA, where he met the love of his life, Suzanne Waters. Dick and Sue dated for 3 months before they married. Dick began welding on the pipeline in New York City in 1964. Dick and Sue had their hands full raising 4 children which they did in Denville, NJ. Dick worked in New York City all week, played country music in various bands for over 17 years and drove the boys to hockey practice in the middle of the night on weekends.

The Rosell family underwent a huge change in lifestyle when Dick and Sue decided to buy their oldest daughter a horse for her 8th Grade graduation present. Dick saw the horse in the classified ads, and immediately bought her after she came running when he whistled for her. “Honey” came with a saddle and tack all for $800.

When Dick was 53 years old he showed a horse for the first time in AQHA Novice Amateur Western Pleasure. It was a catch ride and he won the class. The judge said his run was so smooth, he was Cadillac’n. Not long after, Dick came home with a horse that had more brands and barbwire scars than any horse the family had ever seen. Dick started team penning and his love of horses grew. Before long the girls had totally different horses and dad and the girls were all team penning together.

Dick helped organize the USTPA in 1993, served on the Board of Directors for many years and was the USTPA’s 3rd President. Dick was the promoter of the Virginia Team Penning Extravaganza and created the East Coast Team Penning Series. Dick notes that the best part of the USTPA has always been the people. He is thankful for the lifelong friendships that were created along the way.

Nowadays, Dick competes in the National Reined Cow Horse Association, along with his daughters. He was the oldest non-pro rider to compete at the Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nevada on a 3-year-old that he bred and raised at home. At 81 years old, Dick is one of the oldest Non-Pro competitors in the sport. But that doesn’t slow him down and he is looking forward to competing once again in Team Penning events.

Dick Rosell Hall of Fame Brochure

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