News & Notes from the Rodeo Trail, July 26
Julie Sutton, wife of stock contractor Jim Sutton Jr., passed away July 21 after battling cancer. She was 85. Jim was inducted in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 17. But Julie was unable to attend the ceremony. “She desperately wanted to get through this weekend,” Kim Sutton, Jim and Julie’s daughter-in-law, said before the induction ceremony. “She was so close. She’s weak. We were pretty sad, and Jim didn’t want to come, and she told him, ‘You are going. This is the honor of a lifetime.” Jim and Julie were the recipients of the 2017 PRCA Donita Barnes Contract Personnel Lifetime Achievement Award. They were married for 68 years. The history of the Suttons being involved in the rodeo business traces back to 1926 when Edwin Sutton, Jim’s grandfather, began producing rodeos on the home ranch in Sully County, S.D. Jim and Julie took the company to the next level with a focus on production and innovation. Sutton Rodeo has had its stock selected to perform at every National Finals Rodeo since 1959 but two. A celebration of life service for Julie was scheduled for 6 p.m. (CDT), July 26 at the Sully Buttes Gymnasium in Onida, S.D. Burial will be held at the Onida Cemetery with dinner and fellowship to follow at the gymnasium. For those who have inquired, a memorial scholarship fund is being developed. Cards or memorial donations can be sent to: Sutton Rodeo, P.O. Box 402, Onida, S.D., 57564. Surrounding florists include Pink Petal, 605.224.1775 and Capitol City Florist, 605.224.48
The 23rd Rodeo Clown Reunion, which is held every other year, will take place Aug. 6 at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Aug. 7-8 at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo in Castle Rock, Colo. There are 46 retired clowns, barrelmen and bullfighters registered to attend. On Aug. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MDT), there will be vintage rodeo clown acts performed throughout the day. There also will be a Q&A session, trick roping, magic acts, clown face painting, ‘Dress up like a Rodeo Clown’ for kids, photos with clowns and autograph sessions. A food truck also will be at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We have been wanting to host this reunion for few years now and this year it will finally happen,” said Kent Sturman, Director of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “There is so much talent among these rodeo performers. It will be a lot of fun to see the acts of years ago brought back to life. Their accumulated years in the rodeo arena as barrelmen, clowns, bullfighters and funnymen, adds up to 939 years. It will be a fun day for the entire family.” On Aug. 7 at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo, rodeo clowns will be at the mutton busting (11 a.m. to noon), tractor pull (noon), pie-eating contest (noon), autographs (5:45-6:45 p.m.), honored at the rodeo (7 p.m.) and introduced in the wagon performance (8:15 p.m.). On Aug. 8 at the rodeo, clowns will appear at the stick-horse rodeo (9-10 a.m.), mutton busting (10-11 a.m.), pie-eating contest (10 a.m.), autograph session (11 a.m.) and honored at the rodeo performance (1 p.m.).
Nominations are being accepted for the PRCA Donita Barnes Contract Personnel Lifetime Achievement Award, created to recognize PRCA members who have dedicated their lives to advancing the rodeo industry through their commitment, work and contributions. Any active member (or active lifetime member) of the PRCA may nominate eligible contract personnel members for the award. Nominees must have been a PRCA member for a minimum of 15 years and may not have won a yearly contract personnel award within 15 years of the date of nomination (life members may be nominated even if they are not actively renewed). Nomination letters of 500 words or fewer may be e-mailed to mnaber@prorodeo.com or mailed to the PRCA, 101 Pro Rodeo Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919 by 5 p.m. (MDT), Aug. 6. For
Sowing Good Deeds applications now open. This season, one rodeo committee has a chance to win a Massey Ferguson® tractor for the charitable work that committee does. As a proud sponsor of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, AGCO® Corporation, through its brands Hesston® and Massey Ferguson, recognize that PRCA-sanctioned rodeos contribute significant support for local, regional and national charities and organizations. These charitable efforts by rodeo committees are making a positive impact on members of the various communities. Hesston and Massey Ferguson, through its Sowing Good Deeds initiative, want to raise awareness of these many local efforts and reward one PRCA committee each year whose impact goes above and beyond. AGCO will share the stories of rodeo teams across the country who are Sowing Good Deeds in their communities and will reward one of those committees with a new tractor. The deadline to apply for the Sowing Good Deeds initiative is Sept. 15. The five finalists will be announced by Oct. 31. The Sowing Good Deeds initiative is open to all PRCA-sanctioned rodeo committees, regardless of size. Rodeos can enter at http://bit.ly/SowingGoodDeeds.
Courtesy of PRCA