The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has announced its 2026 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees, featuring a wide variety of talent and trailblazers from across the Western industry.
Headlining the class are Western lifestyle media mogul Jeff Medders and two PRCA world champions, steer wrestler Butch Myers (1980) and bull rider Jerome Davis (1995). The class also includes legendary bullfighter and rodeo clown Keith Isley; stock contractor Ike Sankey; tie-down roper Bobby Goodspeed; Beutler & Son Rodeo’s standout horse, Killer Bee; the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo; and WPRA world champion barrel racers Loretta Manuel (1963, 1967) and Mary Burger (2006, 2016).
The induction ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. MT on July 18. Troy Weekley will receive the 2026 Ken Stemler Pioneer Award on July 17 as part of the festivities. The award recognizes individuals who have provided innovative ideas and forward-thinking leadership to advance the PRCA and the Hall of Fame.
Medders is being honored for his lasting impact on Western media and storytelling. A longtime television presence at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), he has covered PRORODEO since 1991. His company, Geronimo Productions, produced NFR broadcasts from 2012–19, and he later served as president and general manager of The Cowboy Channel from 2020–24. Medders also played a key role in major broadcast partnerships, including moves to Great American Country and CBS Sports Network.
Myers, the 1980 PRCA steer wrestling world champion and a 12-time NFR qualifier, is being inducted posthumously. He died July 24, 2024, in Athens, Texas, at age 78. Myers qualified for the NFR in steer wrestling from 1980–87, 1989, 1995 and 1997, and in tie-down roping in 1989. He is part of one of rodeo’s most recognized family legacies. His late wife, Fanchon, was a barrel racer and former Miss Rodeo Kansas, and his children and grandchildren continue the tradition, including RODEOHOUSTON champion Holden Myers.
Davis made history in 1995 as the first cowboy from east of the Mississippi River to win a PRCA bull riding world title. The Archdale, North Carolina, native dominated that season, riding nine of 10 bulls at the NFR to win the average and secure the championship. A PRCA member since 1992, Davis qualified for the NFR from 1993–97. After a career-ending accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, he became a symbol of resilience and determination.
Isley became one of PRORODEO’s most recognizable entertainers with his signature red hat, baggy pants and patriotic attire. He earned his PRCA card in 1994 and quickly rose to prominence, performing at the NFR in 1998–2002 and 2008–09. His career accolades include PRCA Clown of the Year (2006–11), Specialty Act of the Year (1999–2002, 2006) and Comedy Act of the Year (2001, 2004, 2009–11).
Sankey has played a major role in shaping the PRCA’s bucking stock industry since becoming a stock contractor in 1978. Sankey Pro Rodeo produced multiple award-winning animals, including Skitso Skoal, the PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year in 1994 and 1997. The operation merged with Phenom Genetics in 2019, further expanding its influence. In recent years, standout horse The Black Tie earned PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year honors in 2022.
Goodspeed, a 12-time NFR qualifier, built a distinguished career in tie-down roping. He won an NFR average title and finished tied for third in the world standings during one of his standout seasons, cementing his place in PRORODEO history.
Killer Bee, one of the most versatile horses in rodeo, earned top bareback horse honors at the 2018 and 2020 NFRs and top saddle bronc horse honors in 2013, 2014 and 2022. She was also named PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year in 2019. Her final performance came in Round 9 of the 2022 NFR, when Dawson Hay matched the round record with a 92-point ride.
The San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo, founded in 1932, will also be inducted. Now one of the premier stops on the PRORODEO circuit, it is a key event in the Texas Swing and a major contributor to the PRCA Playoff Series, offering nearly $800,000 in prize money.
Burger enters the Hall of Fame as one of barrel racing’s most accomplished competitors. She won world titles in 2006 and 2016, becoming the oldest world champion in PRORODEO history at 68 years, 4 months. Riding her standout horse Rare Fred, Burger set records that still stand today.
Manuel, a two-time world champion, won titles in 1963 and 1967 aboard her horse Full of Pep, known as “Spade.” A nine-time NFR qualifier, she credits her early experience in Wild West shows for helping shape her successful rodeo career.
Weekley, this year’s Ken Stemler Pioneer Award recipient, has spent more than four decades contributing to the growth of rodeo in the Southeast. A longtime stock contractor and former PRCA Board member, he helped build Five Star Rodeo into a respected operation and has been instrumental in promoting the sport and preserving Western heritage.
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