Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame announces 2019 inductees

NEWS RELEASE: The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame announced today their 2019 Hall of Fame inductees: Dr. Glenn Blodgett, The Cavender Family, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, King Ranch and 2019 Rick Smith Spirit of Texas Award Honoree - Robert Earl Keen.

Induction into Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed on individuals who have shown excellence in competition, business and support of rodeo and the western lifestyle in Texas. The Rick Smith “Spirit of Texas Award” celebrates the uniqueness of Texas and Texans and is dedicated to the memory and spirit of Rick Smith. A music visionary, Smith made a significant contribution to Western culture through his concerts, music and the ever-present “Live at Billy Bob’s” recordings.

One of the premier events prior to the Fort Worth Stock Show, the induction ceremony will be held at Billy Bob’s Texas on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Norris Foundation & Bobby Norris Farm and Ranch Realty, the event includes cocktails, a silent auction and cowboy cuisine prior to the 7 p.m. induction ceremony. Tickets to the event are $150.00 per person, or $1,500.00 for a table of ten. Proceeds benefit the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and its ongoing capital campaign for its relocation and buildout, education programs and Western lifestyle preservation efforts.

For for sponsorship and ticket information, call 817-626-7131 or email julia@texascowboyhalloffame.org with “Induction Ceremony” in the subject line.

Currently undergoing a relocation and renovation project, The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is home to more than 140 inductees who represent the best of the best in ranching, business, Entertainment, rodeo and agriculture. In addition to displays dedicated to inductees of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, museum collections include the Sterquell Wagon Collection and the John Justin Trail of Fame.

Dr. Glenn Blodgett – Dr. Glenn Blodgett began working for the Burnett Ranches which includes the famed 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas in 1982, and under his direction and management the ranch has a state-of-the art Equine Breeding and Production Facility. During his tenure, the ranch has become an industry leader in equine embryo transfer and artificial insemination, consistently producing and developing some of the most highly recognized racing and western performance American Quarter Horses worldwide. The ranch has earned numerous awards and distinctions, including becoming an AQHA All Time Leading Breeder of Performance Horses and Race Money-Earners and Winners. In 1993, the ranch won the prestigious AQHA Best of Remuda award. Blodgett’s professional contributions are immense and encompass both veterinary medicine and the horse industry. He has been committed to the betterment of the American Quarter Horse breed and steadfast in his involvement dating back to 1991 when he began serving Texas as an AQHA Director. He has served the AQHA in many capacities and in 2012 was elected to AQHA’s Executive Committee. Blodgett has been recognized by numerous organizations for his many contributions to the equine industry.

The Cavender Family – Started in 1965 in Pittsburg, Texas, by James and his wife, Pat, the iconic western wear chain, Cavender’s, has grown to 80 plus stores in 11 states. Despite that growth, the company has stayed true to its roots of hard work, treating folks right, business savvy and, above all, family. Today, James and Pat’s three sons—Joe, Mike and Clay—run the business. Clay says, “If you look back through time, there’s a look that is always cool and that’s a pearl snap shirt and a pair of cowboy boots... Everybody has a pair of cowboy boots in their wardrobe. The hat is iconic, but not everybody has one. Everybody has a pair of cowboy boots and a good pair of jeans and a pearl snap shirt.” Really, that’s where the Cavender’s success lies, they’ve identified things in this world that are timeless and put them to work for them. Whether it’s maintaining a tight-knit family, being a good steward of their resources, treating their employees and customers right or selling something that everyone wants, they stick with what works. (James Robert Cavender 1931-2018)

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo – The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, known commonly as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, is the oldest continuously running livestock show and rodeo. Held annually in Fort Worth, Texas since 1896, the nonprofit organization has provided millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to assist the future leaders of agriculture and livestock management. Every year the event generates an estimated $100 million for the local economy, drawing exhibitors and contestants from all over United States and many foreign countries. Attendance at the Stock Show currently avereages more than 1,000,000 visitors annually from across the United States and more than 80 foreign countries.

King Ranch – Richard King, along with his indispensable Kineños, tamed the land and revolutionized the ranching business. By the time of his death in 1885, King had created a legacy that would become known as the birthplace of American ranching. His domesticated longhorns were some of the very first hoof stock to comprise the early northward Texas cattle drives with a registered brand that has since taken on mythical significance – the famous “Running W”. Through an aggressive, thorough and studied breed improvement program, hardscrabble longhorns and wild horses yielded the finest cattle and horses in Texas and the development of the Santa Gertrudis breed of cattle. Other programs led to the country’s top quarter horses and some of America’s most notable thoroughbreds – including 1946 Triple Crown winner ASSAULT. In the 1940’s, innovations including mechanized brush control methods, innovative corrals for working cattle and better grasses and mineral supplements led to improved livestock production and wellness. This period also saw expanded game management and wildlife conservation practices along with oil and gas royalties. Today, like Captain King, King Ranch continues to innovate and diversify, and now has state of the art operations in turfgrass, citrus, sugarcane, grain and cotton production and processing, retail, vegetables, nursery trees, publishing, almonds and pistachios and other areas of operations. However, the Running W brand and their livestock operations and home ranches remain the focal point of their family heritage. For instance, King Ranch maintains a total horse remuda of over 225 quarter horses (over 7,500 American Quarter Horses have been registered by King Ranch), which are “on the payroll” and epitomize the continued importance of the working horse in the quarter horse breed. Furthermore, King Ranch was the first to develop a genetically enhanced within herd Expected Progency Difference system and their Santa Cruz commercial cattle (Santa Gertrudis-Red Angus Cross) have been recognized as one of, if not the, finest bos indicus cross composite breed in the nation.

Robert Earl Keen – “The road goes on forever ...” It’s not always easy to sum up a career - let alone a life’s ambition - so succinctly, but those five words from Robert Earl Keen’s calling-card anthem just about do it. You can complete the lyric (“and the party never ends!”) - just to punctuate the point with a flourish, but it’s the part about the journey that gets right to the heart of what makes Keen tick. Some people take up a life of playing music with the goal of someday reaching a destination of fame and fortune; but Keen just wanted to write and sing his own songs for as long as possible. Now three-decades from the release of his debut album, 18 other records to his name, thousands of shows under his belt and no end in sight, Keen remains as committed to and inspired by his muse as ever. From humble beginnings on the Texas folk scene, Keen has blazed a peer, critic and fan-lauded trail that’s earned him living-legend (not to mention pioneer) status in the Americana music world. And though the Houston-native has never worn his Texas heart on his sleeve, he’s long been regarded as one of the Lone Star State’s finest (not to mention top-drawing) true singer-songwriters.