REUNION
Come meet old friends from your college rodeo days at the Annual Reunion of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Alumni held in conjunction with the College National Finals Rodeo. In 2010, the Nineteenth Annual Reunion will be June 18 and June 19 in Casper, Wyoming. PLAN NOW TO ATTEND.
HONORING: NIRA Champion Teams and top four placings in the individual events at the CNFR from 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000, and all pre-NIRA college rodeo contestants. This year is the Sixtieth Anniversary of the second College National Finals held at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. We do not have a list of contestants for the finals in 1950 but we urge contestants from that year to contact those they know about and let them know about the reunion. Anyone in the above-named groups should contact Sharon Adams as soon as possible. Lists of champions and top four finishers for the "OUGHTS" are attached and a link for downloading can be found at the end of this section.
First, a brief report on the Eighteenth Annual Reunion: Sixteen cowboys and cowgirls representing six decades of college rodeo were introduced in the arena before the Friday night performance. Having a great time reliving college rodeo exploits from sixty years ago were Dan V. Rogers, Tommy Kuiper, John Finley, Willard Phillips, Charlie Rankin, Jim Easley, Harry Hopson, John Gammon, Charlie Dunning, Gene Pedersen, and Norman McNew. These men made history for college rodeo at that First Finals and many of them had already made history with their service to their country in World War II. Gary Gregg and Larry O'Neill, champions from 1959, cowgirls Nancy Robinson Peterson and Barbara Baer from 1969, and bull rider David Winings from 1989 rounded out our list of honorees. Once again we heard great personal stories from honorees, guests and members about college rodeo.
-2009 NIRA ALUMNA OF THE YEAR-
SYLVIA GANN MAHONEY
Alumna of the Year Sylvia Gann Mahoney receives congratulations and her buckle award from Roger Walters, commissioner of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, prior to the Friday performance of the College National Finals. Photo by Dan Hubbell.
Om 1977, Sylvia Gann Mahoney was hired by New Mexico Junion College to teach English. The faculty member she replaced had also been the rodeo club sponsor so Mahoney was asked to take on those duties also. She took NMJC rodeo contestants to the college finals every year for the seven years she taught there. That began her association with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Later, married to Vernon Community College Rodeo Coach, John Mahoney, she continued to support the sport, serve on the CNFR publicity staff and work with the CNFR commissioners.
Sylvia "wrote the book" on college rodeo. Her book, "College Rodeo: From Show to Sport" was published by Texas A&M Press in 2004. In an article in the Fall 2009 issue of the Collegiate Arena, Evelyn Bruce Kingsbery writes: "She interviewed hundreds of former college rodeo contestants and coaches, researched years of records of the NIRA, collected hundreds of pictures, and wove it all together into a captivating narrative that accurately traces the history of college rodeo. She joked that writing the book took "only" nineteen years from its beginning to publication."
Along the way, Sylvia saw the need for a rodeo alumni organization so in 1991 she and Betty Sims Solt set about putting together just such a group. She served as the first president of the alumni and continues to serve on the board of directors.
College rodeo and professional rodeo owe a great debt of gratitude to Sylvia. She came along with her writing abilities, research skills, respect for history, and passion for the sport of rodeo just at the right time to chronicle the birth and growth of a uniquely American college sport.
Previous recipients of the "Alumnus of the Year" award are Bob Clore, Sonny Sikes, Charlie Rankin, and Evelyn Bruce Kingsbery.
Now, on to 2010!
2010 Nineteenth Annual Reunion
JUNE 18TH AND 19th, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
During the
College National Finals Rodeo. All meetings take place at the Ramada Plaza Riverside, Casper, Wyoming
FRIDAY,
JUNE 18
9:00
A. M.
NIRAA
Board of Directors Meeting
FRIDAY,
JUNE 18
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Hospitality
Room for all NIRAA members and guests
Be
sure to bring your rodeo pictures, scrapbooks, news articles and other items
of interest. Television and DVD player available.
12:30 p.m. =1:30 p.m. Buffet lunch (reservations required)
1:30
p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Program
and reception, introductions, speakers, entertainment.
7:00
p.m.
Casper
Events Center
CNFR
Performance
Introduction
of 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980. 1990 and 2000 Champions
SATURDAY,
JUNE 19
9:00
a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Panels
of Honorees, Entertainment, Music
12:00
p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Awards
Luncheon (reservations Required)
7:00
p.m.
Casper
Events Center
Short-Go
of CNFR
Presentation
of Scholarships
A
list of former contestants who will be invited and honored may be downloaded here. Please look over the list for people you know and let Sharon
Adams know addresses, phone numbers, married names, etc., so we can contact
and invite them to participate.
The NIRA Alumni has a block of rooms reserved at the Ramada Plaza Riverside that will be held until June 1. Ask for the NIRA Alumni
rate.
Ramada Plaza Riverside Ramada Plaza Riverside Website
300 West F Street
Casper, WY 82601
For Reservations call: 307-235-2531
For Directions to the the Hotel:
Directions to Ramada Plaza Riverside
While in Casper:
Local Events
For
Rodeo Tickets call: 1-800-442-2256 (11:00am
- 5:00pm)
Tickets go on sale May 1, 2010. Ask for the Alumni Section. Performances
are at 7:00 p.m.
