The Texas Cowboy Reunion was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame (TRCHF) on Saturday, April 6th, 2019 during an Induction and Reunion Luncheon in Ft. Worth. Attending the event and receiving the award on behalf of the TCR was President and General Manager Matt Mueller, his wife LeeAnn, and longtime former TCR Director and volunteer Dub Harrison.

The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame honors the men and women, committees and associations, and the livestock that champions the western lifestyle and supports the sport of rodeo. This honor represents the brilliant effort and dedication of cowboys, cowgirls, volunteers and personnel that make rodeo and the State of Texas so proud. It is the dedication and talents of the contestants and the support of communities across the Lone Star State, to come together and enjoy competitive rodeo action at an elite level. The TRCHF was founded in 1975 by Belton businessman and PRCA contestant Johnny Boren.

The origin story of the Texas Cowboy Reunion is unique. In the spring of 1930, a group of men, many of whom were pioneers of Stamford, met to discuss forming an organization, a community project that would help pull the town out of The Great Depression. They wanted to honor the pioneers of the west and provide a place where they could come together and “live again the days of the longhorn and open range,” and so these men decided on a rodeo. After discussing various possible names, pioneer photographer Ray Rector, spoke up and said, “I move that we call it the Texas Cowboy Reunion!” The first meeting was set for June 26th, 27th and 28th of 1930. With no time to build an arena, the group decided on a natural amphitheatre on Swenson Ranch, the sides on which crude benches were constructed. The registration exceeded the hopes of those who organized the first reunion, with 98 contestants. Eight outfits brought their chuck wagons along to set up camp. The participants and fans came from all over Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, and elsewhere.

What began as a small community project, started with a few men, the Texas Cowboy Reunion grew to be known as the “Largest Amateur Rodeo in the World.” It had one mission, as stated by Ray Rector: “To perpetuate the memory of the West, to entertain the pioneers of the past, to keep alive the traditions of those that wrested this country from the Indians and the buffalo is our one aim, and to this task we have pledged our time, our money, and our efforts. With this idea in view we believe our organization will continue to grow until the last drive has been made, the last alkali bogs have been passed and the last great round-up will find us all together where cutting horses never get tired and where no night guards are needed.”

The 89th Texas Cowboy Reunion will be held July 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, 2019. Information about the Texas Cowboy Reunion can be found at www.texascowboyreunion.com.

The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame is located in the Ft. Worth Stockyards, 121 East Exchange Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas.