Lynn Beutler of Elk City, Okla., was an integral part of professional rodeo for 40 years, becoming one of the sport’s most widely known stock contractors in the family rodeo company known as Beutler Brothers. The company, started in 1929 with Lynn, Jake and Elra Beutler, was recognized as one of the top stock contracting firms producing rodeos across the Southwest and Northwest. The most noted animal in the Beutler string was six-time Bucking Horse of the Year Descent, a palomino gelding. Lynn purchased the horse from Art Douglas. In 1954, Elra Beutler branched out on his own and 12 years later, Lynn and Jake sold the firm’s name, trucks, trailer, tack and all bucking stock to Mike Cervi of Sterling, Colo., who changed the name to Beutler Brothers & Cervi Rodeo Co. Lynn stayed on as a consultant with Mike Cervi until 1969. Lynn was also instrumental in the rodeo business, planning and producing the first National Finals Rodeo in Dallas in 1959. For the next 17 years, he served as an elected representative for all PRCA stock contractors on the NFR Committee. An astute businessman, always colorfully attired, his rodeos were smooth, fast-paced productions with top stock. Lynn died April 29, 1999.
BENNY BINION Rodeo Notable • Inducted 1988
Benny Binion was born on a Texas farm in 1901 and began trading horses for a living when he was just 10 years old. Through the years, he raised some of the best bucking and pickup horses in rodeo. ProRodeo Hall of Fame stock contractors such as Harry Knight, Lynn Beutler, Harry Vold and Mike Cervi have owned Binion horses. Binion worked for 30 years to bring an invitational rodeo to Las Vegas. In 1985, wanting to help both his cowboy comrades and the town, Binion accomplished his goal with the move of the National Finals Rodeo from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas. In the ensuing 20 years, the NFR has become one of the top tickets in sports and one of Las Vegas’ most prestigious and lucrative two weeks of the year. In 1985, the PRCA named Binion ProRodeo Man of the Year. Binion played a significant role in the evolution of ProRodeo – from his sponsorship of a Winston Tour outfit, his influence in the NFR move and his sponsorship of NFR contestant entry fees. Despite his death in 1989, Binion’s legacy lives on during each round of the NFR when the flashy red stagecoach bearing his name and drawn by six Quarter horses makes its way around the arena. He never climbed over a chute gate, but Binion carried the spirit of the cowboy in his heart.
BODACIOUS livestock • Bull • Inducted 1999
Perhaps no bucking bull in ProRodeo history was as feared as Bodacious, a 1,900-pound cross-bred charbray that burst upon the scene in 1992. In four years, Bodacious was virtually unrideable. All muscle, the bull with the distinctive yellow coloring bucked off 127 of his 135 riders and became known for a bone-crushing style that sent many riders to the hospital, including world champions Tuff Hedeman and Terry Don West. Bodacious was known for his explosive exit out of the chute. He started out with such force it was not uncommon to see his belly from the top of the back of the chute. He was first ridden in 1993, and it took two years before another bull rider stayed on for eight seconds. His ability to buck riders off before they could nod their heads did not endear him to the cowboys. For his efforts, Bodacious was named PRCA Bull of the Year in 1994-95 and top bull of the National Finals Rodeo in 1992 and 1994-95. Owners Sammy and Carolyn Andrews retired Bodacious during the 10th round of the 1995 National Finals Rodeo. Until his untimely death in 2000, Bodacious spent his time in his home pasture, passing on his genes to future bucking stars.
C.R. BOUCHER Steer Wrestling • Inducted 2001
C.R. Boucher may not have competed in rodeo growing up, but he certainly made up for it with a career spanning more than three decades. He was one of the most versatile cowboys in ProRodeo history. Contestant, chute boss, pickup man and board member are just a few of the job titles held by Boucher, born May 21, 1931, in Livingston, Mont., during his remarkable rodeo career. As a bulldogger, he won the 1964 world championship in dramatic fashion over John W. Jones Sr. Before that, he claimed the 1961 National Finals Rodeo steer wrestling aggregate championship, finishing second that year in the world standings. Boucher worked 27 years as a pickup man for stock contractor Elra Beutler and the Beutler family. Boucher’s many talents allowed him to compete or work the National Finals Rodeo in every NFR city – Dallas, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Las Vegas. Outside of the arena, he served as the steer wrestling contestant director, vice president of the RCA and member of the NFR committee.
EVERETT BOWMAN All-Around • Inducted 1979
Winner of 10 world championships in nine years, Everett Bowman’s dynamic leadership made him one of the great rodeo contributors to the advancement of professional rodeo. Bowman, born July 12, 1899, in Hope, N.M., won his titles during a career that spanned more than 20 years. Bowman won all-around championships in 1935 and 1937; tie-down roping championships in 1929, 1935 and 1937; world steer wrestling championships in 1930, 1933, 1935 and 1938; and the world steer roping champion in 1937. When the Cowboys’ Turtle Association was founded in 1936, he was elected president, an office he held until reorganization of the CTA to the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1945. Most of the fundamental changes in rodeo that are now the bedrock of the sport came about under Bowman’s leadership: adding entry fees to prize money, fair and impartial judging, codified rules and regulations, humane treatment of livestock and minimum standards for approval as a professional rodeo. Bowman died in 1971 in a plane crash in Arizona.
His entire rodeo career spanned only eight years, but Louis Brooks was known as one of the best all-around cowboys ever. When he started, he entered all three roughstock events and won. Later, Brooks began to specialize, giving up bull riding. “When I quit the bulls, my bareback riding and saddle bronc riding improved 40 percent in 30 days,” he said. Some of the tough broncs he covered were Amos (Beutler Brothers), T-Joe (McCarty & Elliott), Hell’s Angel (Colborn) and Hootchie Kootchie (Cremer). He retired in 1944 without sustaining a rodeo injury, which in itself is probably a rodeo record. By that time, he had claimed six world titles – all-around and saddle bronc riding in 1943-44 and bareback riding in 1942 and 1944. He served as vice president of the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) in 1945. After rodeo, Brooks operated his Sweetwater, Texas, ranch, raising brangus cattle, Quarter Horses and thoroughbreds. His horses won the Land of Enchantment Futurity in New Mexico and the Berkeley Handicap in California. Born Dec. 9, 1916, in Fletcher, Okla., Brooks died in 1983.
World championships: 6 (4, All-around and saddle bronc riding, 1943-44; 2, bareback riding, 1942, 1944)
