Rodeo Personnel Nominees
NANCY SHEPPARD
Nancy was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and is descended from a pioneer Texas ranching family who’s western and rodeo roots run deep. Grandfather Kelley was a Texas cowboy and roper, who ranched in Coleman County. Father Cleve Kelley was a Texas cowboy and rodeo calf roper, a signer of the famous 1936 Boston Rodeo Document, and he was also a member of the Cowboys’ Turtie Association. Mother Margaret Adams was the daughter of a prominent horse and mule dealer and showed horses as a child in Fort Worth’s old coliseum.
At age eighteen, married rodeo cowboy and rancher Lynn Sheppard of Globe, Arizona, and sonLex was born in 1951.
Contrast Acts: Trick riding, trick roping, quadrille and rodeo publicity from the age of nine through age of thirty-one; 1939 through 1966. A twenty two-year career.
By age eleven Nancy was performing in such rodeos as the Pendleton Roundup and at age seventeen she was trick riding and trick roping in New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Nancy is most known for her spectacular stand on a running horse while spinning two ropes.
Trick rider and trick roper 1.W. Stoker of Weatherford, Texas had a trick roping act with Nancy for many years.
She was a contract act representative for the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) in the 1950s.
Author of Ridin’, Ropin* & Recipes book which is in its third printing and is in nine museums for its rodeo and ranching history. Nancy is also an inspirational Western history speaker.
Some of the Texas rodeos where she performed: Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Dublin and Belton.
Hall of Fame Inductees:
1991 -National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Fort Worth, TX
1996 – National Comboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma Gity, OK
2003 – ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy, Colorado Springs, CO
2016 – Dublin Rodeo Heritage Museum, Dublin, TX
Additional Informatica:
Nancy rode and roped from coast to coast and from Montana to Texas at most of the major
rodeos and had a fan club in New York state.
After an article appeared in the Western Horseman magazine, some of her fan mail came from
Europe
Janette Plunkett Lee
Janette Plunkett was born and raised in Abbott, TX. She learned & started trick riding in the mid 1950,s.
While at a rodeo in Belton, TX Janette became enthused over trick riding after watching trick riders Polly
McGowan of Dallas and Jody Reynolds of Dublin.
Janette learned to trick ride from Ruby Tacker who was giving lessons at the Hill County Roundup Arena.
Janette learned the art quickly and was soon hired by Dan Coates of Fort Worth. In 1957, Coates produced a rodeo in the Dominican Republic and invited Janette to appear as one of the trick riders in the show. The rodeo was so successful that only two weeks later Coates produced another two-week show in Havana, Cuba; Janette was also hired to trick ride there.
In 1958, Janette made her debut in the Rodeo Cowboys Association and worked with many of the elite trickriders such as Nancy Shepperd, Karen Womack Vold, Dick & Bev Hammond and J.W. Stoker.
Janette also modeled for Miller Western Wear and Tony Lama boots.
Janette retired from trick riding in the early 1980’s
Phil Livingston
Phil Livingston was a member of the RCA & PRCA competing in the calf roping, team roping and team tying events. His rodeo roots run deep and have been passed down to his son Jimmy Livingston.
He and his family are well known in Weatherford area for their achievements and for the outstanding horses they raised and trained. Cowboy and rodeo roper since his teens, Phil has competed widely at college, open and professional levels, as well as numerous jackpots.
Phil is a long-time member of the Parker Co Sheriff’s Posse where he continues to be a viable member in helping put on one of the best outdoor PRCA rodeos in the state of Texas.
Phil’s other talent was writing articles and books for the Western Horseman and some of his own all being in the Western Genre. His forte was books on training, history and bloodlines. Phil just completed “75 Years on the Hill with co-author Bill Ward which recalls all the shenanigans that occurred over the 75 years of the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse being in existence
Phil also worked at Ryon’s Saddle and Ranch Supplies in Fort Worth, TX in the mid to late 70’s. and was in charge of the production of the numerous catalogs to the hundreds of thousands of customers.
Pete Carr
After he quit riding bucking horses, Pete Carr still had an itch for rodeo, scratching it by
establishing Pete Carr Pro Rodeo in 2005. Since then, he’s had dozens of animals selected to the NFR,
four of which have been named Bareback Horse of the Year: Real Deal, Big Tex, Deuces Night and
Dirty Jacket (twice). On multiple occasions, he’s had the most NFR stock and is a 13-time nominee for
PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year all while producing 10 Texas events like San Angelo, Stephenville,
Weatherford and Pecos, as well as having buckers at Houston and San Antonio.
Skidboot, the Dog
Skidboot was an exceptionally intelligent and well-trained Australian Cattle Dog who gained fame. Skidboot’s remarkable intelligence and ability to perform complex tasks amazed audiences worldwide. He was owned by David Hartwig, a Texas rancher, who discovered Skidboot’s unique talents and trained him to perform a variety of tricks, including understanding complex verbal commands and responding to subtle gestures. Skidboot’s fame skyrocketed after appearances on television shows such as “Oprah” and “The Tonight Show.” His extraordinary intelligence and loyal nature not only made him a beloved pet but also a symbol of the bond between humans and animals. Skidboot passed away in 2007, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most talented and beloved dogs of his time.
