hall of fame inductees
Directions
Home > Round-Up > Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Become a Member, Join the Circle of Champions

Admission: FREE (Donation Only)

SUMMER Weekday hours: Tuesday-Friday 10am - 4pm

SUMMER Weekend hours: Saturday 10am - 4pm

The Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame was founded in 1969. Ten men and five horses were the first honorees. Each year the Hall of Fame Board of Directors and its Members select other men, women and sometimes livestock as honorees. An honoree must have a long association with Round-Up and Happy Canyon. A special section of the Hall of Fame is devoted to our honorees. Each year, a special display case is set up for the current inductees. These cases include pictures, clothing and other memorabilia that showcase the contributions of the honoree.

Exhibits in the Hall of Fame cover a wide range of subjects and span more than 100 years of Round-Up history. Saddles, clothing, Indian costumes, photographs, firearms, trophies, wagons…hundreds of items are displayed for your enjoyment.

You can become a member of the Hall of Fame, and help to ensure the history and artifacts of the Round-Up and Happy Canyon we enjoy today will still be here tomorrow.

For more information call 541-278-0815. The Hall of Fame building is located at 1114 SW Court Ave, across from the Round-Up grounds.

2022-23 Hall of Fame Inductees

The Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame introduce new inductees for 2022-23! The Hall of Fame Banquet honoring our newest inductees will be Sunday, September 10, 2023, preceding Round-Up week, at the Pendleton Convention Center. Cocktail hour: 5:30pm


Tickets are on sale at the store or call 541.276.2553.


TICKETS: $47 IN ADVANCE | $52 AT DOOR




Each year, the Pendleton Round-Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame membership selects a new class of inductees into the prestigious Hall of Fame. Nominees are submitted for various categories, which can include contestants, volunteers, contract personnel, animal, and Native Americans, and members of the Hall of Fame have the opportunity to vote on the nominees. Inductees are announced each spring, with an Inductee Banquet held during Round-Up to honor the year’s inductees. Inductees are also introduced during a presentation in the famous Pendleton Round-Up Arena on the Wednesday of Round-Up week each year.


The Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame announced their 2022-23 inductees at their annual membership meeting.

This year’s inductees include;
  • Contestant Category, Fred Whitefield
  • Indian Category, Toni Minthorn (Pendleton Round-Up & Happy Canyon)
  • Volunteer Category, Virginia Roberts
  • Animal Category, Omega Supreme "Omega"



Fred Whitefield

An eight-time World Champion, seven as tie-down roper and once as an all-round, Fred was a Pendleton Round-Up contestant for over 20-years. He has won three Pendleton Round-Up Championships in tie-down roping, 1996, 2005, and a tie in 1995. He was the first African-American to win the tie-down roping at the Pendleton Round-Up, and became the third cowboy in history to surpass the $2-million mark in career earnings. Fred has always been known to be “cool under pressure” and for his notorious “raise the roof” salute with his fans. He has won titles at virtually every major rodeo. He lives in Texas with his wife, Cassie, and has two daughters.

Toni Minthorn

Toni has been involved in Happy Canyon and Round-Up her whole life, camping in the village during the Round-Up and participating in Happy Canyon when she was only 9-months old. Born in 1961, she was chosen as a Happy Canyon Princess in 1978, and then a Pendleton Round-Up Princess in 1982. She was the first to serve on both courts. Toni has continued to work for Happy Canyon and the Round-Up unofficially for over 40-years, and officially since 2004 as the Happy Canyon court chaperone and since 2006 as the Pendleton Round-Up court riding coach. She is an expert horsewoman, trainer, and teacher, and she has provided past princess with horses, trained them to ride, and continues to actively recruited young women for various activities. She has also acted as an outrider for the American Indian Beauty Contest, pulled a travois in Happy Canyon and in the Westward Ho! parade, and has carried flags and pennants in multiple parades for Happy Canyon around the west. She has been a valuable volunteer supporting and serving Round-Up and Happy Canyon by volunteering for the Parade, Indian, Security, Arena, Grounds, and Hay & Barns Directors throughout the years. Toni is a member of
CTUIR and works as the director of the enrollment department for the Tribes.

Virginia Roberts

Even though Virginia is in her early 90’s, you will still find her spending relentless hours volunteering for the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame as a historian and archive expert. She has dedicated over 28-years volunteering for the Hall of Fame
and the retail store, with her primary responsibility of preserving all of the donations to the museum and creating files of the historical information for each artefact. Virginia is a former Pendleton First Citizen, and has also volunteered at the Historical Society, public
library, coached community members on tracking family heritage, as well as City and Round-Up history, and has dedicated service to helping at Olney Cemetery to trace family history and genealogy.

Omega Supreme "Omega"

This is the stallion leopard Appaloosa was ridden over 25 years by Chief Gary Burke as a raider and a scout in the Happy Canyon Night Show, during Pendleton Round-Up Indian Presentation, and in various parades. This photogenic horse won many awards around the
northwest, participated in over 420 shows, parades, events, photo shoots, and was also ridden by his daughter in the American Indian Beauty Pageant. Was featured in a portrait with Chief Burke displayed in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.
Owner: Doug and Nee-Nee Haynie, Pilot Rock, OR.

Born: April 24, 1986
Died at age of 30 years.
Back to
Top
Tickets & Deals