The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Texas native and longtime western movie film star, the late Gene Autry, has been inducted to the Professional Cowboys Association Hall of Fame.

Gene Autry is considered by many to be the greatest western star of all time. He earned the designation of “American’s Favorite Cowboy”. One of his stars on the Walk of Fame is for Live Performance (including rodeo), not live theater.

In 1942, Autry, at the height of his screen popularity, had a string of rodeo stock, based in Ardmore, Oklahoma. A year later he became a partner in the World Championship Rodeo Company, which furnished livestock for many of the country’s major rodeos.

He has five stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording, Movies, TV, Radio, and live theater.

Also, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has been inducted to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, leading the 2013 class of inductees. Their induction will be in the rodeo event/committee category. The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame’s board awards this honor to an event or association that champions the western lifestyle and supports the sport of Rodeo.

RodeoHouston, as the show is now referred too, has been a strong advocate of the sport of rodeo since the show’s first held rodeo in 1938. Officials and committees have always strived to bring the best in both athlete and animal to each performance as well as the experience for all involved. The rodeo’s rich history includes many championship moments that many cowboys and cowgirls boast as their own career highlights.

The iconic Astrodome has been the setting for many of TRCHF inductees best moments, including a 14 year old Charmayne James and Scampers’ first Houston Championship, Miles Hare legendary bull fighting spanning over two decades, and Dan Courmier winning the Steer Wrestling on the same day his father won the same title 31 years before. In 2007, just 5 years after moving into Reliant Stadium, rodeo officials introduced the Super Series format, increasing the Rodeo purse to $1.2 million and take home pay for each event champion a minimum $50,000 in winnings.

The show has committed, since 1932, approximately $283 million to scholarships, research and endowments.

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 a 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 2013 induction ceremony was held in Fort Worth last April. For a complete list of the 2013 inductees to the Texas Rodea Cowboy Hall of Fame visit http://www.texasrodeocowboy.com