Stockman rides into the Hall of Fame

By Bruce Campbell
sports Editor

Rodeo comes as natural to Wayne Vold as riding a bicycle.
“In 1965 and 1966, I was the Canadian saddle bronc champion, and then I retired to produce rodeos,” Vold said. “Ten years later, I think it was 1977, I was talking to Larry Mahan (six time all-around world champion) at the Ponoka Stampede and told him I wanted to try Calgary again but I hadn’t done anything in 10 years.
“Larry told me saddle bronc was just like riding a bicycle — I’d get it back right away. So I borrowed a saddle, got into Calgary and I finished second.”
Vold, who raises world-class rodeo stock at his ranch south of Okotoks, was named to the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association Hall of Fame last week.
He literally has rodeo in his genes. His father Harry Vold raised stock in the DeWinton area before opting to do the same in the United States. (The Volds also supplied stock during the first years of the Little Britches Rodeo in High River.) Harry is still raising stock in Pueblo, Colorado.
Wayne moved the operation south of Okotoks approximately14 years ago. He has produced championship stock for the Calgary Stampede, the Canadian National Finals and the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
“Picking and raising a good bucking horse is a bit like the hockey draft system,” Vold said with a chuckle. “You think you might have a good one, but you don’t know until he gets out there.”
Vold should be giving tips to Flames’ GM Darryl Sutter — he’s been picking pretty well over the years.
He sent 12 horses and three bulls to the Canadian Finals Rodeo last November. As well, five of his horses went to the National Finals Rodeo in December. One of his horses, Awesome, has won the NFR bucking horse championship two of the last three years.
He said he doesn’t necessarily want a horse or bull that bucks off everyone who even thinks of riding him.
“I want a horse that if they do ride him, they are going to have a score in the high 80s or 90s,” Vold said.
Vold said the stock industry has become much more competitive these days than it was when he got started producing rodeo in the late 1960s.
Oh, and Vold proved his second place showing at the Calgary Stampede in 1977 wasn’t a fluke. After the Stampede he started driving and hopping on small planes and going to several rodeos. He wound up qualifying for the Canadian Finals Rodeo.
He won his first major title in 1958 when he won the Novice Bronc Riding title at the Calgary Stampede.
Vold also had success as a country singer. He hosted a television show in the 1970s, which was broadcast from The Ranchman’s.
Vold is going into the Hall of Fame with stock contractor Verne Franklin who died in 1999. Also being inducted are bull riders Lawrence Hutchinson, Dale Johansen and bronc riders Ellie Lewis and Jerry Sinclair.
Blue Bill, a bucking horse from the 1940s and 1950s, is also going into the hall of fame.
The hall of fame induction ceremony is Oct. 18 at the Carriage House in Calgary.
Vold won the prestigious Guy Weadick Memorial Award in 1977 for the athlete who best embodies what the cowboy stands for, and who best typifies the spirit of the Calgary Stampede. It is based upon ability, appearance, showmanship, character, sportsmanship and cooperation with other cowboys, the arena crew, the media and the public.
Vold has also been named to the High River Agricultural Society’s Wall of Fame.