The National Rodeo Hall of Fame, located at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, has announced the launch of a new Junior Rodeo Membership, a youth-focused initiative designed to expand access, remove barriers to participation and invest directly in the future of rodeo.
Since 1955, the National Rodeo Hall of Fame has honored the legends of the West’s original sport. This new membership initiative represents a forward-looking investment, ensuring that rodeo’s traditions, values and stories continue to be carried forward by those who will shape its future.
“For 70 years, the National Rodeo Hall of Fame has been the iconic home for honoring and preserving the great names and traditions of rodeo,” said Pat Fitzgerald, president and CEO of the Museum. “The Junior Rodeo Membership is about opening doors and welcoming young people into that legacy by giving them a clear path to engage, learn and see themselves as part of rodeo’s future.”
Junior Rodeo Membership: Removing Barriers, Building Stewards
The Junior Rodeo Membership is available to rodeo fans and participants 18 years of age and under, or to individuals with a valid student ID, for $25 annually. The program was created in recognition that rodeo’s future depends on its passionate youth participants and that early connection to the sport’s history matters.
By intentionally keeping the cost low, the Junior Rodeo Membership removes financial barriers to entry while providing meaningful benefits and opportunities for engagement.
Junior Rodeo Members receive:
- A National Rodeo Hall of Fame baseball cap from Wrangler
- Year-round admission for one to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
- Eligibility for the National Rodeo Hall of Fame scholarship program
- Invitations and member pricing for rodeo-related events
- A direct connection to the history, traditions and champions preserved at the Museum in the National Rodeo Hall of Fame and our American Rodeo Gallery
Support from Wrangler helps make the Junior membership accessible while delivering tangible value to young members and their families.
“The future of rodeo lies with the sport’s dedicated youth participants,” said Joey Niebrugge, Rodeo Engagement Manager. “By making youth memberships accessible, we can support them through continued education scholarships, helping secure the future of this great Western tradition.”
A Clear Path to Scholarship Support
In addition to educational outreach, the Junior Rodeo Membership provides a direct pathway to scholarship eligibility. The membership allows high school students to meet the Rodeo Historical Society membership requirement for the National High School Rodeo Association RHS Scholarship Program.
Recent scholarship recipients include Cash Evans of Fort Supply, Oklahoma, and Rylee Jo Maryman of St. Francisville, Louisiana, underscoring the real-world impact of early engagement with the National Rodeo Hall of Fame.
Through the Junior Rodeo Membership, the Museum is substantially broadening the reach of existing scholarship efforts by directly engaging young rodeo participants earlier in their journey.
Additional Membership Update: Dual Rodeo Membership
Alongside the launch of the Junior Rodeo Membership, the National Rodeo Hall of Fame has also introduced a Dual Rodeo Membership, created in response to feedback from members seeking full participation for two adults within the same household.
The Dual Rodeo Membership, priced at $100 annually, includes:
- Subscription to The Ketchpen, the biannual rodeo magazine
- Year-round admission for two to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
- Nominating privileges for the National Rodeo Hall of Fame
- Voting privileges for two to select Hall of Fame inductees and RHS board members (Both ballots must be mailed to the same address)
- Invitations and member pricing for rodeo-related events
- Membership is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law
The Dual membership is limited to two individuals within the same household and ensures equal voice and participation in the Hall of Fame’s nomination and voting process.
Learn More or Join
To learn more about National Rodeo Hall of Fame memberships or to join, visit:
nationalcowboymuseum.org/
Comments