June Ivory (born June 17, 1931–November 9, 2004) was inducted into the

ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, pr ...

in 2004.

Life

June Ivory was born June Bull on June 17, 1931, in

Pampa, Texas Pampa (from the Quechua: ''pampa'', meaning "plain") is a city in Gray County, Texas, United States. Its population was 16,867 as of the 2020 census. Pampa is the county seat of Gray County and is the principal city of the Pampa micropolitan ...

. June married fellow hall of famer Buster Ivory in 1954, and her friend Liz Kezler was her maid of honor.

Career

Ivory started out as a professional

barrel racer Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur and ...

. However, she and friend Liz Kesler started to secretary and time rodeos, working rodeos all over the country. Ivory taught fellow barrel racer Lydia Moore how to secretary and time rodeos. Ivory also worked with her husband for many decades with the goal of enlarging and improving rodeo. Ivory was outspoken but had a good heart. She always helped someone in need and could rise to meet any occasion. She flourished in all aspects of the rodeo business. She worked for many of the most notable stock contractors. In 1959, she unloaded the first horse to start the first

National Finals Rodeo The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money-winners in the season for each event. The NFR is held each year in the fi ...

(NFR). Ivory possessed a real knack for showy attire, thus carrying the American flag during the opening ceremonies of the National Finals Rodeo. In 1968, she instituted the first secretary school. She was one of the ladies who created the NFR Ladies Day. She would coordinate the annual Cowboy Reunion every year. "I always wanted to be a rodeo glamour gal and rodeo secretary”, she said. “My dreams came true. I had a great life and wouldn't change one thing". In 2000, Buster and June Ivory hosted a Cowboy Reunion in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, at the

Excalibur Hotel Excalibur Hotel and Casino is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, in the United States. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. Excalibur, named for the mythical sword of King Arthur, use ...

. The event is an annual one that draws plenty of former contestants. That year's event was held at the same time the NFR was going on in the same city. There was some reminiscing about the

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

Rodeos (they are the forerunner to today's NFR). That year's event also included ten former members of the original Cowboy's Turtle Association (the precursor to today's

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States and Canada, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National F ...

). Ivory died in Pampas, Texas, on November 9, 2004. She was inducted into the

Rodeo Hall of Fame The Rodeo Hall of Fame was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1955. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of cowboys and cowgirls from around the world. The ha ...

of the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...

in 2004. She was inducted into the

Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame in Fort Worth, Texas, dedicated to the sport of rodeo. History This hall of fame was founded by Johnny Boren. Also contributing to the foundation were a group of Belton, Texas, bu ...

in 2001. She was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2004.

References

External sources

2004 ProRodeo Hall of Fame Inductee June Ivory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivory, June 1931 births 2004 deaths American barrel racers American female equestrians 20th-century American sportswomen Sportspeople from Texas