2024 Hall of Fame inductees are announced
By Terry Murry on Thursday, May 16th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – (News release from the Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame) The Pendleton Round-Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame Board of Directors announced the 2024 inductees into the Hall of Fame on May 14 during the organization’s annual membership meeting. The class of 2024 inductees includes Pat Nogle (Contestant Category), Bobby Christensen Jr. (Contract Personnel Category), Jesse Jones Sr. (Early Years Category), Scott & Bonnie Sager (Happy Canyon Volunteers category), and Ron and Linné Dodge (Special Board Inductee).
Each year, the Hall of Fame receives nominations from the organization’s members in rotating categories. The nominations are then voted on by members, and the winners are announced at the board’s annual membership meeting in May. The inductees will be celebrated at the Hall of Fame Inductee Banquet during Round-Up on Sunday, September 8. They will be honored in the Round-Up Arena on September 11 during the Wednesday rodeo performance. The inductees will also be featured in the Hall of Fame with special exhibits beginning later this summer.
Contestant – Pat Nogle:
Pat Nogle is a native Oregon cowboy who grew up on his family’s ranch in Grass Valley. Many thought his rodeo career could have been much grander, especially as a National Finals Rodeo (NFR)qualifier, where he competed only twice – once in 1976 and again in 1979. However, Pat competed primarily in the Pacific Northwest because he was so dedicated to helping on the family ranch. He won the Oregon High School championship twice, and came in 2nd those same years at the High School National Finals. He then placed 2nd in the nation 3 consecutive times at the college level while competing for Walla Walla Community College. Pat competed in the Pendleton Round-Up for four decades beginning in the 1970s and up to the early 2000s.
Pat won the Bulldogging Championship in 1976 at Pendleton, as well as Championship buckles in Ellensburg, Wash., Salinas, Calif., Omak, Wash. (5-times), St. Paul (3-times), and the Columbia River Circuit numerous times over three decades, with numerous records that still stand to this day.
Pat still lives on the family ranch in Grass Valley, Oregon. He as two daughters and three grandchildren. He continues to promote rodeo through this involvement in rodeo schools around the Northwest.
Contract Personnel – Bobby Christensen Jr.:
Bobby Christensen Jr. has been involved with the Pendleton Round-Up for 47 years, and over 60 years including his childhood memories. His roles have included volunteer, competitor, and contractor. A second-generation rodeo stock contractor, Bobby Jr. became joint business partner and General Manager of the Christensen Brothers Rodeo and Stock Company in 1969. His family, the Christensen Brothers Rodeo and Stock Company, has served as the primary stock contractor for the Round-Up for over 50 years, resulting in Bobby’s opportunity to spend long hours on the grounds. By the 1960s, Bobby became a contestant at the Round-Up and competed for eight years in bareback riding and also tried the Wild Horse Race. Additionally, Bobby worked as a pick-up man for approximately 25 years.
Bobby Jr. notes fond memories of working as a pick-up man when the ABC Wide World of Sports Crew broadcast the Pendleton Round-Up in 1964. After the dissolvement of the Christensen Brothers Rodeo and Stock Company in 1989, Bobby continued to volunteer in the backlot helping to guide new cowboys and assist with the flow of arena events. Most recently he has assisted with historic programming details for the Hall of Fame relative to the research of contestants and animals for exhibits. In 2021, he participated in the Cowboy Special Moments Television Series on behalf of the Hall of Fame “War Paint Horse of the Decades” Celebration.
Bobby Jr. is a PRCA Gold Card member and was a member of the Oregon State University Rodeo Team. He has also been honored by the Columbia River Rodeo Circuit, Crooked River Rodeo Association, and joins Christensen Brothers Rodeo and Stock Company as inductees at the Idaho Rodeo Hall of Fame, St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame, and Redding Rodeo Hall of Fame.
Early Years – Jesse Jones Sr.:
Also known as Chief Umapine, Jessie Jones Sr. agreed to have his people of the Cayuse Tribe participate in the Pendleton Round-Up celebration in August of 1910. He was known through Indian history to be part of numerous functions throughout the Tribes of the Umatilla reservation. He, along with the other Chiefs of the Umatilla tribes, voted unanimously to participate in the first Round-Up celebration.
According to Indian history, in early years he raised and trained horses for Indian chiefs, war chiefs, and warriors of the three tribes of the Umatilla reservation. He later became the Chief of the Cayuse and became a local legend of the area from where he was from, later to be called Umapine, Oregon.
He was well known for leading numerous ceremonies, spreading Native American awareness for Indians and non-Indians, and participating in significant events, such as the Pendleton Round-Up. He participated in Round-Up for 40-plus years.
Happy Canyon Volunteer – Scott & Bonnie Sager:
Dedicated to the behind-the-scenes action of Happy Canyon and the Pendleton Round-Up for over 63 years, Scott and Bonnie Sager are best known as the “go-to” couple for wisdom in project development and the historic connections that are vital to the Happy Canyon and Pendleton Round-Up. Both have spearheaded significant projects including planning and fundraising for the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame building which came to be under Bonnie’s leadership as a three-term President of the Hall of Fame.
She was also the leadership behind the development of the “Rendezvous” Wagon Train in 1983, which continues today as the popular annual Pendleton Round-Up Wagon Train. She also started the Happy Canyon Rendezvous Ceremonial Celebration/International Media Event in 1988 and Scott created a stop at Indian Lake which included ceremonial participation from Native Americans in memory of Chief Clarence Burke.
Scott served as a Happy Canyon Director from 1984-1993 while Bonnie served on the Hall of Fame Board from 1995-2002. Bonnie and Scott’s ability to “tell” the historic story of Happy Canyon and the Pendleton Round-Up enabled them to draw in major media coverage from across the world to cover the “Rendezvous” Wagon Train as well as Happy Canyon and Round-Up events. Scott’s gifted ability to work with the public enabled him to draw a huge level of Happy Canyon participation in full regalia for the Happy Canyon’s Sesquicentennial Rose Festival parade entry which was described as “spectacular” by viewers. Scott also provided security work for many years for the Round-Up, working primarily in the Happy Canyon and Round-Up grounds. Scott performed in the town scenes in the early 1960s, Bonnie joined in the early 1980s, and both actively participate today.
Like most dedicated to Happy Canyon and Pendleton Round-Up, the entire Sager family has been involved over the years, with all three Sager girls (Shelley, Kelly and Jodi) actively volunteering, with participation in Happy Canyon Hick Band, Mounted Band, Pennant Bearers, “Captive Girl” in the Happy Canyon show, Wagon Train, and on the Round-Up Publicity Committee for many years.
Although both are retired and are enjoying their mountain home above Pilot Rock, Bonnie and Scott both continue to serve on numerous community projects and boards of directors.
Special Inductee: Ron and Linné Dodge:
This year, The Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame Board of Directors have approved the special induction of Ron and Linné Dodge as part of the 2024 class of inductees. The Board over history has held the ability within its bylaws to induct an individual/group into the Hall of Fame in consideration of special circumstances. Ron and Linné’s induction is based on their long lasting positive effects on the Round-Up and Happy Canyon organizations as a whole.
When the first Pendleton Whisky was poured in 2003, it opened the door for a lasting friendship with Ron and Linné Dodge. The Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon were soon to realize how humble and generous these two people could be. The idea of a rodeo-themed whisky actually started with the Hood River Distilling (HRD) sales team in 1999. After some consideration they believed the Pendleton Round-Up was the one rodeo with a lot of history, so the decision was to approach the Pendleton Round-Up. Ron thought since Hood River Distillers was an older Oregon company and the Pendleton Round-Up was such a good tradition that it would be a good match.
They approached the Logo Committee in 2001 with the idea of “Let’er Buck Whisky” and met with the full Round-Up Board in 2002 to make their presentation. Later their marketing firm felt they could do a much better job in sales with a higher end whisky called “Pendleton Whisky”. After negotiations were completed with the Round-Up, Pendleton Whisky was launched in 2003.
When HRD first launched Pendleton Whisky HRD thought it would be a Northwest or regional whisky. They didn’t consider all the cowboys that come to the Pendleton Round-Up. These cowboys come from all over the country and so it spread like wildfire that there was a cowboy whisky that tasted great.
Linné said the cowboys and Round-Up Board Directors were their best marketing. Linné’s real work was being Ron’s right-hand person. She took care of more than 50 guests they had coming each year, making sure they had tickets, hotel rooms, meals, and getting them from Round-Up to Happy Canyon or wherever they needed to be. It was important to her that the guests learned and appreciated all the history and tradition surrounding Pendleton and the western lifestyle, not just the rodeo. Linné became a volunteer on the runout crew during slack. She thought it was a one-time thing but they kept inviting her back. She also enjoys riding in the Westward Ho! Parade.
Ron and Linné were very excited for the Centennial year knowing that Pendleton Whisky funds contributed in building the new West Grandstand. Ron and Linné were chosen as Grand Marshals in the Westward Ho! Parade in 2013. More recently, Linné and Ron have enjoyed camping and riding with the annual Pendleton Round-Up Wagon Train up in the Blue Mountains. Ron joined HRD in 1980 as an assistant to the Vice President of Operations. His grandfather and three business partners purchased Hood River Distillers from the original founders in 1949. He progressed through the ranks, becoming Plant Manager in 1988, and then in 1999 became President and CEO.
After the sale of Pendleton Whisky to Proximo Spirits, Ron focused on leadership succession planning and handed off his President and CEO responsibilities. The next generation of the Dodge family is hard at work ensuring that the legacy of Hood River Distillers continues for another 90 years.
Editor’s note: This story was corrected to reflect that Mr. Nogle attended Walla Walla Community College, not Walla Walla College.
