Meet the 2023 inductees to the Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
News release from the Hall of Fame:
PENDLETON – The Pendleton Round-Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame Board of Directors announced the 2023 inductees into the Hall of Fame last night, May 9th, during the organization’s annual meeting.
The class of 2023 inductees includes Fred Whitfield (contestant category), Toni Minthorn (Indian Category), Virginia Roberts (Round-Up Volunteer Category), and Omega Supreme “Omega” (animal category). 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 annually at the board’s annual membership meeting in May.
The inductees will be celebrated at the inductee banquet during Round-Up on Sunday, September 10th. They will also be honored in the Round-Up Arena on September 13th during the Wednesday rodeo performance. The inductees are also featured in the Hall of Fame with special exhibits beginning later in the summer.
Contestant – Fred Whitfield:
An eight-time World Champion, seven as tie-down roper and once as an all-round, Fred
was a Pendleton Round-Up contestant for over 20-years. He has won three Pendleton
Round-Up Championships in tie-down roping, 1996, 2005, and a tie in 1995. He was the
first African-American to win the tie-down roping at the Pendleton Round-Up, and
became the third cowboy in history to surpass the $2-million mark in career earnings.
Fred has always been known to be “cool under pressure” and for his notorious “raise the roof” salute with his fans. He has won titles at virtually every major rodeo. He lives in
Texas with his wife, Cassie, and has two daughters.
Indian – Toni Minthorn:
Toni has been involved in Happy Canyon and Round-Up her whole life, camping in the
village during the Round-Up and participating in Happy Canyon when she was only 9-
months old. Born in 1961, she was chosen as a Happy Canyon Princess in 1978, and then a Pendleton Round-Up Princess in 1982. She was the first to serve on both courts. Toni has continued to work for Happy Canyon and the Round-Up unofficially for over 40 years, and officially since 2004 as the Happy Canyon court chaperone and since 2006 as the Pendleton Round-Up court riding coach. She is an expert horsewoman, trainer, and teacher, and she has provided past princess with horses, trained them to ride, and continues to actively recruit young women for various activities. She has also acted as
an outrider for the American Indian Beauty Contest, pulled a travois in Happy Canyon
and in the Westward Ho! parade, and has carried flags and pennants in multiple parades for Happy Canyon around the west. She has been a valuable volunteer supporting and serving Round-Up and Happy Canyon by volunteering for the Parade, Indian, Security, Arena, Grounds, and Hay & Barns Directors throughout the years. Toni is a member of CTUIR and works as the director of the enrollment department for the Tribes.
Round-Up Volunteer – Virginia Roberts:
Even though Virginia is in her early 90’s, you will still find her spending relentless hours
volunteering for the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame as a historian and archive expert. She has dedicated over 28-years volunteering for the Hall of Fame and the retail store, with her primary responsibility of preserving all of the donations to the museum and creating files of the historical information for each artifact. Virginia is a former Pendleton First Citizen, and has also volunteered at the Historical Society, public library, coached community members on tracking family heritage, as well as City and Round-Up history, and has dedicated service to helping at Olney Cemetery to trace family history and genealogy.
Animal – Omega Supreme, “Omega”:
This is the stallion leopard Appaloosa ridden over 25 years by Chief Gary Burke as a
raider and a scout in the Happy Canyon Night Show, during Pendleton Round-Up Indian
Presentation, and in various parades. This photogenic horse won many awards around the northwest, participated in over 420 shows, parades, events, photo shoots, and was also ridden by his daughter in the American Indian Beauty Pageant. Was featured in a portrait with Chief Burke displayed in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.
Owner: Doug and Nee-Nee Haynie, Pilot Rock, OR
Born: April 24, 1986
Died at age of 30 years.
