North Dakota Cowboy Hall Of Fame – 25 Years!

I'm guessing if you are just like me when you hear "Hall of Fame", you think of tradition, the best-of-the-best, a place where our heroes rest. Thanks to an idea Phil Baird had resting in his brain for a while, the NDCHF became a reality. Phil's love for the rodeo, his passion for bronc riding, and his place on the board of directors for the North Dakota Rodeo Association triggered his idea - and it all came out while driving home from a Y's Men Rodeo event in Minot back in 1994. He relayed his goals to a veteran rodeo hero Evelyn Neuens, much to both of their excitement, the launch of the Hall was born. Everything started to take shape when all the board members were recruited, everyone had their knowledge and expertise to deliver. The NDCHF's logo was selected through a contest and it's still prominently used today. Their next task was obvious, where should the Hall rest? Medora's Theodore Roosevelt Foundation offered the site to be at the original Museum of the Badlands building.

Their next hurdle was raising money for the new NDCHF building, In the early years, presentations were set up, a theme chosen, and performed in 10 cities throughout North Dakota. There were some rough times, 9/11 was one of them. Money was tight. For a while, the NDCHF even got into serving food in attempts to gather more income. The Hall of Fame has withstood through the thick and thin, and if you ask the founder Baird what his most cherished memories are in the last 21 years with the NDCHF - "The people you meet and the stories they have to tell". For more on this story click here.