1988

Bob “Duk” Duce - Contestant
Inducted - November 12, 1988

Bob Duce

Bob Duce was born July 22, 1929. He started his rodeo career at the early age of 15. He followed in the footsteps of his two brothers, Frank and Tom, both former Canadian Champions.

"Duk" as he was affectionately known by his fellow competitors was liked by all. Stock contractors said that he never complained and was always good natured.

Bob never coasted on a ride, he always went for broke and many tried to duplicate his high, wild spurring action. The crowd always got its money's worth when Bob rode.

Duce won his first Canadian Bareback Championship in 1949, and repeated this feat in 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953. He won the Championship again in 1962. This was a comeback after nine years, quite a feat in any sport.

In 1951, Bob won every rodeo he entered in Canada except two, where he split second and third at one and placed second at the other. In his career he won 21 trophy saddles, more than anyone else in the business at that time.

Everyone felt that if Bob had gone hard on the circuit for one year that he would have had a good chance at being the World Champion. "Bob never really appreciated the fact that he was one of the best Bareback Riders in the World," said fellow competitor Bill Linderman.

In 1951 the three Duce Brothers won three Canadian Championships; Bob in the Bareback, Frank in the Saddle Bronc and Tom in Steer Wrestling.

At the time of Bob's fatal accident in San Francisco, California, on October 31, 1966, he was Canada's all time money winner. 

Jerry Ambler - Contestant
Inducted - July 11, 1988

Jerry Ambler

Jerry Ambler was born on his father's horse ranch at Minburn, Alberta on May 19, 1911. Being raised around horses Jerry learned to ride at an early age , and it wasn't long before he entered his first rodeo. Starting out in the boys Steer Riding Jerry soon graduated to Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding.

In 1932 he journeyed to New York where he won day money at Madison Square Gardens and second at Boston. He was the Canadian Champion Saddle Bronc rider at Calgary in 1937 and won the Bull Riding for three consecutive years, 1941, 42, 43, also winning the North American Saddle Bronc title in 1941and 1946.

In 1944 Jerry was doing some roping in the corral at his ranch when his saddle horse caught him off guard, bucked him off and broke his arm putting him out of action for that year.

Jerry's greatest achievement came in 1946 when he was declared the World's Champion Saddle Bronc Rider with a three thousand point lead over his nearest rival.

A slight built man, Jerry rode with a style that was pure balance and was considered a classic rider and a true champion.

Ambler was fatally injured in a car accident in 1958 and was laid to rest in Montecello, Utah. 

Harold Mandeville - Contestant
Inducted - November 12, 1988

Harold Mandeville

C.P.R.A. Life Member, Harold Mandeville, was born at Skiff, Alberta, on July 7, 1925.
Harold joined the newly formed Cowboys' Protective Association in 1946 and won his first championship that same year. In more than 20 years of competition he has competed in every event except the saddle bronc riding.

He is the holder of eight major Canadian championships, five of which he won in the steer decorating and steer wrestling in 1946, 1947, 1952, 1957 and 1966; one in the calf roping in 1960; one in the bareback riding in 1947.

He won the coveted All-Around championship in 1965, the All-Around championship in Canada is awarded to the cowboy who has won money in at least three events during the year, one of which must be a timed event and one a riding event. In order to qualify, at age 40, Harold entered and placed in the bull riding an event he had not entered in several years.

He holds the largest spread between championships in the Canadian rodeo record books, 20 years, from 1946 to 1966, which is a remarkable feat.

The Canadian Steer Wrestling standings list Harold in second place in 1949, third in 1950 and 1965, fourth in 1967 and fifth in 1960. The Bareback riding records place him fourth in 1948 and third in 1951. He also won the Canadian All-Around award at the Calgary Stampede in 1951.

In 1963 Harold and his wife Pearl established the publication Canadian Rodeo News. They published the paper from their home in Lethbridge, Alberta until 1967 when it was moved to the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association office in Calgary.

In 1972 the C.N. Woodward “Cowboy of the Year” award was presented to Harold.

Harold Mandeville now makes his home in Lethbridge, and farms in and around the area.

Wanda Dee -Animal
Inducted - July 11, 1988

Wanda Dee

Wanda Dee was a Palomino Filly, gentle as a lamb at the age of two years. She grew to be a beautiful horse 15.3 hands high, weighing 1300 pounds. She was owned by Johnny Grant of Standard Alberta where she foaled in 1947.

When she was broke to ride, the boys and Johnny used her when there was any work to do. As the years went by there was less and less work for her so it was decided to let her become a brood mare. After her first foal was born, her temperament changed and every time the boys rode her she tried bucking and eventually bucked Johnny off breaking his pelvis. The Grants decided at this point to let her have her chance and sold her to the Calgary Stampede in 1958 for $150.00.

Wanda Dee became one of the top bucking horses in the Calgary Stampede and in 1964 was named the Bucking Horse of the Year by the Rodeo Cowboys Association of America.

In 1969 at the age of twenty-two she was bucked for the last time and was later led up on the stage at Calgary and given retirement honours. She was turned out on the Stampede Ranch at Hanna where she lived out her life. She is buried on the ranch.