Ben Johnson Memorial Award
Chuck Sheppard was born on a ranch near Globe, Arizona, in 1916. He learned the cowboy trade on several Arizona ranches and entered rodeo competition in his mid-teens. Active in the 1940s and 1950s, Chuck Sheppard once said that for a hand “to make any money rodeoing, you have to do everything. . . .”
Always a versatile performer, Sheppard consistently won in both the riding and roping events. His uncommon ability to get the most out of a horse brought him all-around titles at Denver and Dallas; calf-roping firsts at Portland, Pendleton, and Salt Lake City; saddle-bronc trophies at San Francisco and Chicago; and many other victories. He was RCA team-roping champion in 1946 and IRA calf-roping champion in 1951. Sheppard served for 10 years on the Rodeo Cowboy Association’s board of directors, and he has judged NFR team roping and steer roping events on several occasions. After retiring, he trained quarter horses on the K4 Ranch at Prescott, Arizona.
For his many contributions to rodeo sport, Chuck Sheppard was honored with the Ben Johnson Memorial Award in 2001.
