Born in Cherokee, Iowa, in 1935, Donita Barnes began her life in rodeo when she married rodeo producer and stock contractor Bob Barnes. For more than 50 years, she has been a central player in making the Barnes Rafter B Ranch and PRCA Rodeos successful enterprises.
Donita Barnes has done everything behind the scenes-from driving livestock trailers and gathering and sorting stock before the rodeo, to collecting entry fees, maintaining the company books and keeping time on the events. The Barnes outfit supplies roughstock for as many as 50 rodeos a year in 18 states.
Over the years, Donita Barnes has been an active participant in rodeo, and she instilled the western way of life in her children and grandchildren. For her many contributions to rodeo and western culture over half a century, she received the Tad Lucas Memorial Award from the Rodeo Historical Society in 2010.
