Buckaroo Hall of Fame

Buckaroo Hall of Fame The Buckaroo Hall of Fame in Winnemucca, NV honors legendary individuals of the Great Basin.

Claude Barkdull was born in 1908, at Farmington, Utah. He was a direct descendent to the Ellison ranching family from Ut...
11/04/2025

Claude Barkdull was born in 1908, at Farmington, Utah. He was a direct descendent to the Ellison ranching family from Utah. His grandmother Susannah Ellison was a sister to E.P. Ellison, the founder of the Ellison Ranching Company. Claude was urged by his grandmother to go and work for their relatives at the newly acquired Spanish Ranch property located in the Independence Valley, north of Elko, Nevada near Tuscarora. Claude wanted to learn all he could about cattle ranching. His first ranch experience as a young man was working on the haying crew for the summer. After the haying job was finished he returned to Utah. When he returned to Utah, he met and married Frances "Frankie" Hamblin and they decided to move to the Spanish Ranch to live and raise their family, he ended up working there for 35 years. They had three children, Kieth, Kirk and Donna. Claude became the buckaroo boss and was in charge of several thousand cattle running on the large ranch property and on the vast desert range land connected to the ranch. He didn't bother the men he hired as long as they did their job, but if they "goofed off" he would give them one extra chance and that was it. The Spanish Ranch was sometimes referred to as "The Span" by many who worked there. One of Claude's passions was roping. In the 1950's he would go to jackpot team roping's at the Jack Creek Ranch nearby. The ranch was owned by Bill Drown and it had a roping facility. Roping's were held on Sundays through the summer and fall. He and roping partner Nelo Mori were hard to beat. Claude was inducted to the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in Winnemucca, NV in September 2025.

Group photo:
Back Row; l to r, Jim Andrae (Buckaroo Hall of Fame inductee 2014) Walt Murphy, Jim Wright
Front Row; l to r, Claude Barkdull, Tom Kane, Bill Evans & daughter

Walt H. Leehmann's family arrived in Oregon in 1875. His grandfather, John Henry Leehmann was an immigrant from Germany....
10/08/2025

Walt H. Leehmann's family arrived in Oregon in 1875. His grandfather, John Henry Leehmann was an immigrant from Germany. He settled in Lake County near Lakeview, Oregon. John Henry married Mollie Bishop who's father owned the 7B Ranch and the Anchor Heart Ranch. Walt grew up there on the ranches in Lake County, breaking horses to ride for ranchers in the area during his younger years. After completing high school in 1937, he went on to get a degree in Animal Husbandry from Oregon State University in 1941. Walt came back to the desert country in southern Oregon where he thoroughly loved to be. He ran nearly 2,000 head of cows out on the vast desert country near Alkali Lake. Walt became well known for his horsemanship and cattle handling skills. He was a leader in his community, teaching the area's youth as well as his own children good horsemanship and all the ranching skills he'd learned over time.

Walt H. Leehmann was inducted to the Buckaroo Hall of Fame on August 30, 2025

George E. Wilkinson grew up buckarooing in the desert country near McDermitt, Nevada. For nearly 65 years he rode horseb...
09/21/2025

George E. Wilkinson grew up buckarooing in the desert country near McDermitt, Nevada. For nearly 65 years he rode horseback, it is said that he wore out three saddles. All three saddles were made by Mittleider of Nampa, Idaho. They were originally stamped with the basket weave pattern and were worn smooth over time. George took over the Little Meadow Ranch which was owned by his father and located near the Nevada-Oregon border. He accumulated many more miles riding horseback each spring trailing the cattle fifty miles to their spring and summer grazing on the desert near the Owyhee River in southeastern Oregon. Then trailing them thirty miles back home again in the fall. George is still going strong today at age 95, after he retired from ranching he and his wife moved to Nampa, Idaho.

After his service in the military in 1945, Charlie Van Norman returned to Elko County, Nevada. Along with his wife Della...
09/04/2025

After his service in the military in 1945, Charlie Van Norman returned to Elko County, Nevada. Along with his wife Della they purchased the Henry Schmidt Homestead on Smith Creek in Independence Valley north of Elko. They began building the ranch into what later became Van Norman Ranches Inc. With the help of their sons Robin and Bill with their wives and children made the ranch one of the most prestigious operations in northern Nevada. Charlie always focused on improving his operation by making better livestock and grazing plans. He served as a member on the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service grazing advisory boards. He worked with those agencies to set up a voluntary grazing plan for the ranch. Charlie was respected for his soft-spoken demeanor and his leadership skills. He was celebrated as one of the best grazing land users in Elko County.

Bill Kane rode horseback most of his life and became cow boss at the Spanish Ranch in northern Nevada in the mid 1960's,...
08/25/2025

Bill Kane rode horseback most of his life and became cow boss at the Spanish Ranch in northern Nevada in the mid 1960's, it was his "dream job". He sometimes had to teach some of the men he hired to do things like shoeing horses and how not to get lost out on the desert while gathering cattle. He said when they got to know more about what to do, they were good help. Also, he respected and appreciated the older hands that had been around for a long time. Bill would say that that hardest part about being a cow boss was trying to find a good cook. His favorite season was in the fall of the year, he liked gathering and classing the cattle. On the other hand, it was a joy for him to take out the cowboy wagon in the springtime, branding the calves, gathering the cattle and trailing them to the higher country for better grass. Bill said he could work with anybody after he taught them what to do, he just made it work. He enjoyed it all so much he ended up doing it for 27 years at the Spanish Ranch.

Claude Barkdull was buckaroo boss and ranch manager at Ellison Ranches' at the Spanish Ranch for 35 years. He worked har...
08/23/2025

Claude Barkdull was buckaroo boss and ranch manager at Ellison Ranches' at the Spanish Ranch for 35 years. He worked hard and played hard, he wrestled his buckaroos after brandings, played baseball against the CCC team at Tuscarora, He loved to rope, and team roped with partner Nelo Mori on Sundays in the summer and fall at Jack Creek Ranch arena. With Claude riding his two favorite buckskin horses, Buck and Buttons the two men were a force to be reckoned with at the jackpot team roping's in the area. Nelo Mori spoke of his longtime friend and roping partner saying, "you want to remember when you read books about cowboys, he was one of the greatest cowboys who ever lived. When you talk about cowboy heroes, remember the name Claude Barkdull".

When war broke in Europe in the 1940's, Walt Leehmann enlisted in the Army Calvary Division stationed at Fort Riley, Kan...
08/22/2025

When war broke in Europe in the 1940's, Walt Leehmann enlisted in the Army Calvary Division stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. Using his horse shoeing skills from back home, Walt shod the US Army horses that were stabled there for spending money. He became a Captain and later deployed to Europe and participated in the D-day invasion at Omaha Beach. He'd always wanted to be a veterinarian, but after the war his goals shifted, and he decided to focus on feeding America. He met his future wife Virginia Jean Switzer, who was an RN also serving in WWII. In 1947 they were married and began raising Angus cattle at the 7B Ranch in Lake County, Oregon which also included wintering and calving at the Alkali Lake Ranch in northern Lake County. The couple raised five children and made sure they were able to do things growing up like 4H and FFA.

George Wilkinson started riding horseback when he was four years old. When he got older and started breaking his own col...
08/21/2025

George Wilkinson started riding horseback when he was four years old. When he got older and started breaking his own colts to ride, a man his dad hired named "Chico" helped teach him how to start the young horses. They would use a snaffle-bit first and graduated on up to the two-rein and then straight up in the spade bit. While spending a lot of summers with the Lucky Seven Ranch and Oregon Canyon Ranch buckaroo wagon crew he rode horseback every day. They branded calves, gathered steers and occasionally rounded up wild horses on the desert country of northern Nevada and southern Oregon. His first saddle was made by N, Porter and has been handed down for use by the younger generation. During his lifetime of riding horseback George has worn out three other saddles, all slick forks with 3/4 rigging made by Mittleider Saddle Co. of Meridian, Idaho. They started out being basket weave tooled but ended up being worn smooth and thin. George states that during his time at Little Meadows Ranch in southern Oregon it was one of the last cattle ranches that didn't own a gooseneck horse trailer. He preferred to ride and do the cattle work on horseback.

In late 1940, Charlie Van Norman from northern Nevada was one of the first men to pass a physical and be drafted during ...
08/20/2025

In late 1940, Charlie Van Norman from northern Nevada was one of the first men to pass a physical and be drafted during World War II from the then small cow town of Elko. He was 22 years of age and had only a year or so of high school and some cowboy experience under his belt. He became a First Sergeant and possessed good leadership skills. Charlie was sent to officer and commander training in Texas. After that he was assigned to serve in the 70th infantry Trailblazer Division. He also served as Captain in the 370th Medical Battalion under General George Patton. During one of the coldest winters (1944-1945) in Europe below zero conditions and in combat zones daily. The Trailblazer Division unit liberated 38 towns on their own. Charlie once had to swim across the Rhine River and as he reached the other side he was hit in the head with bomb shrapnel. He served until the end of the war on May 8, 1945. He was awarded the Bronze Star.

Bill Kane was born in Elko, Nevada in 1942 to Tom and Liberty Kane. Bill grew up in the South Fork area near Lee, Nevada...
08/17/2025

Bill Kane was born in Elko, Nevada in 1942 to Tom and Liberty Kane. Bill grew up in the South Fork area near Lee, Nevada in Elko County. He started colts for various ranches while still in high school. He rode horseback to school in his younger years everyday rain or shine. After high school he worked breaking horses for the Marvel's at the 25 Ranch near Battle Mountain, Nevada. Then while riding colts for Ellison Ranches at the Spanish Ranch, Stanley Ellison offered Bill the cow boss job, a position he held for the next 27 years. He became well respected for his honesty and hard work there. He showed stock horses at the Elko County Fair for many years. Smarty Pants, a horse he'd started for Willis Packer and then purchased later on became one of his best cow horses. Every time he rode Smarty Pants at a show he usually won. Bill Kane is still a respected name in the buckaroo world in northern Nevada today.

Claude Barkdull was born in Farmington, Utah in 1908. His grandmother was a sister of E.P. Ellison, founder of the famed...
08/16/2025

Claude Barkdull was born in Farmington, Utah in 1908. His grandmother was a sister of E.P. Ellison, founder of the famed Ellison Ranching Co. in northern Nevada. In the early 1920's Claude got his start in the ranching and cattle business at the newly acquired Spanish Ranch located in the Independence Valley, north of Elko, Nevada. He became the buckaroo boss there for many years before eventually becoming ranch foreman. His stay at the Spanish Ranch lasted for some 35 years. He loved all aspects of ranching, particularly riding horseback and working the cattle. He was considered an excellent horseman and cattleman.

Walt Leehmann was born at Lake County Oregon in 1919. He started riding and breaking horses to ride at a young age. His ...
08/15/2025

Walt Leehmann was born at Lake County Oregon in 1919. He started riding and breaking horses to ride at a young age. His son Robbie remembers watching him start colts in the round corral at Alkali Ranch in northern Lake County along the southern border of Harney County, Oregon. The ranch and range permit was 70 miles from anywhere out on the vast desert country. This is where Walt ran about 1800 head of cattle. The horses he would break to ride got ridden an extensive amount of miles tending to the cattle. The long rides were beneficial to the training and making good saddle horses. It was said by many that Walt Leehmann had a lot horse sense. He was awarded Lake County Horseman of the Year in 1975.

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30 W Winnemucca Boulevard
Winnemucca, NV
89445

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