The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Announces 2025 Inductees

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame proudly announces its 2025 Hall of Fame inductees: Josh Edwards, Jo Ellard, Billy Klapper, Mary & Byron Walker, and Spirit of Texas Award recipient, R.W. Hampton.

This premier celebration will take place at Billy Bob’s Texas on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Norris Foundation and JJ & Bobby Norris, the evening features cocktails, a silent auction, and a cowboy-inspired dining experience leading up to the 7 p.m. induction ceremony.

Tickets for this event are available for $200 per person or $2,000 for a reserved table of eight. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame’s ongoing capital campaign, supporting the Hall’s relocation, buildout, educational programs, and preservation efforts.

Additionally, exclusive sponsorship opportunities are available, offering valued partners unique visibility throughout the evening and meaningful ways to support the Hall of Fame’s mission to celebrate Western heritage. Sponsors will receive special recognition and benefits tailored to showcase their support.

For detailed information on sponsorships or to reserve tickets, please contact Andrea Ruby at 817-614-7287 or via email at andrea@texascowboyhalloffame.org.

Did you know? The Fort Worth Stockyards attract over 9 million visitors annually, making it one of the most popular Western heritage destinations in the U.S. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame’s reimagined 20,000-square-foot location will offer an even richer, more immersive experience to honor the stories of over 160 honorees—expanding every year—from ranching, business, entertainment, rodeo, and agriculture. Another valued addition to the museum will be the return of the Hickman Wagon Collection, further enriching the Hall’s Western heritage offerings.

To learn more about the capital campaign, naming opportunities, or to support the Hall of Fame’s mission, please contact Andrea Ruby at andrea@texascowboyhalloffame.org.

About the TEXAS COWBOY HALL OF FAME 2025 Inductees
 
Josh Edwards
Josh Edwards, born in Waco, Texas, is a man whose life embodies the Cowboy Code of integrity, humility, and unwavering dedication to the sport of rodeo. His journey began in 1999, working with Rafter G Rodeo while attending Hill College on a rodeo scholarship. Weekends found him in Mesquite, competing in calf roping to see his high school sweetheart, Kristi—now his wife. One night, he was called upon to work as a pickup man, discovering that it combined everything he loved about rodeo: roping, horsemanship, timing, and a profound understanding of livestock. From that moment, Josh was dedicated to the art of being a pickup man, and he never looked back.
Over his remarkable 25-year career, Josh has picked up over 100,000 horses across 25 of the top PRCA Tour Rodeos, earning the respect of his peers and achieving numerous accolades, including:
•  Two-time NFR Pickup Man (2014, 2023)
•  2023 PRCA Pickup Man of the Year
•  2022 NFR Open Pickup Man
•  Three-time NFSR Pickup Man (2017, 2020, 2022)
•  2023 Reserve Nutrena Pickup Horse of the Year with his beloved horse, Wiggles
•  Ten-time Circuit Finals Pickup Man

Josh’s influence extends beyond the rodeo arena, as he is a dedicated entrepreneur who has managed multiple businesses, from medical device sales and auto repair stations to hair salons and an excavation company. His diverse skill set includes working as a radiology technician, holding a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card for 16 years, and performing as a stuntman in several feature films and shows. Josh is also an adventurer and athlete, competing in multiple Ironman races and, in 2024, placing third in the world’s toughest equestrian challenge, the Mongol Derby—a grueling 600-mile 10-day endurance race on semi-wild horses across Mongolia.

After retiring from pickup duties at his hometown rodeo, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, in 2024, Josh continues to serve rodeo’s future. As Vice Chairman of the PRCA Board of Directors and an active member on the NFR Committee and Texas Circuit Board, he remains dedicated to passing on the traditions of rodeo to the next generation. He is especially proud to see his sons, Blevin and Brinnon, embracing the cowboy way of life.

Known affectionately as “The Cowboy,” Josh Edwards is a man of humility, grit, and devotion. He represents the very best of Texas heritage and is a true Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee, preserving the values and legacy of the Western lifestyle.
 
Jo Ellard
Jo Ellard grew up in a small town in Mississippi, the oldest of identical twins, both were born with a love of horses and a drive to succeed. Some of her favorite childhood memories are the hours she spent playing with dime store toy horses & throwing a leg over anything (the arm of a chair, the t-post support that held up her Mother’s clothesline, her Mother’s mops & brooms, her grandfather’s big red propane gas tank, her grandfather’s jersey heifer); anything that could take the place of the horse she so greatly dreamed of having. Ironically, Jo still owns two armchairs that are now 70 years old because she couldn’t dispose of her “first horse.”

Jo utilized her God-given gifts of leadership and athletic attributes early on. She and her twin sister were top-of-the-class academic students eager to take leadership roles in almost everything. Gifted athletically, Jo ultimately set all-time scoring records in High School girls' basketball, lettering for five years, earning many MVP awards, and ultimately having her basketball jersey retired. Today, it sits alongside only one other retired jersey in her high school’s trophy case. 

After High School, Jo followed in her mother’s footsteps by pursuing a career in healthcare as a Registered Nurse specializing in critical care nursing. At the age of 22 she was hired to head up a newly established Intensive Care-Coronary Care unit. Before age 25, she moved to supervise all critical care units and became the assistant director of nursing. Her job required her to travel to seminars across the country studying cardiology & critical care & in turn, teaching her staff the latest advances in critical care nursing.  At one of these meetings, she met her late husband, Bill, a cowboy-turned-insurance executive, and her life course changed westward. By the way, Jo still owns the lounge booth she was sitting in when she met Bill.  Together, Jo & Bill lived the Texas dream by building a highly successful insurance company, raising two sons, and immersing themselves in their passion project of developing ranches in Mississippi, Kansas, Wyoming, and Texas. Jo's childhood obsession with horses was finally a reality.   In addition to cutting horses, the Ellards developed nationally acclaimed Hereford cattle. Both Jo & Bill served in leadership roles of the American Hereford Association. 

After her sons graduated from high school, Jo had more time to devote to learning the sport of competitive cutting horse competition. Her success on the circuit included the NCHA Rookie of the Year award in 1991. Over the next 25 years, Jo would work tirelessly at excelling in the sport, winning numerous competitions with lifetime earnings exceeding $750,000 and achieving the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame.

Jo Ellard began to take on leadership roles in the cutting horse industry early in her career. She is currently serving her 21st year on the NCHA Board of Directors. She has served on the Stallion Owners Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, Youth Committee, and Limited Age Committee. Jo served from 2013-2016 on the NCHA Executive Committee as V.P., President-Elect, and was the National Cutting Horse Association President from 2015-2016. Currently, Jo serves as a Trustee of NCHA Charities Foundation.
 
However, perhaps the role she’s most proud of is her work developing the National Youth Cutting Horse Association, which she patterned off of her experience with the American Junior Hereford Association. Ellard spent 10 years on that endeavor and saw firsthand the benefits for today’s youth, from strengthening family bonds to equipping them with skills for the future.
 
Her work cultivating the National Youth Cutting Horse Association earned her a coveted place in the NCHA Member Hall of Fame, the youngest member ever inducted.

Ellard’s EE Ranches is a collection of 5 ranches across the US, including an AQHA Ranching Heritage eligible Stallion Station in Whitesboro, Texas, and a cutting horse training facility in Pilot Point, Texas.   EE Ranches is a leader in the equine industry, an ALL-TIME top 25 AQHA BREEDER with offspring earnings exceeding $5,200,000 and thousands of AQHA points. 
 
Her relentless entrepreneurial spirit and love of the city of Fort Worth prompted Ellard to embark on her next great life adventure.  For 30 years, Jo had been spending up to 90 days a year in Fort Worth, competing in the NCHA Triple Crown events, attending meetings, serving as President of NCHA, and attending social gatherings.  Jo’s motto, “I live in Dallas, but I LOVE Fort Worth,” could not resonate truer. Over time, Ellard purchased a cottage in the North Hi Mount historical neighborhood and acquired almost 2 acres in the cultural district of Fort Worth right on Camp Bowie Blvd.  For a time, it was unsure what this coveted land should house.  Finally, creating a 5-star luxury hotel that would place Fort Worth at the top of Texas hospitality became the vision.  As with her other visionary endeavors, hard work made the dream a reality, and Bowie House was created.  With its refined equestrian vibe, the blend of worldly luxury, and iconic Western hospitality, the newly opened Bowie House has become a favorite not only for locals and travelers but has placed Fort Worth on the international hospitality map as one of the most desired hotels in the world; (Michelin Guide-one of only 3 hotels in the entire state of Texas to receive a coveted 2-star rating); (Travel & Leisure-One of the Best Places to go); (TIME Magazine-World’s Greatest Places 2024); (Conde Nast-Fort Worth’s wonderful debut to the world)--another success story for a passion-fueled and adventurous life.

Jo Ellard has earned her spot in the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame for her passion for Western heritage, competition, and the Western way of life.

 
Billy Klapper
Legendary Bit & Spur Maker
The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is honored to posthumously induct Billy Ray Klapper, a legendary bit and spur maker, into the Class of 2025. Billy, who passed away on September 10, 2024, at the age of 87, left a lasting legacy in Western craftsmanship, cowboy culture, and the equine industry.

Born on April 19, 1937, in Lazare, Texas, Billy was raised in a farming family and began his career as a ranch hand at the Buckle L Ranch in Childress and later the Y Ranch in Paducah. His journey as a bit and spur maker began under the mentorship of the famed Adolph Bayers, with whom observed and was able to get an idea of the process, but he later crafted his first pair of spurs in 1966. By 1968, demand for his work had grown so immensely that he made cowboy gear full-time. Over his career, Billy developed 682 spur patterns and 816 bit patterns, establishing an irreplaceable legacy in the ranching and cowboying world. Known for his one-piece spurs, he listened closely to the needs of working cowboys, creating bits that transformed the cutting horse industry and became globally sought after for both their function and artistry.
Billy and his wife, Roberta, who married in 1973, shared nearly five decades together, participating in Pony Express Races, attending bit and spur shows, and immersing themselves in the Western way of life. Known as a true cowboy and a man of enduring integrity, Billy Klapper’s work and life embody the spirit of Western heritage.

Fellow Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member Johnny Trotter referred to Klapper as "an iconic cowboy, bit, and spur maker," and longtime friend Frank G. Merrill offered praise, saying, "Billy Klapper was a good friend, but more importantly, he was a servant to all who work as cowboys and horsemen across the world. His craftsmanship is admired, cherished, and sought after by everyone who has ever thrown a leg over a horse. I can think of no other bit and spur maker who has had such a lasting impact on the Western equine and cattle industry."

As he joins the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Billy Klapper’s legacy will inspire future generations, symbolizing dedication to craftsmanship, integrity, and the enduring spirit of the cowboy. His contributions will forever be celebrated as part of the Hall of Fame's tribute to Western heritage.

 
Mary & Byron Walker
The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is thrilled to announce the induction of Byron and Mary Walker into the 2025 class. As a unique and accomplished couple, Byron and Mary are among only four married couples in rodeo history to have both earned World Champion titles, a testament to their exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.

Mary Walker
Mary is a 2012 WPRA World Champion Barrel Racer and five-time NFR qualifier whose rodeo journey is marked by resilience. After experiencing personal tragedy and a career-threatening injury, Mary made a triumphant return to the arena, ultimately setting an NFR earnings record across all events. Known for her remarkable bond with her horse, “Latte,” and her gracious connection with fans, Mary has inspired countless people in and out of the rodeo world. "Mary and her horse ‘Latte’ were one of rodeo’s most beloved teams," writes Jimmie Gibbs Munroe, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Honoree and WPRA President. Mary’s accolades include induction into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and receiving the Tad Lucas Award and the Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award at the 2012 NFR. Today, she shares her knowledge by conducting clinics and promoting youth involvement in rodeo, ensuring that her legacy inspires future generations.

Byron Walker
Byron’s career began in AJRA rodeos in the 1960s and 70s, setting the stage for a lifetime of accomplishments. He is a two-time PRCA World Champion Steer Wrestler and a 16-time NFR qualifier celebrated for his skill and sportsmanship. Byron’s induction into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2014 honored his contributions to the sport and his dedication to fostering future stars. Reflecting on Byron’s legacy, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Honoree Dave Appleton added, "When I read the criteria for induction, this power couple more than exemplifies the qualifications to be a deserving addition to this prestigious Hall of Fame."

Together, Byron and Mary operated the Silverado Rodeo Company, known as one of Texas's finest rodeo production companies, providing top-tier livestock to four National Finals Rodeos. Their shared expertise and commitment to rodeo have created a lasting impact, with Byron also serving as a mentor and committee member in the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.

This year, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame proudly honors Byron and Mary Walker for their lifelong contributions, commitment to preserving rodeo’s legacy, and dedication to young talent. Their legacy will continue to elevate the Western way of life, inspiring future generations of cowboys and cowgirls.
 
R.W. Hampton
Spirit of Texas Recipient

R.W. Hampton’s journey as a Western entertainer is rooted in a lifetime of cowboy experiences and unwavering dedication to his craft. Born with a love for the open range, Hampton grew up in Texas and found his true calling on ranches throughout the American West, where he worked as a cowboy. His music career began in bunkhouses and around campfires, where he played his guitar and sang about cowboy life. These experiences laid the foundation for Hampton’s music and a career that has earned him widespread admiration, from rodeo arenas to international stages.

With a voice as genuine as his lyrics, Hampton’s songs resonate with fans from all walks of life. Cowboys, ranchers, and those who may never see a ranch up close cherish his music. His authenticity has endeared him to audiences worldwide. Hampton’s Western anthems reflect the life of hard work, early mornings, and rugged landscapes, giving listeners a glimpse into the soul of a true cowboy.

After a cameo role alongside Kenny Rogers in “Wild Horses” in 1985, he focused on a career in the entertainment industry. Hampton went on to perform at notable venues across the U.S., including the Grand Ole Opry and the Smithsonian, and to tour internationally. His talents extend beyond music into film and voice work, and he has even been a cowboy model for Levi’s, Stetson, and Resistol. He has appeared in over a dozen films, working alongside legends such as Ben Johnson, Barry Corbin, Buck Taylor, and Richard Farnsworth. His work has been recognized with numerous honors, including induction into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame, multiple Wrangler Awards and the Chester A Reynolds Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and accolades for his vocal performances and original songwriting compositions.

One of his most acclaimed works is The Last Cowboy, a one-man stage play he co-wrote with his brother, Jeff, and playwright Dave Marquis. This production, in which Hampton narrates the story of the American cowboy through song and monologue, has garnered critical praise for its heartfelt portrayal of cowboy culture and history. With 13 albums, including award-winning pieces like Austin to Boston and Where the West Remains, his music captures the spirit and resilience of the cowboy lifestyle.

Hampton has lived and worked on a number of Texas panhandle ranches over the years, including the LS, the Lit Ranch, and the Quièn Sabe. He and his wife and 4 of their six kids live in the Texas panhandle and ranch across the state line in New Mexico. Their Clearview Ranch and Six Springs Ranches in Colfax County (which he jokes used to be part of Texas) enable them to raise good horses, work cattle, and live out the cowboy way of life he so eloquently sings about.

His career, marked by authenticity, faith, and family, has solidified his place as a leading voice in Western music, making R.W. Hampton a fitting inductee into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.