Contestant Later Years

The first year I drove into the Wallowa Valley was in 1974.  I was nineteen years old and just starting a career in the PRCA.  I had never heard of the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo until that summer.  It was everything and more than I expected and it immediately became one of my favorite stops for years to come. 

I competed in all three of the rough stock events and even competed in team roping a time or two.  I started chipping away at the famous Harley Tucker Memorial and finally became the first cowboy to win the award three times, which also included a substantial large cash bonus. All the many years later, I still regard that highly prestigious award with respect, and I am honored to be a part of Chief Joseph Days history.  A few highlights of that history: won the Saddle Bronc in 1976 and 1978, won the bull riding in 1978, retired the Harley Tucker award in 1982.  Butch was the emcee for our Queen Coronation dinner in 1992. For the past 35 plus years Butch has been a familiar voice of the NFR telecast educating and entertaining rodeo fans by simply sharing his knowledge and passion about the sport of rodeo.

Over the years I have made many friends from that area including the Tucker and Turner crews.  They were always so accommodating and after learning the history behind their names, I know that their passion for Chief Joseph Days is shared alongside many hard-working rodeo committee members.  The people become the personality and the life of a rodeo, and the success is attributed to many.     

For the last fifty-two years I hardly have missed being in Joseph on that famed weekend. I take this 2026 induction into the Chief Joseph Days Hall of Fame with great pride.  It takes me back to a chapter of my life that was filled with high aspirations and lots of great memories made in your arena surrounded by the most majestic, beautiful backdrop. It was the silver lining to a busy July, traveling far and wide across the country to be entered in Joseph.  If I didn't make the finals at Cheyenne, I always looked forward to driving West to one heck of a great rodeo with the greatest celebration in the Wallowa Valley.

I am certainly looking forward to Joseph again in 2026.  I am deeply honored to be selected into the Chief Joseph Days Hall of Fame.

Contestant Early Years

Buzz Seely devoted his life to rodeo, ranching, family, and the traditions of the American cowboy. Born and raised around cattle and horses near Roosevelt, Washington, Buzz was competing in rodeos by the age of sixteen and quickly became one of the Northwest’s most respected rough stock riders.

Specializing in saddle bronc and bareback riding, Buzz competed across the United States and Canada during rodeo’s golden era, traveling thousands of miles each year chasing rodeos. He qualified for the RCA National Finals Rodeo twice and won the RCA National Finals average title in Saddle Bronc Riding in 1969. During his career he captured titles and major wins at many of the West’s premier rodeos, including Cheyenne, San Angelo, Houston, Lewiston, Omak, St. Paul, Othello, Elgin, Ellensburg, and Chief Joseph Days in 1971 and 1973.

Buzz’s connection to Chief Joseph Days Rodeo ran especially deep during the years from 1969 through 1973. He was honored with the prestigious Harley Tucker Memorial Award in both 1971 and 1973, recognizing not only his talent in the arena but also the character, sportsmanship, and respect he carried throughout rodeo life.

Chief Joseph Days was always a favorite stop for rodeo families. Rough stock riders often camped behind the bucking chutes with their wives and children, creating lifelong friendships and memories in the beautiful Wallowa Mountains. The rodeo represented more than competition, it was a gathering place for generations of cowboy families who shared a deep love for the western way of life.

After suffering a broken collarbone at the Great Falls, Montana rodeo, Buzz stepped away from full-time competition and began conducting bronc riding schools throughout the Northwest, helping teach and inspire younger generations of riders.

Buzz and his wife Sharra raised three children, Justin, Jamie, and Jody, all of whom were involved in rodeo. Rodeo became a true family legacy. Jamie Seely later competed in Washington State High School Rodeo, including during the year Washington hosted the National High School Finals Rodeo in 1980.

Whether competing under the bright lights of major rodeos, teaching young riders, or sharing stories behind the bucking chutes, Buzz Seely represented the grit, dedication, family values, and western heritage that define Chief Joseph Days Rodeo. His induction into the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo Hall of Fame honors not only his accomplishments in the arena, but also the lasting impact he made on the rodeo community and generations of cowboys who followed him. Buzz passed away May 30, 2009 at his ranch in Hot Springs, Montana.

Notable

Icel Dorene Edgmand Miller was born in Enterprise, OR June 5, 1926. At the age of nine she went to Portland where she attended grammar school and graduated from Grant High School.

Each summer Icel returned to Wallowa County and spent most of her time at Cold Springs Cow Camp and on the Bly and Edgmand Ranch at Joseph Creek. Following World War II women still found themselves contributing to their communities and getting things back to normal.  Nothing was different for Icel. She contributed on her brother-un-laws farm on Lower Prairie Creek by plowing and caring for the animals while he and others were putting up hay.

She found it exciting to be one of the candidates of Chief Joseph Days, she loved the competition and the individuals that were a part of the Queen’s court with her, those individuals were Miss Mina Drake and Miss Carmen Turnball. They all enjoyed the ceremony and celebrating the dedication of the Joseph Airport to the Veterans of WWII.

Later in life, Icel continued to return and ride in the parade when opportunity provided, but due to her marriage to a local boy, Wade Miller, who was serving in the United States Air Force, she often found herself far from Wallowa County. After Vietnam, when they were stateside, she would make trips home to enjoy the parade ride, her friends, and seeing the county.

In 1977 she began donating a savings bond to the Chief Joseph Days queen, a tradition which she and her husband continued until her death on July 29, 1999. Icel said, “those little girls work their tails off during that competition!” Icel’s family continued to provide the bond until 2006.

Icel loved everything about Wallowa County, but especially the people. Our county has always been a close-knit community, and mom felt Chief Joseph Days exhibited that.
Being honored in 1993 as the Grand Marshal brought tears to our mother’s eyes. Icel not only was the first queen of Chief Joseph Days, but she was also the first individual woman to be selected as a Grand Marshal. The Edgmand/Miller family continues a deep connection to Chief Joseph Days, providing a princess in 1996, Dena Rynearson Miller, and a queen in 2017, Haley Ann Miller, the great granddaughter of Icel’s, and the future is promising. Our sincere gratitude to Chief Joseph Days for the happiness and honor given to our mother, Icel Edgmand Miller.

Volunteer Later Years

For more than 60 years, Dave and Darlene Turner worked side by side to help make Chief Joseph Days bigger and better each year. They are quick to note that they were not alone; over the decades, they joined many other dedicated volunteers who shared the goal of making Chief Joseph Days one of the premier rodeos in the Northwest.

Darlene was chosen Queen of Chief Joseph Days in 1959, and the following year she helped sell advertising for the souvenir program. Dave and Darlene were married in 1961. Dave’s first role with the Joseph Chamber was assisting Bill DeGrofft, ticket chairman, with rodeo ticket sales. Beginning in 1967, Dave served in a wide range of roles, including chamber director, rodeo board member, arena director, rodeo chairman, chamber vice president, and advisor.

Dave and Darlene also served as court chaperones in several different years. At the time, Dave hauled the horses and Darlene transported the girls, using their own truck and car

During these years, Dave and Darlene owned and operated Turner Excavating while donating hundreds of hours of labor and equipment to help improve the rodeo grounds. In 1977, they began hosting a pre-party for the rodeo, a tradition they continued for many years. In 2003, the gathering moved to the Thunder Room, where it has remained ever since.

Darlene served as President of the Joseph Chamber four times and was the first woman to hold that position. She was also the first chamber office manager, serving from 1988 to 1994.

The Turners were selected as Grand Marshals for the 50th celebration, and both received committee gold cards in recognition of more than 20 years of rodeo committee leadership. Dave was also a national runner-up for an award honoring his service. Their family’s legacy continued across generations: all three of their daughters were queens of Chief Joseph Days in the 1980s, and all three, along with Darlene, served on the Pendleton Round-Up Court. Their two granddaughters also served as queens of Chief Joseph Days and on the Pendleton Round-Up Court.

Dave’s final rodeo role was serving as teamster for the Chief Joseph Days stagecoach. The Turners purchased the horses and coach trailer themselves and traveled to parades and rodeos to promote Chief Joseph Days, all at their own expense.

In 2025, the couple was inducted into the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to decades of service, generosity, and dedication.

Volunteer- Early Years

Mike McFetridge, born November 16, 1908, grew up on Elk Mountain northeast of Enterprise, Oregon. In his early years, Mike rode saddle broncs in many of Eastern Oregon’s small rodeos. He also competed in the 1930 Pendleton Round-Up.

Mike McFetridge and several friends, including Harley Tucker, joined the Joseph Chamber of Commerce to sponsor its first rodeo atop the east moraine of Wallowa Lake. The following year, the rodeo was moved to Joseph. To help build the arena, McFetridge and others cut 100,000 board feet of timber at the base of Mount Howard, and Mike skidded the logs with his farm Caterpillar. The lumber was then taken to Miller Mills in Joseph, where it was cut for use in the arena’s construction. It seemed that everyone in Joseph pitched in to help build the rodeo arena. McFetridge was also one of seven people who signed a bank note to cover construction costs. He later loaned the chamber $3,400 to purchase a brand-new 1947 Hudson automobile for a raffle to raise additional funds. Mike and his wife, Joyce, drove to Portland to buy the car, and throughout that summer they, along with other volunteers, took it to rodeos around the region and sold chances to win the Hudson.

McFetridge served as arena director for the first six years and continued volunteering at the event for six more. His daughter, Jackie, was crowned Chief Joseph Days Queen in 1950. Mike deeply loved Chief Joseph Days and wanted to do everything he could to keep it going. In the late 1980s, Mike and Joyce welcomed rodeo courts, contestants, parade entries, and other visitors to camp, park RVs, and keep horses at their place just outside Joseph. In 1992, Mike was honored as the Grand Marshal of the 47th Chief Joseph Days rodeo.

The family of Mike McFetridge would like to give a heartfelt thank-you to all the founding fathers, committee members, and volunteers whose vision, dedication, and hard work helped bring the first Chief Joseph Days to life. We would not be celebrating this 80th year without you and your families. Together, we are preserving the Western tradition and rodeo heritage. Feel the Thunder!

Contract Personnel

Rob Smets, known throughout the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as the Kamikaze Kid, stands among the most distinguished and influential bullfighters in the history of professional rodeo. Born in Palo Alto, California, on September 11, 1959, Smets entered the arena as a young man with the same fearless determination that would come to define his career.

While competing as a bull rider, he questioned whether fallen riders were receiving adequate protection from the bullfighters in the arena. Challenged to step into the role himself, he did so with uncommon courage and resolve, launching a career that would leave a lasting mark on the sport.

Over the course of that remarkable career, Smets finished among the top six in the Wrangler Bullfighting Tour 17 times and earned a record five championships, an achievement that speaks to both his extraordinary talent and enduring consistency. He was selected six times as bullfighter at the National Finals Rodeo and worked the PBR World Finals on eight occasions, further affirming his standing at the highest levels of professional competition. His exceptional contributions to rodeo have been recognized through numerous prestigious honors, including induction into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2006, the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2008, the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2010, receipt of the PBR Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, induction into the California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame in 2014, the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in 2017, the Molalla Walk of Fame in 2017, and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2019. Smets also holds a meaningful place in the history of Chief Joseph Days, where he served as bullfighter in 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1993, and 1994.

Through his courage, professionalism, and unmatched dedication to protecting others in one of rodeo’s most demanding roles, Rob Smets has secured a legacy worthy of enduring recognition and honor.

Joe Baumgartner – Contract Personnel

Joe Baumgartner, a native of Concord, California, became one of the most respected and accomplished bullfighters in rodeo. Although he did not enter the sport until his high school years, he built a remarkable career that would earn him recognition as one of the finest bullfighters of his generation.

Over the course of his career, Baumgartner won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bullfighter of the Year Award from 2004 to 2007 and was nominated by PRCA cowboys to fight bulls at the National Finals Rodeo for 14 years. Beginning in 1994, he went on to fight bulls at 18 consecutive PBR World Finals. During that time, he fought tens of thousands of bulls, including an estimated 6,000 in Las Vegas alone. He retired in 2012 after 24 years of bullfighting.

His accomplishments were recognized with induction into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2018, he received the PBR Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2020, he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

Baumgartner also built a strong connection to rodeos in the Northwest, including Joseph, Pendleton, and Hermiston. From 1991 to 2011, he served as a bullfighter at Chief Joseph Days, working nearly every performance except for a few years when injuries kept him sidelined. He now makes his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.