This award is named in honor of the late Harley Tucker, a rodeo producer and stock contractor from Joseph who helped found the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo in 1946. He also provided the rodeo stock for all four rodeos that sponsor this series.

From its beginning, the series was intended to attract more contestants to the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show in Union, the St. Paul Rodeo in St. Paul, the Elgin Stampede in Elgin, and the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo in Joseph.

The Harley Tucker Rodeo Series, formerly known as the Harley Tucker Memorial Award, was established in 1970.

With support from new sponsors Farm Supply of Enterprise, Oregon, and McKillip’s Catering of St. Paul, Oregon, along with contributions from Harley Tucker’s grandchildren and the four rodeos, additional prize money has been added. The series winner receives a $5,000 check and a silver belt buckle. In addition, an accumulating fund, currently at $21,000 and increasing annually, is awarded to a contestant who wins the series three times. Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Oregon, currently has two legs toward the award.

This award is presented to the contestant who scores the most points in the series and has entered and competed in all four rodeos: the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show in Union, the St. Paul Rodeo in St. Paul, the Elgin Stampede in Elgin, and Chief Joseph Days in Joseph. The series winner is recognized at the Saturday performance of Chief Joseph Days and receives a $5,000 check. The engraved silver belt buckle is presented later in the year at the Columbia River Circuit Finals.

If the award is earned three times, the contestant receives the accumulating purse. Since the award’s inception, women’s barrel racing, women’s breakaway roping, and team roping have been added to the list of qualifying events. Steer roping is not included as a qualifying event.

Previous three-time winners include Butch Knowles of Heppner, who earned $5,100; Rocky Steagall of Irrigon, who earned $3,100; and Brad Goodrich of Hermiston, who earned $10,500.

Harley Tucker was inducted into the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in 1980, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1997, the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1999,  the Chief Joseph Days Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2025.

Bonnie Tucker Blankinship was inducted into the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Chief Joseph Days Hall of Fame in 2021.

The four rodeos included in the Harley Tucker Rodeo Series each contribute $500 annually.