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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame is inducting this year’s class of honorees on Saturday in Medora.
The festivities kick off Friday with a reception recognizing the 2012 honorees. The induction ceremony is Saturday at 2pm Central or 1pm Mountain time on the Tjaden Terrace overlooking the Badlands next to the Medora Musial Amphitheater.
Marion, North Dakota native Walter Piehl, Sr. will be honored and inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 23.
Piehl was a lifelong rancher and rodeo enthusiast and started buying horses back in the 1950’s for saddle and rodeo prospects. He partnered with Olaf Berg of Kathryn, North Dakota and began producing local rodeos in the 1960’s.
Piehl bought out the Utke rodeo bulls of Fargo. He produced NDRA rodeos and supplied stock for other producers for both NDRA and open rodeos in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota for 30 years.
Ingstad Family Media’s Steve Urness will broadcast live before the induction ceremony from 11am to 2pm central time in Medora on the Dakota Country Radio Network and Big Dog Country Radio.
“The induction ceremony and recognition by the ND Cowboy Hall of Fame is just a small display of appreciation acknowledging the contributions given to establish and preserve North Dakota’s legendary western heritage and cowboy culture,” said Phil Baird, President, NDCHF board of directors. “This weekend culminates the lifetime achievements for these honorees; past and current.”
Guest speaker for the induction ceremony will be Darrell Dorgan, award winning journalist and the first executive director of the NDCHF. The public is invited to participate in all the activities.
“Witnessing induction ceremony is indeed a special experience,” said Ray Morrell, NDCHF board member and event coordinator. “The stories told may be humorous, sometimes they are serious; but they are always from the heart of each inductee.”
Morrell stated several radio stations will broadcast Saturday’s induction ceremony live; crossing three states and two Canadian provinces. Ingstad Family Media’s Steve Urness will broadcast live from the Tjaden Terrace before the induction ceremony from 11am to 2pm central time on the Dakota Country Radio Network and Big Dog Country Radio.
The Center continues its invitational art exhibition and sale titled “Cowboys and Indians –Alive & Well Today” through the summer. Also, on short-term loan from the National Firearms Museum collection until June 25, is the Walther PPK pistol used by Timothy Dalton as James Bond in “License to Kill”, the Colt pistol carried by Tom Selleck in his popular CBS TV series “Magnum P.I.” and Luke Skywalker’s light saber from Star Wars.