ProRodeo Hall of Famer Mahan receives honor
ProRodeo Hall of Fame cowboy Larry Mahan added another honor to his ever-impressive resume.
The eight-time world champion was selected as the Outstanding American awardee from the state of Oregon by the Oregon chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Mahan, who wrestled in high school in Oregon in Redmond and Salem, will be recognized at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Oregon Chapter’s 23rd annual Honors Banquet, April 22, at the Embassy Suites Portland Washington Square in Tigard, Ore.
“I really feel that wrestling made a great contribution to my rodeoing career, because it is a one-on-one sport,” Mahan said. “It’s one of those sports like rodeo where if you make a mistake you can’t blame it on anybody else but yourself. You have to look in the mirror and start working harder or you’re not going to achieve your goals.”
Dr. Dale Burt Johnston, a board member for the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, praised the selection of Mahan.
“Larry is absolutely worthy of receiving this honor,” Johnston said. “He is one of the greatest of all-time in the sport of rodeo and because he has a wrestling tie I think it makes him a good qualified candidate for the Outstanding American award.”
Mahan was enshrined in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979. He was born Nov. 21, 1943, in Salem, Ore., and went on to a legendary rodeo career, winning eight world championships (all-around, 1966-70, 1973; bull riding, 1965, 1967). He was named the Legend of ProRodeo in 2010.
Mahan isn’t the only cowboy to be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Oregon Chapter.
Most recently, in 2015, steer wrestler Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore., a 13-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, was given the Outstanding American award by the Oregon Chapter.
–PRCA
