Shawn Davis

Hailing from Whitehall, Mont., Davis is one of the most influential individuals the sport of rodeo has ever known. Davis qualified for the NFR seven straight years beginning in 1963 and went on to claim the coveted Gold Buckle in saddle bronc riding three times in 1965, 1967 and 1968. Despite suffering a fractured and dislocated spine during competition and undergoing 13 months of physical therapy, he returned to the NFR as a qualifier five times. In 1982, Davis was named the president of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. During that tenure, it is well known that he cast the deciding vote to move the NFR from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas. Davis later became the general manager of the NFR in 1986, a position he held through 2018. His importance in growing the sport of rodeo and the NFR in Las Vegas can never be underestimated. He introduced interactive fan elements, keeping entertainment fresh and modernizing various aspects of the look and feel of the rodeo – all while fitting it neatly into a two-hour television time window.