2017 WGRF GRAND MARSHALS

GRAND MARSHALL CANDY PRATT

Candy Pratt joined TGRA in the fall of 1989, and the next season she won her first of many IGRA All-Around Champion Cowgirl titles. She now holds the record for the most earned event buckles and All-Around Cowgirl titles for both the IGRA circuit rodeos and the IGRA finals, donating many of her buckles and awards back to her association or to other non-profit fundraising events. With a focus on helping the IGRA organization, contestants and member associations, Candy has served in a number of leadership roles within IGRA, TGRA, OGRA, NSGRA and RRRA, most recently holding the first RRRA Rodeo School and teaming with TGRA. Always going above and beyond, in the past two years Candy has traveled to almost every rodeo, hauling horses from northeast Pennsylvania to California’s west coast. She is a truly positive example to all contestants and for all her efforts, in 2009 she was inducted into the IGRA Hall of Fame! Candy has enjoyed her involvement with IGRA and appreciates the community support and the diverse rodeo family. This weekend let’s congratulate Candy Pratt as the 2017 World Gay Rodeo Grand Marshal.

HONORARY GRAND MARSHAL BOB PIMENTAL

Bob Pimental, IGRA’s fifth president, passed away in March 2017 after a tenacious fight. To the very end he showed his devotion to his family, his passion for rodeo and his unfailing grace and good cheer. A pioneer of gay rodeo and founding member of the New Mexico Gay Rodeo Association, from its earliest conception Bob was one of those who ensured this “gay rodeo thing” would catch on.

No matter which Association he was representing at the moment, Bob zealously worked to promote IGRA and our rodeo family. He served as Trustee multiple times, Rodeo Director for local and IGRA, Annual Convention Chair, and was also an infinite resource for stories of who we are and how we got here.

As IGRA President he oversaw an unprecedented expansion of several new Associations, among them ASGRA and NGRA, and the first expansion of IGRA into Canadian provinces. In 2011 Bob was selected for the prestigious IGRA Hall of Fame. Even with failing health, Bob's rodeo dedication continued as he watched this year's Phoenix Rodeo unfold, the final rodeo he directed.

Bob Pimental will be remembered by a vast array of IGRA friends and his family. He contributed much of his life to the New Mexico and Arizona Gay Rodeo Associations and to IGRA as a whole. Today we CELEBRATE Bob Pimental as the 2017 World Gay Rodeo Finals Honorary Grand Marshal. Here to accept Bob’s award is his loving partner, Arnie Chavez.