Lonnie Hale
Class of 2020 (posthumously)
1935-1972
Lonnie was born in Melville, Utah and moved with his family to Manns Creek, Idaho as a small child. After getting his first pony, and his cowboy hat, he was hooked on the western life style.
Rodeo was his passion. He started riding Bareback horses, Broncs and Bulls. He traveled in Idaho winning many rodeos. Later he joined the PRCA and extended his travel and competition. He was an auctioneering graduate from Billings, Montana, and was a sculptor and artist as well.
He and his brother, Lou Hale, traveled together and worked together for McGregor Triangle construction company during the week. Then on the weekends they would hit the rodeo trail.
Lonnie was also a master bull rope braider and sold bull ropes to many a champion. He could do any size plait the bull rider needed.
Some of his rodeo wins included Weiser, Id. Cambridge, Id. Lakeview, Ore. Red Bluff, Ca. Edmonton, Alberta. And many more. He was a mentor to many young cowboys and admired for his numerous talents.
Lonnie Hale
Class of 2020 (posthumously)
1935-1972
Lonnie was born in Melville, Utah and moved with his family to Manns Creek, Idaho as a small child. After getting his first pony, and his cowboy hat, he was hooked on the western life style.
Rodeo was his passion. He started riding Bareback horses, Broncs and Bulls. He traveled in Idaho winning many rodeos. Later he joined the PRCA and extended his travel and competition. He was an auctioneering graduate from Billings, Montana, and was a sculptor and artist as well.
He and his brother, Lou Hale, traveled together and worked together for McGregor Triangle construction company during the week. Then on the weekends they would hit the rodeo trail.
Lonnie was also a master bull rope braider and sold bull ropes to many a champion. He could do any size plait the bull rider needed.
Some of his rodeo wins included Weiser, Id. Cambridge, Id. Lakeview, Ore. Red Bluff, Ca. Edmonton, Alberta. And many more. He was a mentor to many young cowboys and admired for his numerous talents.
Lonnie Hale
Class of 2020 (posthumously)
1935-1972
Lonnie was born in Melville, Utah and moved with his family to Manns Creek, Idaho as a small child. After getting his first pony, and his cowboy hat, he was hooked on the western life style.
Rodeo was his passion. He started riding Bareback horses, Broncs and Bulls. He traveled in Idaho winning many rodeos. Later he joined the PRCA and extended his travel and competition. He was an auctioneering graduate from Billings, Montana, and was a sculptor and artist as well.
He and his brother, Lou Hale, traveled together and worked together for McGregor Triangle construction company during the week. Then on the weekends they would hit the rodeo trail.
Lonnie was also a master bull rope braider and sold bull ropes to many a champion. He could do any size plait the bull rider needed.
Some of his rodeo wins included Weiser, Id. Cambridge, Id. Lakeview, Ore. Red Bluff, Ca. Edmonton, Alberta. And many more. He was a mentor to many young cowboys and admired for his numerous talents.
Lonnie Hale
Class of 2020 (posthumously)
1935-1972
Lonnie was born in Melville, Utah and moved with his family to Manns Creek, Idaho as a small child. After getting his first pony, and his cowboy hat, he was hooked on the western life style.
Rodeo was his passion. He started riding Bareback horses, Broncs and Bulls. He traveled in Idaho winning many rodeos. Later he joined the PRCA and extended his travel and competition. He was an auctioneering graduate from Billings, Montana, and was a sculptor and artist as well.
He and his brother, Lou Hale, traveled together and worked together for McGregor Triangle construction company during the week. Then on the weekends they would hit the rodeo trail.
Lonnie was also a master bull rope braider and sold bull ropes to many a champion. He could do any size plait the bull rider needed.
Some of his rodeo wins included Weiser, Id. Cambridge, Id. Lakeview, Ore. Red Bluff, Ca. Edmonton, Alberta. And many more. He was a mentor to many young cowboys and admired for his numerous talents.
Lonnie Hale
Class of 2020 (posthumously)
1935-1972
Lonnie was born in Melville, Utah and moved with his family to Manns Creek, Idaho as a small child. After getting his first pony, and his cowboy hat, he was hooked on the western life style.
Rodeo was his passion. He started riding Bareback horses, Broncs and Bulls. He traveled in Idaho winning many rodeos. Later he joined the PRCA and extended his travel and competition. He was an auctioneering graduate from Billings, Montana, and was a sculptor and artist as well.
He and his brother, Lou Hale, traveled together and worked together for McGregor Triangle construction company during the week. Then on the weekends they would hit the rodeo trail.
Lonnie was also a master bull rope braider and sold bull ropes to many a champion. He could do any size plait the bull rider needed.
Some of his rodeo wins included Weiser, Id. Cambridge, Id. Lakeview, Ore. Red Bluff, Ca. Edmonton, Alberta. And many more. He was a mentor to many young cowboys and admired for his numerous talents.
Crystal Bros. Rodeo Inc.
Class of 2022
In the summer of 1941, one of the first “talkies” (movies) was being filmed in Island Park. The movie star Jane Russell was staying at the Slash E Ranch on Targee Creek which was right next door to Vern and Bessie Crystal’s ranch. Jane wanted to see a real rodeo. A group of rancher’s in Island Park gave Vearl Crystal some of the hay crews to put together a rodeo arena. The rankest horses and breed bulls, calves and steers were put together and the first Island Park Rodeo was born. World War 2 intervened but when the war ended the rodeo resumed. That was 1946. Vearl’s brother, Demont, joined him and Crystal Brothers Rodeo grew from there.
Crystal Brothers Rodeo has produced rodeos all over South Eastern Idaho, Northern Utah and Wyoming. In 1986, Demont loaded the family and stock and went to Goodyear, Arizona, where they would spend 10 years producing rodeos and practices 7 days a week thru out the winter.
Demont’s sons, Randy and Kevin, and then later their children, Randi Jo, Kelly, Jared, Samantha and Ryan, would join the business and help in any capacity they were needed.
They produced the Island Park Wild Horse Stampede from 1946 until 2010. Multiple family members served on rodeo committee’s that included not just Island Park but also Swan Valley, Rigby and Idaho Falls. Some of the family also served on the Board of the Eastern Idaho Rodeo Association and Intermountain Pro Rodeo Association. There wasn’t a family member that wasn’t willing to jump in and help whether it was taking tickets, serving hamburgers, timing, being the rodeo secretary, loading bulls or picking up bucking horses.