Jackman, Shumway inducted into WCHF

The Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame (WCHF) selected 43 inductees for the Class of 2021, including Clarke Jackman and LeRoy Shumway from Hot Springs County. The WCHF State Board of Directors voted on the nominees from across the state during its annual meeting in May.

The induction ceremony was September 11-12 at the Little America in Cheyenne. The event kicked off the annual Wyoming Cowboy & Cowgirl Legacy Week, which was established by the Wyoming State Legislature in 2019.

Regional committees in ten different areas of Wyoming researched, and scored over 70 nominations and sent the top 50 picks to the WCHF State Board of Directors.

Formed for historical, cultural, literary, and educational purposes, WCHF's chief goal is "To preserve, promote, perpetuate, publish and document Wyoming's working cowboy and ranching history through researching, profiling and honoring individuals who broke the first trails and introduced that culture to this state. WCHF plans to collect, display and preserve the stories, photos and artifacts of such individuals and anything else that will honor and highlight their contributions to our history."

Clarke Jackman

Clarke Jackman was born September 10, 1936, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the second of four children of Franklin and Lolita Jackman. During high school Clarke participated in basketball and rodeo. In 1954 Clarke enrolled in CSU in Fort Collins Colorado where he met JoAnn Winder, they were later married on February 3, 1957. While in college Clarke studied animal science and was on the rodeo team.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Animal Husbandry, Clarke moved his young family to Wyoming in 1958, where he managed the Mill Iron Ranch on Owl Creek in Hot Springs County. A few years later Clarke and JoAnn bought the Mill Iron Ranch where they ran about 400 head of Herford mother cows along with 15 to 20 brood mares and raised 5 children. For years Clarke took a pen of steer calves to the Denver Stock Show ultimately winning Grand Champion pen one year. He did most of the veterinary work that needed done and all the horseshoeing. Every summer Clarke would hire a few "city" high school kids to show them a little of the cowboy life. He taught them the responsibilities of being a cowboy from breaking horses and trailing cows to farming and haying.

Clarke was a steer roper for over 30 years competing in the PRCA, WSRA as well as jackpots. He qualified for the National Finals in 1975 ending up 15th in the world standings. He was well known for raising and training quality rope horses with seven different Mill Iron Ranch bred horses being used in the Steer Roping Finals.

Then in 1977 Clarke decided to downsize and sold the ranch allowing him to buy a few hundred acres closer to Thermopolis. There he built an indoor arena and continued to raise and train horses. Clarke also put on several roping schools for young kids who were wanting to learn the skills of roping. He continued to mentor and help numerous young kids throughout the years. He was also the neighborhood horseshoeing guy to go to, especially for corrective shoeing.

Right after he had moved to Thermopolis in 1977, Clarke still felt he wanted to stay in the saddle by helping his friend Stanley Pennoyer moving cattle whenever they needed a cowboy which turned out to be every year. In August 1994 while on the mountain moving cattle for Stanley he had a horse wreck that severely broke his pelvis. He was unable to ride for long distances after that accident but he always felt he could still attend many brandings for years after moving off of the ranch.

After the passing of JoAnn, Clarke decided to retire and sold out in 2015. He continued braiding and making halters for any young cowboys or cowgirls that needed one, usually just giving them away which brought him great joy. He even built a couple saddles for his grandkids during this retirement time. Clarke passed away surrounded by family August 2, 2017.

LeRoy Shumway

   LeRoy Shumway is a cowboy at heart and has ranching in his blood.  He is a third generation Wyoming rancher on his father's side and fourth generation on his mother's side.  A native of Wyoming himself, Lenard LeRoy Shumway was born 19 July 1937 in the town of Penrose in Park County.  He was the third of nine children raised by Lenard Holliday and Edith Ada (Ready) Shumway.

     Shortly after his birth, LeRoy's family moved to Thermopolis, Hot Springs County.  It was here that he grew up working alongside his father managing cattle and sheep.  LeRoy's love has always been horses.  Often, he would ride to school or in parades on horses that he broke and trained himself.  He was an expert roper and throughout his youth and adulthood competed in several races at fairs including the three-horse relay race.  LeRoy graduated from Hot Springs County High School.  While in high school, LeRoy played basketball and was very active in FFA.  In 1956 he was awarded the FFA State Farmer of the Year.  LeRoy's nickname in high school was "Horse Trader".  It could have been due to his love for horses or the fact that he always seemed to come out on top of any deal he made.  A trait that continues through today.

     Following high school, LeRoy, attended Utah State College prior to serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He served in the Eastern Central States Mission which took him to Tennessee and West Virginia.  After his mission, he attended Brigham Young University and met and courted Jessie Leona Quadro.  After their marriage on 31 March 1961 in the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, UT, LeRoy took Jessie back to Thermopolis to ranch and raise a family. 

     And raise a family they did.  They have great pride in their eight children.  All eight grew up working hard and playing hard on the farm.  Nothing would make LeRoy smile more than seeing his kids working together.  Their place is the Bar H Bar Ranch on Owl Creek.  There they grew grain, hay, cattle, horses, and children.  All the children attended Thermopolis schools, and each graduated from Hot Springs County High School.  In high school the kids participated in band, choir, sports, cheerleading and 4H.  Every county fair saw several animals entered by the Shumways.  More often than not, they competed at the state fair as well.  LeRoy and Jessie love being parents, grandparents (27) and great grandparents (28 and counting).  Caring for a large family was demanding.  LeRoy spent 17 years working in the oil fields while maintaining his own ranch and helping on his father's place as well.

     Ranching full time is what LeRoy does for a living, but it is also his love.  He has an uncommon eye for animals and works furiously every year to get the best hay crop possible.  Like all ranchers he is a jack of all trades.  And while he can manage heavy machinery, he is a real sharpshooter with a shovel.  With an irrigating shovel he can dig a post hole, open a ditch, anchor a canvas, or land a clod of dirt in your boot as good as anyone.  

     LeRoy remains active in the community.  He received the Lions Ranch Rodeo Award in 1998 and the Centurion Award in 2015.  For many years he provided hay for 4H fundraisers. Over the years he and Jessie have opened the Bar H Bar to numerous Boy Scout troops and church youth groups.  There the boys learned to rope and ride and care for the livestock.  

     LeRoy has never been afraid of hard work or getting dirty.  He has always had a great love for the Lord, his family, the land, and his animals.  He now owns the land where his mother Edith was born.  Ranching is a gift that has blessed LeRoy's life and continues to do so for his children and his children's children.