Vore, Stearns honored: Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame honors Region 1 inductees in Newcastle

Four people from northeastern Wyoming were honored Aug. 29 at the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame’s Region 1 induction ceremony at the Weston County Fairgrounds.

The 2026 inductees were Bob Tarver and R.V. “Dick” Talley of Campbell County, Dick Graham of Crook County and Susan “Susie” Martens Vore of Weston County. The ceremony also recognized Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns of Newcastle with the 2026 Spirit of the West Award.

“One of the most meaningful parts of my role as Region 1 director is learning the stories of the people we have the privilege of honoring,” said Tiffany Schwenke, emcee of the ceremony. “Many never did what they did for recognition. They simply lived their lives, worked hard, raised families, cared for their communities and carried on traditions handed down to them.”

Region 1 covers Campbell, Crook and Weston counties. The Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame works to document and preserve the state’s working cowboy and ranching history.

Vore was born July 24, 1953, and grew up on her family’s ranch northeast of Newcastle. Her family raised quarter horses for ranch work, shows and rodeo. She rode through the pastures and checked cattle with her father, C. Fred Martens.

Vore competed in barrel racing, high school and college rodeo, and the Wyoming State Futurity Contest with Madonna, a horse raised on the ranch in the mid-1970s. She married Tom Vore, whom she met at a South Dakota rodeo, in 1973. The couple returned to the Double Triangle Ranch in 1982 and have raised beef cattle there since. Vore has also broken and trained nearly all her own horses.

“Her story is a wonderful example of the Western tradition still being lived every day right here in Weston County,” Schwenke said.

Stearns, 80, was raised on a ranch near Newcastle by her parents, Francis and Violet Sedgwick. She began riding at age 3 and training horses at 13. A year later, she won the Wyoming state pole-bending title and qualified for the National High School Rodeo aboard a 3-year-old gelding named General Leo.

She went on to become National High School Rodeo Queen and national pole-bending champion on the same horse. She set a 15.7-second record on five poles that, according to the Hall of Fame’s account, still stands. She was named the Wyoming High School Rodeo Association’s all-around cowgirl in 1960, 1961 and 1962. In 1963, at 17, she became the youngest queen to win the horsemanship competition at the Miss Rodeo America pageant.

Stearns and her late husband, W.A. “Butch” Stearns, worked on ranches in Weston County and the surrounding area. She continued ranch work and helped neighbors after his death. Her “Over the Corral Fence” columns ran for 21 years, and she has written books and stories about Western people and
traditions.

A founding member of the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame, Stearns helped write its mission statement and build support for the organization. She is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Gold Card member and was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1977. In addition, Stearns regularly has been a contributor of columns to the News Letter Journal for many years. Her column, Nods to Neighbors, is a popular read among NLJ subscribers.

Schwenke said that presenting the award to Stearns was especially meaningful. Stearns received a standing ovation at the event.

“Presenting this award to Rhonda was especially meaningful to me personally. She is a longtime friend and someone I have had the privilege of knowing and admiring for many years. The standing ovation she received was a beautiful reflection of the respect and affection this community has for her.”

Schwenke also thanked the county volunteers who organized the ceremony. The Crook County crew included Criss Neiman, Kenny Fordyce, Everett Zimmershied and Denise Wagner. Campbell County volunteers were Marilyn Mackey, Matt Avery, Tina Graham, Nancy Tarver, Byron Oedekoven and Jan Evans. The Weston County crew included Donna Baldwin Hunt, Randy Rossman, Julie Greer and Toni Darlington. All Cowboy Band provided music, and MW Ranch and FM Red Angus sponsored the event.

 “Their stories remind us that the cowboy way of life is about far more than a hat, boots or a horse,” Schwenke said. “It is about work ethic, family, community, land, livestock, perseverance and passing knowledge from one generation to the next. The stories of people like Susie Martens Vore and Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns are especially important because they are not stories from some distant chapter of Wyoming history,” she continued. “They are our neighbors, our friends and our community’s history.”

Region 1 has honored dozens of people from its three counties since inductions began in 2014. This year’s honorees were represented at the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame state induction ceremony Sept. 25-26 at Little America in Cheyenne.