Legends of the Arena, RODEOHOUSTON Hall of Fame: Katelyn Scates

Danielle Grossman 00:05
All right, we’re back with another episode of Mission of Rodeo. I’m so excited to have this guest today, Katelyn Scates, Director of Sports and Event Presentations at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We’re so excited to have you, Katelyn. Welcome.

Katelyn Scates 00:16
Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Danielle Grossman 00:18
All right, we’re talking all things RODEOHOUSTON Hall of Fame, very exciting, and our 2027 inductees.

Katelyn Scates 00:24
Yes

Danielle Grossman 00:25
Yes, but before we do that, let’s have some fun. Do you want to have some fun?

Katelyn Scates 00:28
Okay.

Danielle Grossman 00:28
Our audience needs to get to know you, Katelyn. You’ve been here a while, but we need to get to know you at a different level.

Katelyn Scates 00:33
Okay.

Danielle Grossman 00:34
You know what I mean?

Katelyn Scates 00:34
Yeah, I’ve been here 13 years. It’s the longest relationship I’ve ever had.

Danielle Grossman 00:37
Wow, that’s commitment. Great work. Okay, ready. If you had to describe Rodeo Houston in three words, how would you describe it?

Katelyn Scates 00:49
Tradition. Respect.

Danielle Grossman 00:53
That’s a good one.

Katelyn Scates 00:56
Forward thinking or a game changer.

Danielle Grossman 00:59
Great!

Katelyn Scates 01:00
For sure.

Danielle Grossman 01:00
Totally.

Katelyn Scates 01:01
There’s definitely, I mean, Houston was the first to ever come up with the format that we have now with the bracket series that was really trying to educate our audience on on rodeo itself, and but follow a format that they could follow. And so, you know, in doing that, you have to be forward thinking. But I think there’s definitely amongst our volunteers, our arena crew, anyone that comes here, there is a level of business that we do, a respect for the sport, the respect for the show, and a respect for each other, that we hold ourselves to a pretty high standard. No matter what we’re doing, it could be the smallest thing or the largest thing.

Danielle Grossman 01:41
I mean, it shows in you know

Katelyn Scates 01:43
We try

Danielle Grossman 01:44
It is incredible. Yeah. When I first stepped out there and I witnessed my first rodeo here, I was just blown away. I had no words. Y’all do a fantastic job.

Katelyn Scates 01:52
Well, it’s it is a group effort.

Katelyn Scates 01:55
Yeah.

Katelyn Scates 01:55
But it’s it’s really fun because so many people take pride in it. Obviously, I do. I work here. I grew up coming here, but I think everyone that is involved in it, no matter if you’re taking out the laundry for us in arena crew shirts, or if you’re opening up a shoot or watching someone nod their head, I mean, everyone takes massive pride in putting that logo on their back and representing the show, and you can’t buy that. Like you can’t pay anyone enough money to have that, and so that’s that’s the really wonderful part. And we have a lot of fun doing it. We have yeah we have some moments, but we try to have fun.

Danielle Grossman 02:30
You have to. You have to have some kind of fun if you’re working those long hours. You’re dedicating so much of your time. You have to make some of it a little bit

Katelyn Scates 02:36
Yeah, yes no we we have a lot of fun.

Danielle Grossman 02:39
Okay, speaking of Showtime rodeo food, we all have our favorite rodeo go-to food that you maybe you’re thinking of all year. This is the first one I’m eating, where you eat this multiple times. What is your go-to rodeo food?

Katelyn Scates 02:52
Honestly, we keep Antone sandwiches like in our in our refrigerators in the office, and I feel like that’s the stress reliever.

Danielle Grossman 03:00
Of all the rodeo food, though, Caitlin, like you don’t have you don’t want like a fried dish.

Katelyn Scates 03:06
No, if I get up and tell like coworkers that I’m going outside, I’m going to go either get an iced tea and a cinnamon roll with Binion if we need to talk about something, or a paradise burger, but honestly, the skillet potatoes are my favorite.

Danielle Grossman 03:26
Wait, skillet potatoes? Tell me where? Where is that?

Katelyn Scates 03:29
I’m trying to the Texas skillet. It used to be inside, and now there’s one outside. But they have

Danielle Grossman 03:34
cheese, like what’s on?

Katelyn Scates 03:34
Yes

Danielle Grossman 03:35
So it’s like a load.

Katelyn Scates 03:36
It’s like a massive. It’s a huge, massive skillet. It’s like the last food vendor down by Fannin.

Danielle Grossman 03:42
Okay,

Katelyn Scates 03:42
So you gotta hike it to get there, but they are skillet potatoes, and they come in like a little dish. And yes, there are cheese on top of them, and you will find me sitting there with an iced tea, and if I’m by myself,

Danielle Grossman 03:53
are these tots or like potato slices?

Katelyn Scates 03:55
Sliced like literally like an au gratin yes potato.

Danielle Grossman 03:58
Wow, that’s on my list. I love finding new foods because obviously we go to the same ones every single year.

Katelyn Scates 04:03
Yeah, no, it’s a hike down there from the stadium, but it’s totally worth it.

Danielle Grossman 04:06
Well, especially I mean, you’re going like this is you just make time.

Katelyn Scates 04:09
Yeah.

Danielle Grossman 04:09
It’s only there for 20 days. You have to make time.

Katelyn Scates 04:11
No, it’s fabulous.

Danielle Grossman 04:13
On my list, I love it. One more question for you before we dive into things, okay? What’s the most used app on your phone during show season?

Katelyn Scates 04:20
Either my alarm or my

Danielle Grossman 04:23
Is that considered an app?

Danielle Grossman 04:24
I don’t know

Katelyn Scates 04:27
My RODEOHOUSTON app, obviously.

Danielle Grossman 04:29
Okay that’s a safe answer.

Katelyn Scates 04:30
No um,

Danielle Grossman 04:33
probably.

Katelyn Scates 04:34
Probably my bank apps, like trying to make sure, like if I go shopping,

Danielle Grossman 04:38
Yeah,

Katelyn Scates 04:38
downstairs.

Danielle Grossman 04:39
Oh, that’s actually a good one.

Katelyn Scates 04:41
Your bank, your bank app.

Katelyn Scates 04:42
Probably my bank app.

Danielle Grossman 04:43
Do you wait until the end of show to shop, or do you do it throughout show? Like, what is your?

Katelyn Scates 04:48
It’s again one of those, like, if I have 30 minutes, I used when I was in educational programs because we were done earlier. I had a lot more time to go shopping. Now I have to like make. I like. Try to go meet someone over. Like I’ll come over and be like, “Let’s meet somewhere” so I can kind of walk around for a minute. Because we do. We live. I mean, I say we live in the we live in the dirt dungeon. Like that’s

Danielle Grossman 05:11
Is that what you call a dirt dungeon?

Katelyn Scates 05:12
Yes, we live in the dirt dungeon.

Danielle Grossman 05:14
It’s pretty clean, though.

Katelyn Scates 05:15
It is pretty clean. We have there are great, lovely people that sweep it daily, and we’re very thankful for them, but you got to think like not only do we have animals and dirt in there, but we drive vehicles.

Danielle Grossman 05:25
I know, yeah.

Katelyn Scates 05:25
So it’s it’s constantly… we’re constantly coughing.

Danielle Grossman 05:30
It’s so fun though.

Katelyn Scates 05:31
It is.

Danielle Grossman 05:32
You like live.

Katelyn Scates 05:32
We love it. You love it.

Danielle Grossman 05:34
Yeah. Why you’re so good at it?

Danielle Grossman 05:35
We love to move over there but we do miss everyone.

Katelyn Scates 05:38
Yeah.

Katelyn Scates 05:39
We try to visit.

Katelyn Scates 05:40
Yeah, you do.

Danielle Grossman 05:41
I try to tell people to visit.

Katelyn Scates 05:42
Yeah.

Danielle Grossman 05:43
Okay, so let’s dive into what we’re here to talk about because this is a very exciting for us. For those who don’t know, explain to them what the RODEOHOUSTON Hall of Fame is and why we decided to start it here.

Katelyn Scates 05:55
The Hall of Fame was started the first year is 2024. It recognizes individuals and animals for their impact on the longevity of the Show. You know we’ve been around for 95 years, and we had a Star Trail of Fame for the entertainers, but there really wasn’t anything that honed in on the specific Rodeo aspect. And so, actually, when I moved into this role, I had a coworker that had started a list, and I’ll give him credit. Like Jay Wiley had a three-page, you know, list going, and he was like, “We, we, we’ve never really honed in on that.” And there are you have the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the PRCA has a Hall of Fame, but we’re a massive Rodeo, and there are people that have truly been around longer than we’ve all been alive, that have been a massive player in this. And so we brought that to the executive committee and said, you know, here’s kind of the premises: we we promote either contestants, stock, stock contractors, in into that. And so we had a list going, and so in 2024, we tried to we put in three people, and those were really to hit on like the key points of what the mission was, and so Mike Cervi representing the stock and stock contractors, Bob Tallman representing contractor personnel, and then Charmayne James representing the contestants, and so we we picked those three, and then over the years we’ve we’ve also put in Leon Coffee, and then last year we had Ty Murray and Bodacious, who was our first stock animal inductee, and so this this week we did just announce like our 2027 inductees, and so it’s really fun every year, but it’s also very hard. I mean, everyone’s had an impact. So, trying to find who fits best and trying to round out the Hall of Fame as best we can is really the goal.

Danielle Grossman 07:55
So, do you have a process that you take when you’re choosing these folks or animal athletes? Do you ask around? Do you interview folks, or do you use historical data that we have? I’m sure the list is very long because there’s incredible athletes that have come through RODEOHOUSTON, and you know, especially those who have now retired.

Katelyn Scates 08:18
The I would say the first three years has definitely been the historical data. Was trying to hit the point of making sure we had a representative of all of those different categories, but then also like Charmayne James was chosen as the first contestant because she’s the most all-time winning, and so she went in first. And then looking, you know, at the longevity of the careers, Mike Cervi has been was the stock contractor here for over 50 years, Bob Tallman has been here over 40 years. Leon Coffee has been here over 30 years. So really, we were working with data. We do talk to a lot about people because it’s it’s not just about numbers and and what people have done for for the show. Fred Whitfield and Joe Beaver are going to be in our inductees for 2027, and we we looked at both of them because we didn’t have we have we have Charmayne James who’s a barrel racer, Ty Murray who was the most winning Roughstock contestant, but we didn’t have a timed event, and when you went to go look, both are you know Fred’s from Hockley, so he’s hometown guy, Joe Beaver was born in Victoria but lived in Huntsville. But when you look at their their careers overlapped a little bit, there’s like a five year gap between them winning or getting the PRC Rookie of the Year. But when we were looking at how many times they’ve won Houston, how many times they’ve won the World, it was it was really hard to say how do you pick one and not the other.

Danielle Grossman 09:39
Yeah, that has to be difficult.

Katelyn Scates 09:41
So I think them going in together is exciting, and calling them was pretty funny. They’re both they’re both world champions. Everyone knows them. Fred’s definitely known for for his raising the roof, and then everyone knows that you know it was always the house that Joe built. And so these are incredible. Guys that are still in the industry. Fred’s actually going to do a rope off with Cody Ohl at the end of October, so he’s he’s out there. He was actually practicing and working horses when we called, and then you got Joe who puts on tons of clinics and commentates for the NFR. So they’re both definitely still involved in the industry.

Danielle Grossman 10:19
That’s so great. So congratulations, first of all to them. This is very exciting, and they’re going to have their own plaque in Reliant Center. But for those who maybe don’t come to the Center or are curious about the other folks, where can they learn or see these inductees during Showtime?

Katelyn Scates 10:37
Yeah, well you can always go to our website at rodeohouston.com. There’s actually a Hall of Fame page where we have pictures of what the plaques look like, as well as the videos. So we do go out to visit all of them. We try to do it at their homes to to put them kind of in that comfortable place, and so you can go watch the videos that we play in the stadium. We do have the permanent display here in Relaint Center. We also, if you’re in in our Reliant Stadium now, there is a there’s a place in the stadium on the first level where we have plaques also that they can go look at, and then we usually do an unveiling. So we’ll do their induction here, and we’ll also highlight them during one of the Rodeo performances.

Danielle Grossman 11:22
What does it mean for their families? Because their families are coming too to support them, and it’s it’s a wonderful, exciting event during showtime. What’s the feeling like during the induction? The families, the recognition of all of their hard work. You know, sometimes Rodeo in general, you know, is there’s the community recognizes them, but because we are the world’s largest livestock show and Rodeo, this recognition is very significant for them.

Katelyn Scates 11:50
Well, I think just like anything, we try to if we’re gonna do something, we’re gonna do it as first class as we can. So I think the really fun, like surprising moment I think for all of them is when we show up and we’ve got a camera crew with us, and and sort of like this, like we’re we’re placing them and trying to get them to look as best they can. But for their families, you know, I think like Ty Murray, I mean, for him, he he straight up told us he said, you know, I’ve got kids, I don’t quite like they know what I’ve done, but this is this is cool. Like because they’re getting old enough to be like, oh, you’

Danielle Grossman 12:26
That was cool.

Katelyn Scates 12:27
You’re going into something, and so he brought his daughter with with him, and his parents, and and that’s what I think truly it’s about. And we try to take care of them. You know, we want to make sure that their experience here, our lifetime vice presidents host, we will bring them over here for the induction, and a lot of them haven’t been here in a while. So especially the contestant side, and so you know, like Ty hadn’t been in Reliant Stadium ever, and so he was like, I just cannot imagine that there’s a building bigger than what the Astrodome was, and I was like, oh yes, like so. It is fun to see them with their families come in and and kind of do the number that our rookies do of looking around. But but I think that’s the fun part is them getting to see because a lot of them have gone into the the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame or other ones, but you know when their parents are still alive to see this, or they can bring their kids so special.

Danielle Grossman 13:25
Yeah, I mean, yeah. When the kids recognize that dad or mom was elite,

Katelyn Scates 13:29
Yeah,

Danielle Grossman 13:30
That’s probably like, okay, I’ve done my job.

Katelyn Scates 13:32
Yeah, it’s yeah, and it’s great. You know, Charmayne James also like when we went to go do her video interview, there were a lot of questions we asked about like like her kids don’t rodeo, and she was like, “I never forced that. Like, they know who I am. We live out on a ranch. Like I ride, but they’re they were big baseball players.” And she’s like, “That’s okay. Like, we just want them to be successful.” So it’s also really, it’s a privilege for us to get to know them a little better. You know, rather we… I can list off what they’ve done in their careers, but it is it is a treat to get to know them as individuals and how they feel about their careers and and what the sport’s done.

Danielle Grossman 14:11
So, Katelyn, a question for you: If you could compete in any RODEOHOUSTON event without consequences, aka concussions or injuries, what would it be?

Katelyn Scates 14:21
Oh, umm.

Danielle Grossman 14:25
What are you always curious about? Like what do you think you could do or want to do?

Katelyn Scates 14:28
You know steer wrestling just is…

Danielle Grossman 14:36
Really? I didn’t think you’d choose that.

Katelyn Scates 14:38
You know if I if it came with bumper pads and like like a shoot that I I mean I just it’s like watching water skiing I mean it for me like I I do I love all of the events for what they are, bareback riding is just so hard on your body but steer wrestling to me it’s just so fascinating and I think like I grew up in a tiny community like my dad had friends that did it so it wasn’t foreign. But when you watch it, and someone’s coming down, like a horse that’s coming down a football field, it’s it’s an adrenaline rush. So I think if I could have like guaranteed I couldn’t get hurt, I’d want to try jumping off a horse.

Danielle Grossman 15:13
Wow.

Katelyn Scates 15:14
Yeah.

Danielle Grossman 15:14
Okay. That’s awesome. I would never do that. But yes, if you wouldn’t get hurt.

Katelyn Scates 15:19
Yeah. No.

Katelyn Scates 15:20
You could do it.

Katelyn Scates 15:20
If it came with a clause,

Danielle Grossman 15:22
a clause…

Katelyn Scates 15:23
like protection.

Danielle Grossman 15:24
Yeah, totally. Okay, so for those folks who maybe they’re coming to RODEOHOUSTON for the first time, what is the absolute must-see, can’t miss thing they need to experience? And this doesn’t need to just be a rodeo event. This can be anything happening in a stadium.

Katelyn Scates 15:42
In the stadium.?

Danielle Grossman 15:43
Let’s stick it to the stadium.

Katelyn Scates 15:45
Okay.

Danielle Grossman 15:45
And then tell me across the grounds what you would say. Give me two answers.

Katelyn Scates 15:49
I think it’s this. It’s probably the same for the stadium and outside. I think our Born to Buck presentation in the stadium and the exhibit outside, I think, is one educational for a lot of people, you know, everyone loves horses, but understanding like the that these animals were born to do this, and that our stock contractors are very protective of of their breeding programs and taking care of animals in the industry, I think whether you’re in the stadium or you’re out here on the grounds, those are definitely like do not miss.

Danielle Grossman 16:33
Ugh! The first time I saw Born to Buck in the stadium, I cried my eyes out. I mean, it’s just so stunning. It’s so beautiful, and it sends such a wonderful message. And I don’t think folks who maybe their first time coming out are experience or are ready to experience that because that’s not part of like a normal rodeo program. And so it’s just it catches you so off guard, but it resonates with so many people because yes, you don’t realize these animals are just as much athletes as these humans, and they are so incredibly important to making this successful and protecting the human athletes. I mean, and then the babies, the mares, and the oh, it’s just stunning.

Katelyn Scates 17:10
Yeah, no, it is. It’s uh, because we stand behind there, and the baby will be with the mom, and so you know, obviously, we go to release her. You can, you kind of just wait for the crowd to figure out what’s going on, and so it’s really fun. I would say a close second is Calf Scramble, but I think that’s also just it’s entertaining, but the mission behind it is is so directly related to what the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is about.

Danielle Grossman 17:34
Truly, truly

Katelyn Scates 17:35
So you know, I would say like, don’t get up after bull riding. Like you’re gonna you have Born to Buck after that, and then Calf Scramble. Like, those are those are main events. So if I was going to stick around for for anything, it would be those two, which are back to back, which is perfect.

Danielle Grossman 17:50
It is perfect. Oh, I’m so excited for next year.

Danielle Grossman 17:54
So okay, another question for you, just to get to know you a little bit more. What are your hobbies outside of rodeo, if you have any?

Katelyn Scates 18:03
Going to other rodeos.

Danielle Grossman 18:05
Katelyn, that’s not a hobby.

Katelyn Scates 18:08
I like to golf.

Danielle Grossman 18:09
Support though

Katelyn Scates 18:10
I like to golf.

Danielle Grossman 18:11
Okay, you do like to golf. That’s great. Golf. Okay.

Katelyn Scates 18:13
Um, I travel a lot to Oklahoma to see my goddaughter.

Danielle Grossman 18:18
That’s great.

Katelyn Scates 18:19
So I’m a frequent flyer of of United Airlines. I don’t know. I mean…

Danielle Grossman 18:29
Rdoes take a lot of time, so I have to give you credit for that. Rodeo,

Katelyn Scates 18:32
yeah. We, I go to a lot of of rodeo stuff, but I do love I love to travel and but and I love to play golf, music. But yeah, I oddly I spend my weekends going to other rodeos and or you know whether there’s jackpots going on or anything else. A lot of county fairs around here, especially the qualifiers that we have. Yeah. But yeah.

Danielle Grossman 19:00
Well, you said music. So, who’s your favorite artist?

Katelyn Scates 19:03
I don’t have a favorite.

Danielle Grossman 19:04
What? Do you don’t have? Do you have a favorite song at least, or like a song that’s your go-to? Lots of memories connected to it. One that makes you feel good.

Katelyn Scates 19:14
I mean, I don’t know. Like everybody’s got to love George. I remember seeing George here when I was little. I don’t know. I it’s really funny. Like I, Brittany’s always talking to us about who they’re trying to book, and so I’m like, I don’t know who that is. But I’ll send her any country artist. You know, it’s it’s really funny. But I will say, you know, Brittany deals with all of the artists and stuff. But it it is really fun to see those that are very personable when they come up the alley, especially if they’re riding horses, like they’re real people. Yeah, like Lainey Wilson, who who can ride. Sometimes it’s questionable if the artist wants to ride, can they ride? So that’s always fun for me, and I usually tend to take a liking to the ones that are kind of down to earth.

Danielle Grossman 20:00
Yes, I get that. Well, thank you so much for coming, Katelyn. This was awesome, and I hope people learned a little bit about the Hall of Fame. We’re excited for the inductees. Congratulations to them. Yes, and yes, rodeohouston.com is all the information folks need. So thank you again. Thanks for having me. Of course. All right, we’ll see you guys next week on Mission Rodeo.